All the stuff they have to carry!

[Gerz]

Don't know if I'll get a reply to this before he goes to school but -

DS is struggling for space in his bag already, before he even has any books. He has a small packed lunch, a pencil case, his planner and a water bottle and its bulging already.

He has PE today for which I bought him a seperate boot bag to carry his kit in - can I really expect him to drag two bags to school, is this the norm or should I try and squeeze his kit in his normal bag??

I just know he'll leave the bootbag somewhere if he takes it!

Nightmare!

What's wrong with PE kit in a separate bag? He has a two hands, doesn't he?

My kids have a huge backpack for books and large barrel bag/holdall for the games kit.

If he is likely to loose his belongings, make sure they are name (name them anyway).

oh dear, what a shock for him lol - he was complaining his shoulder was hurting yesterday.

I do not see it as different to primary school where they carry a lunch box, a book pack and a sports/swimming kit. Does he have PE everyday?

My dd has just gone off down the road laden like a packhorse with an across the body bag stuffed to the brim and a carrier bag with a couple of bits for sport in (most of her kit is at school already). I can't believe the amount they are expected to carry!

gorionine they seem to have far more books to carry backwards and forwards than primary school - all that homework!

He should have access to a locker, which is where the PE kit moulders away. He will soon know which textbooks etc he needs every lesson. The really fun day is when they have food tech and PE on the first day back after half-term (one back pack and two extra bags). I used to give mine a lift to the bus stop on those days.

Compared to primary school they have up to 5 lots of books and textbooks a day. They do tend to weigh quite a lot. However hopefully either they quickly learn what to leave in school or what they don't need to take in every day (I wouldn't take dictionaries unless specifically asked, as they just add weight).

Mine goes off to school with a back pack as heavy as a suitcase, his kit bag which has to have ALL kit in it (rugby kit, gym kit, indoor and outdoor trainers and swimming stuff)and saxophone. OK it's not every day but he does look ridiculous walking down the road. They soon get used to it.

I do believe we should make new year 7s do a bit of body-building during the holidays.... I should have anyway! My slender dd will be carrying across the body bag with books, PE bag, and either cello or bass guitar. She has two more days of holidays, maybe I'll get her to do some weight lifting today

I'll raise you,

*bulging school back with books etc and packed lunch

*Pe kit

and

*violin + music folder

I have a feeling I might very well change my mind in the next few days

DD1 has always carried her very heavy bag mainly due to the fact that she could not bother ever emptying it from what she did not need, at 1 point she carried 3 Harry potters book in her rucksack for a mile each way to and back from school for weeks on top of her other homework.

and then DD2 removed a teeny scrap of paper from her bag 'because it's getting in the way'

Me: what's that?
DD2: oh, nothing. Just our computer passwords
Me: but won't you need those today?
DD2: no, I know them anyway and I don't want to fill my bag up with rubbish......

they are funny!

Pesto:
I'll raise you,

*bulging school back with books etc and packed lunch

*Pe kit

*cookery things

and

*euphonium

Humph. Folds arms, looks round for tuba-playing challenger to come onto thread...

Lancelottie,

If dd2's food tech lessons coincide with her music lessons this term,

I will raise you

• school bag full of books and packed lunch

• PE kit

• container full of ingredients

and

• a saxophone & music bag

and DD2 is tiny, weighs about 3 stone and very slight.. no idea how she'll manage the bus with all that lot

Pesto.

Put DD in music bag.
Label.
Hand to large, kindly Year 11 at bus stop.

I can't find the site now, but a friend of mine sent me to a site which outlines the 'danger' of carrying bags that are too heavy.

Basically, a backpack should weigh no more (loaded) than 1/10 of the child's own weight.

When dd first had to take her kit in last week, we didn't know which one she needed (there are two) so she had to take both. At that point, even with the two pairs of shoes and the shin guards in a separate bag, she was way overloaded.

Without the kit, the backpack is just under 1/10 of her weight. This is partly because she is pretty small but also because her backpack is heavy when it's empty! (I've tried to persuade her to use a lighter one but she won't.)

So with backpack for books, pencil cases etc, she is just about OK weight-wise. She carries her kit in a separate bag (I think the school specified that they'd need separate bags for kit anyway).

Name everything.

DD's year are supposed to be getting lockers this week. Only Y7s are allowed them, presumably by Y8 they are big enough and able enough to cope with carrying everything around all day.

Maybe your son's school allocate lockers to the Y7s too?