Ideas for carrying musical instrument + school bag + sports kit

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Ok, my year 7 dd has a 15/20 min walk from the train to the school and takes her sax one morning and brings it back another afternoon. I’m wondering how others manage this? We already have a lightweight case, but she struggles to have both bags on her back simulataneosly. If she carries one and puts the other on her back then her arms begin to ache and her back hurt as the weight is not evenly dispersed.
She keeps the weight of her school bag to a minimum, but it is still heavy. Im just wondering if there is a different strap I could buy that would make it easier for both items to be on her back - please tell me how your kids manage!!

They manage. I’d just let her cope. Mine had large instruments to carry and seemed to get by. Good exercIse.

Can she carry her school bag on her front?

Mine puts her sax on her back and wears her rucksack on the front.. looks a bit strange but works! And she has a 40 minute walk..

My year 7 has to do chill bag, pe kit and cello some days! We went with wheels for the cello. Can you get a set of wheels to help?

School bag, not chill bag

I could do with a chill bag I think

Hmm, I like the idea of bag on her front, will suggest that to her. She’s not opposed to the walking, just the aching. Or possibly some wheels? I’ll look into that.
I’m wary with her as she has asthma and it worries me! She has a long day (as do all secondary school kids I know) but don’t want her overdoing it

I ended up with a scoliosis from carrying heavy school bags.
Make sure any loads are balanced equally not on one side

DD has a rucksack and just carries her instrument case (20 minute walk). If your DC is finding it tough, I'd look at what is in their bag. DD (today) only has her lunch and about 3 books so the weight is negligible. She puts a water bottle, pencil case and school diary in her blazer pockets. She does have a locker where she keeps most stuff though, so I guess you probably can't minimise so much if you have to take in all your things for the day.

Logging heavy stuff is not good exercise, it can screw your back for ever! Def. good idea to look into wheels! Even some kind of shopping trolley could help. Or, for more street cred, could she take a scooter to school and put school bag and sport kit over the handle bars, leaving her with only the sax on her back?

I showed her this and her response was no way!!!

m.thomann.de/gb/protec_2_section_trolley_w._telescope.htm#

I’ve been through her bag myself on the days she carries her sax and I really can’t whittle it down anymore. I’ve had her take her pe kit in on other days and store it in her locker, but the lessons she has on sax carrying days are very book heavy unfortunately.

OP, it gets worse - my DD also had cookery items as well!

Ok, if trolley or scooter are uncool (I think scooters are cool, though - the metal ones for jumps etc!), would it be safe to go by bike and have some kind of really cool bike wicker basket?

It's a potentially expensive option but could you buy a cheaper sax for her to leave at school? I spent years carrying my school bag, tenor sax in a massive case and clarinet in another chunky case. I loved being asked on an almost daily basis if I was running away from home . A cheap sax left at school is one option, another might be to see if some of her books could be left in her locker the night before so her school bag is lighter. I used to put bag on my back and carry instruments in my hands and my own DD1 does the same, albeit with different instruments. She often takes her water bottle to school empty and fills it at school so she doesn't carry the weight for so long.

Unfortunately a bike isn’t an option as the train is packed and no space for one. I think the best option is planning and SE13 things like water bottle being empty and books on other days are the way forward.

Gah - we have this problem too. Plus she’s a new Y7 so won’t relinquish things out of her backpack “just in case” and is built like a string bean.

I do ruthlessly edit it but the days when she has two instrument lessons so two more sets of music books are just ridiculous. I have no idea what the answer is!

Hi there
Amazon has a great selection of school's trolley bags. They are allowed in our school. It is important to take that load of you child's shoulders. Very bad for developing spine in the long run as the weight and the gravity compress the spine. Have fun shopping with your child!

I’m glad I’m not the only one trying to sort out this problem!!! If I discover a working solution I’ll be posting it....will have a gander at the school trolleys now!

Good luck!
My son plays the Oboe. It is a smaller instrument, but an extra load to everything he needs to carry (trainers/football boots/books etc).

With regards to the music books - ask your daughter's instrumental teachers if she would be allowed to use copies. I think the ABRSM call them 'working copies' which should be allowed as long as you purchase an original book.
If there are restrictions in your school with regards to what bags children are allowed to use, I would suggest to bring up the issue with the PTA and flag up the problem. It is your child's Health and Safety and the school should recognise the need for a healthier alternative to a massive backpack plus two instruments. Do not suffer in silence. Your daughter will need her spine for the rest of her life and to carry her own children in the future!

HollyHOME 17 inches Water-Resistant Wheeled Rolling Backpack School Books Bag for Girls Boys and Students, Black www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CXKCY9X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_nJ0TBbAC7CVXX?tag=mumsnetforum-21

This looks ok, I don’t think she’d like the wheels being too obvious and would only pull it on the sax carrying days, otherwise it would be on her back. Some of them are quite big at 55cm, but at 47cm this one seems a better bet - I’ll run it by her tonight

Most ridiculous day we had was the cello lesson / cricket bag combination...

dd plays the euphonium and has a 15 minute walk from the station.
She did try a wheeled trolley, but then the band (which she plays the euph in) gave her a proper euphonium back pack.
She wear the instrument and carries her other back pack in her hand.
Not great, but has to do.
fortunately it has never clashed with cooking!

She, and I, are apprehensive about wheeling the sax over pavements and roads. After much searching online we’ve found something that looks ok as a wheeled backpack. The wheels and handle can be hidden - which was important to her. It looks like a large backpack so not obviously something different. We’ll have a good look at it when it arrives next week and see if it’s the future! Thanks for all inputs - I’m glad she’s open to it, her dad suffers from back problems and I want to make sure she can avoid that for her future!

Reading with interest! Already thinking ahead for my instrument-playing yr 6 son and from talking to other parents, buying a cheaper second hand instrument to leave at school (or vice versa) is probably the route we'll go down. Appreciate that's not for everyone.

We have this problem, clarinet, rucksack, huge sports kit sometimes with hockey stick and tennis racket.

We have learned that the best way is to stagger things, so take PE kit, sticks and racket one day and leave them at school. Clarinet there and back on the days needed (two). Sports stuff there on Monday and home on Friday (no music those days).

PQ the music block at our school is secure, plenty of folk leave their instruments there in fact DD forgot to bring hers home last week.