Hold that load! Backpacks are too heavy for kids.
I watched my older daughter struggle to get out of the car with her backpack this morning, her first day as a sophomore in high school.
She could barely lift the load. I grimaced. "I know, Mom. Don't say it. I just have to get these to my locker. Most of them will stay there. I don't have to bring all these books back and forth every day."
She knew the lecture: You can't carry all of that. It's too much. Backpacks should never weigh more than 15 percent of your body weight. For my skinny daughter, that's no more than 18 pounds. One textbook weighs almost that much. I think she had four this morning.
She slung the pack over one shoulder (another no-no) and limped off, off-kilter.
I hope that the lope to her locker will not cause any more permanent damage to her spine, which is already twisted by scoliosis. The American Physical Therapy Association has issued its annual warning about kids carrying heavy backpacks, and she's following none of the recommendations.
What can be done about this? Kids won't wear their backpacks the right way. They have to carry loads that far exceed what their growing backs can support.
Teachers require too many different binders, composition books and such, which weigh down already overflowing packs. I fear we are raising a generation that will reach mid-life with serious back problems.
Doesn't this frustrate you, too? What can we do?
Gretchen Day-Bryant has a son in high school and a daughter in middle school. She’s lived to tell about the struggles of juggling little kids and work.
Joy Oglesby has a preschooler...
Cindy Kent Fort Lauderdale mother of three. Her kids span in ages from teenager to 20s.
Rafael Olmeda and his wife welcomed their first son in Feb. 2009, and he's helping raise two teenage stepdaughters.
Lois Solomon lives in Boca Raton with her husband and three daughters.
Georgia East is the parent of a five-year-old girl, who came into the world weighing 1 pound, 13 ounces.
Brittany Wallman is the mother of Creed, 15, and Lily, 7, and is married to a journalist, Bob Norman. She covers Broward County government, which is filled with almost as much drama as the Norman household. Almost.
Chris Tiedje is the Social Media Coordinator and the father of a 7-year-old girl, and two boys ages 4 and 3.
Kyara Lomer Camarena has a 2-year-old son, Copelan, and a brand new baby. 
South Florida Parenting is your guide for local events and things to do with your family. Our site offers resources, features and insightful columns on all types of parenting issues.
Parents and their children can access a multitude of free educational resources.