Tips For Buying School Bags

Here are a few quick tips for buying school bags. These tips for buying school bags should be especially useful for parents who are buying school bags for their children who are entering grade school or primary school for the first time.

1. Buy the right size - Remember to bring your child shopping and choose the right size. Not too small till it can't fit in enough books yet not too large for him to handle. It should also hold just the right amount of books and not more than that to protect his back. 
2. Check the school layout - Check the school layout and logistics before buying. Is your child going to be in a classroom on the ground floor or higher up. Consider roller bags for ground floor to take the weight of your child or a backpack for higher floors.
3. Consider the weight - Consider the weight of the bag with books and water tumblers. As a general guideline this weight should not be more than 10% of your child's weight. Get a lightweight bag. The weight of the bag itself should not be too heavy without books inside.
4. Choose the right kind - Roller bags or trolley bags, messenger bags or backpack? Choose the right kind of bag for your child after checking the school layout and with safety aspects in mind. Don't pick just any bag your child likes. 
5. Protect your child's back -  Get an ergonomically designed bag. Usually the back of the bag has a stronger and harder support. A waist strap should also be present to distribute the weight. Teach him the proper way to carry a bag pack. It should be carried using both shoulders and not on one side. You may even need to get two bags to distribute the weight. A backpack and a hand carry one.
6. Check the zippers - Sometimes this simple act is forgotten. Check the zippers and other parts to make sure they are all in good order before you buy.
7. Look for useful features - The bag should have enough compartments for water tumblers, pencil cases, or different places to keep exercises books, workbooks and textbooks.
8. Have comfort in mind - If buying a backpack, look for wide padded straps that are comfortable that won't press on or hurt your child's shoulders.
9. Durability vs price - While considering your budget, consider also the fact that bags that last for many years sometimes end up cheaper than changing cheaper bags regularly. Some better brands have warranties that allow you to change parts that come apart from wear and tear.
10. Long lasting style - Resist the urge to get the latest cute cartoon like the minions etc for your young child. You may have to change it when it goes out of style even though the bag may still be in good order.

Lastly, happy shopping for your child's school bag.

Summary of the above school bag buying tips can be found below.

A Little Boy's Imagination

Last night my boy showed me a BM Karangan that he wrote for school. I had a good laugh when I read it. He is one imaginative little boy. I'm posting it here for keepsakes so I can show it to him when he grows older. :)

It says...

Kasut Terbang

Saya mempunyai sepasang kasut terbang. Kasut terbang itu berjenama Nike. Kasut terbang itu menggunakan graviti dan api yang tidak mengeluarkan asap. Kasut terbang itu pula boleh menjadi telefon bimbit, rumah, iPad atau komputer riba.

Kasut terbang itu terbang dengan cepat. Oleh itu, saya hanya menggunakan satu minit untuk pergi ke luar negara. Setiap Isnin, Selasa, Rabu, Khamis dan Jumaat, saya menggunakan kasut terbang itu untuk pergi ke sekolah. Saya sangat gembira kerana dapat datang ke sekolah dengan awal. Saya berasa amat sayang dengan kasut terbang itu. Saya menjaga kasut terbang itu dengan baik.

Translation..

Flying shoes

I have a pair of flying shoes. Its brand is Nike (lol). The flying shoes works on graviti and fire that does not produce smoke (wow, environmental friendly. haha). The flying shoes can turn into a hand phone, house, iPad or laptop computer. (rotfl. That's my boy! That is really very like him.)

The flying shoes flies very fast. That is why it only takes a minute to go overseas. Every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (According to him, he could not remember what 'weekday' is called in Malay), I use the flying shoes to go to school. I am very happy to be able to go to school early. I love my flying shoes very much. I take good care of it.