Latest / Whys & Finds / How Much Should a 2-Year-Old Carry in a Backpack?
Transcript
- Ben: Your two-year-old wants to wear a backpack to the park. You pick it up on the way out, and it's heavier than you expected. What's in there? And is it too much for them? Ellie: Welcome to Whys & Finds. I'm Ellie. Ben: And I'm Ben. Ellie: Today: how much should a two-year-old carry in a backpack? Ellie: Honestly? Look at what goes in it, not only at the bag. A small bag holds less, so less goes in. Then put it on them, packed, and watch how they walk. Ben: That sounds a lot like "it depends." Ellie: It does depend. But there are things you can check at home. And there's a public source with a sign to watch for. Ellie: The American Academy of Pediatrics, the AAP, has a page for parents about school backpacks. One thing first. It's written for school-age kids. Textbooks, gym equipment, lockers. So it isn't a rule for a two-year-old. Ben: Then why bring it up? Ellie: Because it has a number and a sign. The number: "Backpacks shouldn't weigh more than 15% of your child's body weight." Ben: Okay. So I weigh my two-year-old, take 15%, and weigh the bag. Ellie: I wouldn't. That number is written for kids carrying books. The page doesn't give a number for two-year-olds. I'd keep the idea, not the math. The load should be small next to the child. Ben: You're taking my calculator away. Ellie: Only for this one. The sign is more useful anyway. The same page says: "If your child needs to lean forward to support the backpack's weight, then it's too heavy." Ben: That one I can see from across the room. Ellie: Right. No scale needed. Pack the bag the way they'll carry it. Put it on them. Watch them walk to the door and back. Ben: And if they lean forward? Ellie: Then take something out and try again. Ben: Here's what I don't get. A two-year-old doesn't carry textbooks. So what makes their bag heavy? Ellie: Things like a full water bottle. A spare set of clothes. A book from home. And whatever they picked up on the way. Ben: Pine cones. Ellie: A pine cone. Then a second pine cone. Ben: So it's not the bag. It's the collection. Ellie: Mostly. And this is where the size of the bag comes in. The AAP page puts it this way: "Bigger is not necessarily better. The more room there is in a backpack, the more your child will carry." Ben: Because if there's space, it gets filled. Ellie: Right. Empty space doesn't stay empty for long. Ben: So a smaller bag keeps the load smaller. Ellie: That's how I'd use it. If only a snack and a treasure fit, then a snack and a treasure is what they carry. Ben: Okay. Give me real sizes. How small is small? Ellie: Naturally KIDS makes two small ones, so I'll use theirs. The small backpack is 10 by 8 by 3 inches, and it holds 4 liters. Room for a snack and a treasure. Padded, adjustable straps. Ben: And the second one? Ellie: The Mini. It's 5 by 3.5 by 6 inches. A mini backpack with a plush animal face, and two small pockets on the outside. Ben: Five by three and a half. That's small. Ellie: That's the idea of it. Less room, so less goes in. Ben: And the small one has the animal on the front, right? Ellie: Right. It's a removable plush. They can take it out for a hug and put it back. Ben: So how do I pick between the two? Ellie: By what they carry. Lay their things out next to the sizes. Pick the bag their things fit in without pushing. Ben: So their stuff picks the bag. Not the other way round. Ellie: Yes. And then you do the walk. Ben: Can I push back on the walk, though? You said pack it and watch them walk. When do you do that? Ellie: When the bag is new. The first time they wear it. Ben: That's my problem. On the first day there's a snack in it. By the end of the week there's a snack, two pine cones, a stick and the book they wouldn't leave at home. The bag on day one isn't the bag on day five. Ellie: Go on. Ben: So do the check at the end of the week. Tip the bag out on the floor together. They put back only what they still want to carry. The rest goes on their shelf. Ellie: You're right. A bag gets heavier over the week, not on the day you buy it. And the AAP page has a line for school kids that fits here: "Clean the backpack weekly and take out unneeded items." Ben: So I wasn't making it up. Ellie: You weren't. That's better than what I said. One check when it's new, and one every week. Ben: Fine. I'll take that one. Ellie: Take it. Ellie: Now, a few different situations. If a cup comes along every time, there's the small backpack with pockets. Same 10 by 8 by 3 inches, with side and inner pockets and a bottle holder. Ben: And if they already have a bag? Ellie: Then keep it. The lean-forward check and the weekly tip-out work with any bag. Ben: And if they want a different animal? Ellie: The small one also comes as a dog, a giraffe, a frog or a teddy bear. The Mini comes as a T-Rex, a unicorn, a triceratops or a mouse. Ben: What if they get tired halfway home? Ellie: That happens. Both bags have a handle on top, so you can carry it by the handle for the last bit. Ben: Okay, let me see if I've got it. One: look at what goes in the bag, not only at the bag. Two: the American Academy of Pediatrics has a number, 15% of body weight, but it's written for school kids. Keep the idea, not the math, for a two-year-old. Three: the sign from the same page. If they lean forward to hold the bag up, it's too heavy. Four: more room means more stuff, so a small bag keeps the load small. And five, my point: check it again at the end of the week, and tip it out together. Ellie: You've got it. Ellie: And if you're comparing sizes, Naturally KIDS makes the small backpack and the Mini. Put your two-year-old's things next to the inches first. Ellie: That's it for today. A reminder: the voices in this episode are AI-generated. Whys & Finds is made by Naturally KIDS. Ellie: That's today's why. See you at the next find.