Lots of kids feel nervous or even scared on the first day of school because of all the new things: new teachers, new friends, and maybe even a new school. Luckily, these "new" worries only stick around for a little while. You can beat the back to school blues by knowing what to expect.

Going Back to School Tips

• Get enough sleep so you will be able to stay awake in class.
• Eat a balanced breakfast to give you the energy you will need.
• Try to go to school with a positive attitude every day (although it's OK to have a blue funk sometimes).
• Give school your best effort.
• Develop good work habits. That means writing down your assignments and turning in your homework on time.
• Take your time with assignments in and out of the classroom, If you don't understand something, ask the teacher.
• Keep a sense of humor.

Back to School
Back to school shopping may be the only time you think about your backpack. However, you should give some thought to backpacks all year because using them the wrong way can cause back pain. Backpacks make it easy to carry your school supplies. When used correctly, backpacks are the best way to carry your stuff. This is because the strongest muscles in the body, the back and the stomach muscles, should be used to support the weight of the pack. Using these strong muscles to carry your book bag helps prevent shoulder or neck injuries.

A child should carry no more that 10% of his/her body weight in a backpack. For example, if a child weighs 80 pounds, then the book bag should weigh not more than one tenth of 80 pounds (8 pounds). A load this size should be light enough to walk and stand up straight without hunching forward or leaning to the side.

Tips for Using Backpacks
You can't stop going to school just because your backpack is too heavy. (Sony, this excuse doesn't work!) So what can you do? Try these tips to stop backpack pain in its tracks:

• Get the right kind of pack. Here's how:
• Make sure you have a pack with two padded straps that go over your shoulders. The wider the straps, the better.
• Forget about packs that go over one shoulder or across your chest (often called messenger bags) because they don't allow you to center the weight evenly over your spine.
• Look for a pack with multiple compartments inside so the weight can be distributed more evenly.



• Find a pack with a waist belt. They're great for helping to distribute the weight of your books much more evenly across your body.



• Consider a pack with wheels. There are guidelines and considerations to keep in mind with this kind of pack. Many schools and school districts don't allow rolling backpacks due to kids tripping over them in the halls. Be sure you find out if you can have one and find out the right way to pack it and carry it to be safe.



• Pay attention when you pack. Put the heaviest books closest to your body when you pack your backpack to reduce strain on your shoulders and neck.



• Use your desk or locker. Don't carry around books that you don't need. Use your locker or your desk to store extra books and papers.



• Don't linger with a loaded pack. The longer you carry your pack, the more pressure you're placing upon your back. If you walk home from school, drop off your backpack as soon as possible, then go back outside to play, to cut down the amount of time you're carrying a heavy load.



• Don't put off homework. Have you ever had a book report due that you let go until the last minute? Did that mean you had to lug home a backpack full of heavy library books? Try doing a little bit of homework each night so your bag won't be overflowing with books.

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For more information on the Kids Back to School Information, contact your Southern University Ag Center parish agent or visit www.suagcenter.com.