Pack up your savings...

With the start of the new school season comes the back to school shopping.  Kids seem to have more and more things they need for their classes these days, which means more and more to stuff into a backpack.  There are some safety issues to keep in mind with backpacks for your child though, first and foremost is that no child should ever carry more than 10% - 15% of their body weight in a backpack, the reason?  They are still growing and this causes undo stress to the spinal vertebrae and discs and can lead to headache and muscle aches in the shoulder, neck and back, it can also lead to ongoing back problems in the future.  Also be sure to tell your child how important it is to carry the backpack over both shoulders to evenly distribute the weight, not just sling it over one side.  When purchasing a new backpack for your child look for something that is light weight with nicely padded shoulder straps.  Also look for waist and chest belts to help distribute the weight evenly and keep the pack from slipping.  The bottom of the backpack shouldn't be more than 4 inches below the waist and the shoulder-strap anchor points 1-2 inches below top of shoulders, You may need to adjust kids' backpacks and/or reduce how much they carry if they struggle to get the backpack on or off, have back pain or lean forward to carry the backpack.  If your child has back pain or numbness or weakness in the arms or legs, talk to your doctor or physical therapist.

Now that you know the ins and outs of what to look for in a backpack here are some great deals, L.L. Bean is having a great sale on Backpacks, 20% off plus free shipping until June 6th.  Ebags is also having a sale on their back to school backpacks, they even have a Jansport model that can be wheeled if it is too heavy and best of all its 55% off, bringing the price down to $44.99.  I was able to find a coupon for 20% off your entire order using coupon code CHILL.  Ebags offers free shipping on all orders over $50.00, I found a coupon code EMFALLFOR for free shipping if you are under that amount.  Also be sure to check out JC Penney, they are having a sale on select models of backpacks, they have a couple of really cute models including Toy Story and Iron Man models for the boys and Disney Princess and glitter for the girls.  They are offering 25% - 50% off with free shipping on orders over $49.00.  One more site that offers a huge selection of school backpacks is School-Bags.com, they have a large variety ranging from Kindergarten to College and can really help you find exactly what your are looking for for you student.

I hope you are all having a great weekend!

C.Q.