You know that your child is growing up when it’s time for him to have his own backpack! And, we love what Understood.org says about the subject: “A grade-schooler’s backpack is a link between home and school. If your child can’t find what he needs in there, the link breaks down. Help your child get organized.”
The good news is that, if you register with any one of these Horizon Education Centers by August 17th, you’ll receive free registration AND a free backpack. So you’ll be well on your way.
Then, it’s important to help your child learn how to organize his or her supplies by categories and keep like items together. For example, pens, pencils, crayons and highlighters should all go in one area, while notebooks, paper and so forth go in another – and lunch or snacks in another.
Take a look at the pockets available on your child’s backpack and help him or her come up with the most practical system, given what your child needs to pack and the layout of the backpack. If your child is young or a visual learner, Understood.org suggests that you draw a map of where everything goes because, although you’ll be involved early on, the goal is to get your child to the point where he or she can handle the organization.
Another great tip from the Understood.org site, if your child can read well: consider buying a luggage tag and removing the address label. Then, in red, list what should GO to school and, in blue, what needs to come HOME.
More backpack organization tips
The list of what your child needs to pack will probably continue to grow as the school year progresses and whenever he or she starts a new grade. But the American Academy of Pediatrics says that a child’s backpack should never weigh more than 10 to 20 percent of his or her body weight. So, if your child weighs 70 pounds, the backpack – fully packed – should never weigh more than 14 pounds.
You’ll want to include any school supplies, of course, required by your child’s teacher and anything needed for lunch or gym. Also consider packing hand sanitizer, especially when kids are coming down with the sniffles and flu is on the rise. Your child will encounter plenty of germs on a daily basis and although hand washing is best, that isn’t always possible.
Your child is unique!
North Shore Pediatric Therapy points out that it’s perfectly fine to experiment with different systems until you find one that works for you and your child. Go through the backpack together at the end of each week to make sure that everything is still in order. If not, this tells you that either more time and attention needs to be given to this task by your child – or another system should be tried. Some children will naturally enjoy keeping an organized backpack, while others, not so much! Consider ways to reward your more reluctant child when he or she does a good job keeping all in order.
And, if you find yourself getting impatient with your child’s progress, remember this: “Given the five-balls-in-the-air complexity of our own hectic lives, we sometimes forget that our children are also juggling.”
Don’t delay: sign up NOW and get your free backpack
Horizon Education Centers provides affordable quality child care that includes educational and enrichment opportunities – and we’re here to answer your questions! Contact us at one of the following Northeast Ohio locations.
