How are kids supposed to carry these heavy a** backpacks?!

[♥ms.pacman♥]

Both kids in middle school now, and the tremendous weight of their backpacks is a joke.
Like last year, they are not assigned any lockers so they have to carry EVERYTHING for all seven classes in their backpacks at all times.

DD (6th grade) came home saying she needed ANOTHER 3-subject binder for one of her classes.
That makes THREE classes where she needs a 3-subject notebook for each. The other classes she needs a regular notebook.
She also needs TWO binders (one for her music class, another for some other class).
Oh and she has to carry her chrome book. I thought the chrome book meant everything is electronic, but they still need tons of 3-subject spiral notebooks for some reason.

Her bag is ridiculously heavy, and DS’s too, so much to the point that after couple days of school they both asked for rolling backpacks. And DS is like 140 lb , 5’4” and VERY strong…yet even he wanted a rolling backpack. And we found just regular rolling backpacks wouldn’t do, we found they had to be the the sturdy kind that were large enough to carry so many binders, notebooks, etc so we splurged and got the $$ ones from SwissGear that are basically made for adults to take on planes. We have literally spent $500 on school supplies in the past week!

Anyway, I know it’s super petty but seriously it just is maddening how kids are expected to carry around so much all day. And it’s 100 degrees here still so we felt bad making the kids wait outside for 20 minutes in triple digits in the car pool lane, with their backpacks on.

[wencit]

My kids feel your kids' pain (literally). Don't forget to add lunch boxes and full water bottles. I really think DS1 walks slightly hunched over now because of his insanely heavy backpack. Neither our middle schools nor our high schools have had lockers for years, so the kids have to carry everything all day long. I truly don't understand the no-locker thing.

[sariana]

I think the locker thing is a safety issue.

I don’t understand the stupid binder thing. And I’m a teacher!

ETA: also there’s no need to carry books. Have a set at home and a set at school. Or use class time to do something else. Students shouldn’t be doing “book work” in class.

[ett]

Kids use their lockers in middle school here. In high school, kids have lockers but nobody uses them. Only 1 or 2 classes have physical textbooks, and those are purely for at home use. Still their backpacks are very heavy.

I really don't understand how they carry it all around but that's what DS1 did for 4 years in HS and same for DS2 now. DS2 also brings his violin to school. He has a locker in the music room for it, which he uses.

[nfceagles]

I completely agree. My DDs backpack is insanely heavy and the teachers demand larger binders than can reasonably fit. She has a locker but short passing periods make it nearly unusable.


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[SnuggleBuggles]

I think the locker thing is a safety issue.

I don’t understand the stupid binder thing. And I’m a teacher!

ETA: also there’s no need to carry books. Have a set at home and a set at school. Or use class time to do something else. Students shouldn’t be doing “book work” in class.

?? Our school has text books from 20+ years ago. There certainly isn’t money for the school to give a book to go home and keep at school. Lovely idea though!


Every school my kids have attended has a no rolling backpack rule. I think a lot of kids find safe places to leave some of their stuff. I know ds1 used to leave his sports stuff and overflow items in the the gifted office or band room. They find systems like that that the teachers are ok with. And he had lockers- just didn’t use one. He looked like a Sherpa!


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[klwa]

I might clarify with the teachers if they actually need separate notebooks for each class. DS & DD1 in middle school started kind of "living" out of a single binder with tabs for each class, mainly because of the no locker rule. There were a few things that were required to be in individual notebooks for notebook checks, but they were warned about those before hand and only carried them to class on notebook check days. Everyday notes went into the binder on normal notebook paper. DD1 was required to have a simple folder for both band and chorus.

[Liziz]

I hear you!!! My DD is in 5th grade, and for this year and last, they change classes, so are expected to carry all materials from all classes in their backpack each day, all day. The backpack is definitely more than a safe weight by any guidelines I've ever read.....and my DD is physically on the bigger side, I feel for the very teeny petite kids even more!

I don't think it gets better, as middle school hasn't used lockers the past 2 years, and apparently it's "worked so well" that they're now pulling the lockers out in the middle school -- but I hear the same concerns about backpack weight there. We did get my DD a rolling backpack this year, but saw what a PP commented on -- it's barely big enough to hold all her stuff. Our middle school has banned rolling backpacks too (I'm assuming b/c they clog the hallways more?), so after this year she's stuck wearing it on her back again. There has to be a better solution!

[lizzywednesday]

OMG, that was us at the beginning of last year, so DD didn't start off the year understanding how to use a locker.

Fortunately, that changed going into the 2nd marking period and they're now allowed to use lockers.

Students in our school district aren't allowed to have rolling backpacks, so I think they decided lockers were the lesser of two evils.

[KrisM]

I agree. Although mine can keep many of the books at home and use online versions at school. We have to use clear backpacks, which are not big. No lockers. So kids carry things in their backpack and their arms all year. It's super frustrating for all.