Elem. kids.....rolling backpacks????

[HappyDznyCamper]

My daughter is entering 7th grade this fall & has been using a rolling backpack for 2 years now. She got one in 4th grade because her backpack was so heavy she complained that her back & shoulders hurt. I never even thought that they might not be allowed in school. I just checked the district website after reading these posts & did not see anything regarding whether or not they're allowed. I know that in Junior & Senior High School she will only be carrying more books so I guess my question for everyone who lives in a district where they aren't allowed is do your kids complain about carrying heavy loads? I would think there is a health issue of injuring backs when they're carrying heavy textbooks around on a regular basis.
On a side note, the LL Bean backpacks, wheeled or non wheeled are wonderful-they replace them or repair for the lifetime so you definitely get your money's worth.

DD14 is in HS her bp weighs between 30 and 40lbs, and yes I am worried about her back. Unfortunatly with her locker being upstairs a rolling bp won't help. I make sure she wears it properly, on both shoulders and not too loose. We looked to see which was closer, the bus pick up or the parent pick up, the bus was closer, so she rides the bus but I pick her up at the stop. I also check with her teachers to see if extra books were available, unfortunatly none where, but the biology teacher said they could leave the books at home most of the time(she always told them 2 days before they needed it in class). Some teachers are aware of the problem of heavy bp and will try to lighten the load if asked and if they can, some looked at me like I had 2 heads .

 

[Piper]

I teach and I have seen several children hurt from tripping over their own rolling backpack.......... Then there are the kids that run into others with them......... And the few kiddos that use them as battering rams to get down the hall.

 

[undertheradar]

Both of my daughters use them. Remember that they can be worn as a standard backpack for going upstairs. We are in Southern California and our elementary school does not have lockers - just hooks outside of the classroom.

 

[Disney Ella]

My kids have them, but they are not allowed to use the wheels in school. (I didn't know that when we bought them.) I think we'll get them regular backpacks next year. The rolling ones are heavy empty and since the kids can't use them in the school building anyway, I see no point in getting a rolling one just so they can roll it 50 feet from the car to the school entrance.

 

[Chief Planner]

We had a rolling backpack through half this year, and then switched to a regular one. We live in a snowy climate, and no matter how many times I suggested not rolling it in the snow, my son did. It just didn't hold up to the wear and tear that a third grader puts it through. I think he actually likes the regular backpack better.

 

[DawnM]

I found a brand new JanSport backpack at a thrift store for $3 today. I will keep looking for a 2nd one.

I decided I have 3 months of garage sale-ing and looking so I will not spend the extra unless I need to, esp. if I am going with non-rolling ones.

Thanks for all the help. I can see why rolling isn't the best for them.

Dawn

 

[Sherrill Judice]

PLEASE NO ROLLING BACKPACKS! I am a first grade teacher. My students don't even have books to bring back and forth. All they have to carry are a few folders and some papers. The rolling backpacks cause nothing but accidents. Elementary kids want to run...they don't know the meaning of "walk". They are always tripping over each other as it is!

Just my 2 cents...what they want and what they need are two very different things!

 

[Sherrill Judice]

All of the reasons to not have them or ridiculous. Why would they have to put them in their locker. They can park them at their desk. Can't believe these people teaching have no common sense. For Pete's sake, it's about their backs. Where are the parents?

 

[mjkacmom]

My kids had them one year in elementary (no lockers, and they walked to school). The school was on a hill, and they liked to ride them, which wore down the straps, which ripped. Went back to regular ones the following year.

 

[mjkacmom]

All of the reasons to not have them or ridiculous. Why would they have to put them in their locker. They can park them at their desk. Can't believe these people teaching have no common sense. For Pete's sake, it's about their backs. Where are the parents?

I've never heard of a school allowing backpacks to be parked at desks, and what about changing classes?

 

[mjkacmom]

DD14 is in HS her bp weighs between 30 and 40lbs, and yes I am worried about her back. Unfortunatly with her locker being upstairs a rolling bp won't help. I make sure she wears it properly, on both shoulders and not too loose. We looked to see which was closer, the bus pick up or the parent pick up, the bus was closer, so she rides the bus but I pick her up at the stop. I also check with her teachers to see if extra books were available, unfortunatly none where, but the biology teacher said they could leave the books at home most of the time(she always told them 2 days before they needed it in class). Some teachers are aware of the problem of heavy bp and will try to lighten the load if asked and if they can, some looked at me like I had 2 heads .

You can buy used books to keep at home. Mine just lug their heavy backpacks home, a mile walk.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

My daughter, now 12, always used a rolling backpack. BUT that was in California in a private school. We moved to the Southeast last summer. She started 5th grade last year (elementary). When registering for school I was surprised that they were frowned upon. I was warned that they would be learning how to use a locker to they're prepared in 6th grade and that a rolling backpack didn't fit in it. Against my better judgement, I allowed my daughter to have a regular one. Unlike other posts, my daughter's backpack for 5th grade was HEAVY. But my daughter said it was difficult to get a rolling backpack on and off bus and in the long run she wanted to use what all the other kids are using. She entered 6th grade this year and has a regular one again. But this year, so far, her load has been much lighter. I think mostly because most of the work is done on IPads. However, I'm a true believer that backpacks in general are too heavy for kids and it's not good for the backs/posture. If she wanted a rolling one this year, I'd do it in a heartbeat but I would worry it wouldn't fit in the locker. Try pottery barn kids and pb teen. They have discounts often and occasional free shipping. I used to get my daughter's rolling backpacks from them for years. Very durable and many remain in excellent condition.

 

[Klayfish]

All of the reasons to not have them or ridiculous. Why would they have to put them in their locker. They can park them at their desk. Can't believe these people teaching have no common sense. For Pete's sake, it's about their backs. Where are the parents?

Pretty odd for a first post. You picked a thread that's been dormant for over a decade. Holy zombies, Batman!

Mine just lug their heavy backpacks home, a mile walk.

Is it uphill in the snow, both ways?

 

[verleniahall]

Most schools do not allow the rolling bags

 

[Marionnette]

All of the reasons to not have them or ridiculous. Why would they have to put them in their locker. They can park them at their desk. Can't believe these people teaching have no common sense. For Pete's sake, it's about their backs. Where are the parents?

Two posts on the disboards and both of them to bump this 10-year old thread! I've got news for you! The OP's kids are now in college!

 

[Sparkly]

Do zombie elementary school kids need rolling backpacks? My local zombie school won't allow them because they had too many accidents.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

Two posts on the disboards and both of them to bump this 10-year old thread! I've got news for you! The OP's kids are now in college!

Not only has mine gone to college, she is finishing Pharmacy school this year. Guess what, that same non-rolling backpack she has had since 7th grade is still her goto bag.

 

[Colleen27]

Our schools don't allow them either, not even at the middle and high school level where the loads they haul might justify it. I think they're probably unnecessary for most elem schoolers anyway, since they don't usually have to tote books from one class to another or use a locker that may or may not be near their classrooms as a home base during the day.

 

[kymom99]

I know this is an old thread but what the heck.

I taught in elementary school for 28 years. We didn't allow rolling backpacks and then the fad pretty much passed. Kids rarely had so much to carry that they needed to roll their backpack.

Also kids can't put their backpacks by their desks. It would be a fire hazard since people could trip over them.

My son went to a private high school. They were not allowed to carry backpacks around school. They had to stay in their lockers. When my son sprained his ankle we had to meet with the assistant principal to get permission to us his backpack so that his hands would be free. He felt like he could use the stairs if he had his hands to hold on to the rails.

Another issue with rolling backpacks that has everything to do with Disney:
On one trip my dinner had a thomas the train rolling backpack. He was pulling it along as we were getting ready to go check out. He was startled by some flying insects and twisted around trying to avoid them. The backpack turned over and pulled him to the ground. He scraped up his elbow pretty bad. So they really aren't very helpful for kids as far as I can tell.

 

[Sherrill Judice]

I've never heard of a school allowing backpacks to be parked at desks, and what about changing classes?

Just because it's always been doesnt mean it can't change