It's important for parents to understand that their child should wear a correctly fitted and designed backpack that can help prevent back problems from developing later in life. Backpacks are becoming more and more standard issue for school aged children.

The following guide will help you when purchasing and fitting your child's backpack.

The contents should not exceed 10% of your child's body weight:

Your child may need to bend forward to compensate for any additional weight, this may result in poor posture.

Both straps should be worn (we know it's not cool but a bad back is far less cool!):

You've seen the older kids, leaning over as they try to cope with a heavy load while trying to maintain their cool demeanour! Wearing only one strap can lead to neck and lower back pain as well as muscle spasm.

Shoulder pads should be adjustable and well padded

Look for a backpack with straps that are at least 2 - 2 1/2 inches (5-6cm) wide and easy to adjust. If the backpack sits too low on your child's back this may lead to spinal misalignment and pain. Straps that dig into your child's shoulders can create discomfort.

Fashion or Fusion

They may look unfashionable but look for backpacks with hip straps, waist belts and frames as each additional support helps to redistribute the weight from the shoulders and back to the pelvis, thus preventing strain on the lower back muscles.

Practice makes Perfect

Remember to have a few practice sessions with your child before they start school; perhaps some trips to the shops or a visit to grandma's place. Have your child open and close the zips, put things in and get things out of the bag, take a drink from their bottle then have them put it back.

At Get Ready For School we believe in early intervention. It's important to establish good habits as early as possible - perhaps we can even make these rules the new cool!