Lifestyle

Capacity Rated as the Most Important Factor when Selecting Backpacks for Kids

Published

7 years ago

August 17, 2019

Every kid going to school needs a backpack, and the selection of which one has always been tough for parents. While most of the schools do not put restrictions on what types of backpacks kids use, many give a lot of books to students to take home. In such cases, when surveyed parents from different corners of the world, capacity was rated as the most important factor to consider for the backpacks.

Many countries like India are also setting the weight limits on the school backpacks to make the life of students at home easier. Such limits may help prevent damage to children’s backs from heavy books on their way from school to home. Many parents shared that picking an ideal backpack with sufficient capacity is really a tough decision. Too much of empty backpack is uncomfortable for children, while heavily stuffed backpack of greater capacity puts a lot of force on the backbone of children. To tackle this situation, there is an awesome backpack by Burnt My Taco that can reduce the some of the tensions for these parents. Both comfort, coupled with trend setting designs like these, are also these book bags are great choice for both younger children through college students.

What Can You Do?

What are some other things you can do to help reduce the weight of your child’s backpack? Consider getting a second set of textbooks to keep at home for your child. Weigh your child’s backpack, it should ideally be no more than 10-15% of their body weight to carry.

Lighten the load.
Consider talking to school administrators or speak up at PTA or school board meetings if you have a concern for the weight of your child’s bag coming home.
The school may be able to offer some additional time for children to get to lockers during the day to exchange books in between classes.
Your local legislators may be able to offer help as well.
Many US schools have already switched over to using laptops and laptop bags for that matter, and document sharing systems which can help reduce weight of a child’s bag.
Backpacks that are used to carry heavy books should not have narrow straps that dig into the shoulders can interfere with circulation and nerves. These types of straps can lead to tingling, numbness, and weakness. Look for a backpack with multiple compartments to help distribute the weight which is ideal.
Improper backpack use may also eventually lead to bad posture. Younger children may be especially at risk for backpack-related injuries because they are just smaller and may carry loads that are heavier in proportion to their body weight. Again, check the weight of your child’s bag in proportion to their own body weight.
Besides capacity, there are some more factors that play an important part in deciding the best backpack for kids. Straps of the bag should be comfortable for the shoulders, and the bag itself should protect books from inclement weather.

What Can Your Kids Do?

Lift properly, teach your child to bend at the knees.
Load heaviest items closest to the center of your back.
Kids who sling a backpack over one shoulder as many do, may wind up leaning to one side to offset the extra weight.
Encourage your child to use a backpack with two shoulder straps to help prevent lower and upper back pain and strain their developing shoulders and neck.

Since it is really all about the kids, the design and color of school bags, laptop backpack, and travel backpacks are also very important. Mostly, kids pick those designs that they may see around them in their lives and make them happy. Brand is the least important factor for the parents and for many kids, the brand does not even matter at all. Many brands do not focus much on making both comfortable and designer bags for kids. Thankfully there are still some good companies out there like the one we found ourselves, that can offer a great solution for both parents concerns for functionality in a design that kids no matter what their age, are sure to love.

Lifestyle

When Seasons Shift: Dr. Leeshe Grimes on Grief, Loneliness, and Finding Light Again

Published

3 days ago

February 22, 2026

Michelle Langton

Some emotional storms arrive without warning. A sudden change in weather, a holiday approaching, or even a bright sunny day can stir feelings that don’t match the world outside. For many people, the hardest seasons are not defined by temperature; they are defined by what’s happening inside, where grief and loneliness often move quietly.

This is the emotional terrain where Dr. Leeshe Grimes has spent her career doing some of her most meaningful work. As a psychotherapist, registered play therapist, retired U.S. Army combat veteran, and founder of Elevated Minds in the DMV area, she understands how deeply seasonal shifts and unresolved grief can affect people. Her upcoming books explore this very space, guiding readers through the emotional weight that can appear during different times of the year.

What sets Dr. Grimes apart is her ability to see clearly what many people overlook. Seasonal depression, for example, is usually tied to winter months. But she often sees it appear during warm, bright seasons, the times when the world seems happiest. For someone already grieving or feeling disconnected, watching others travel, celebrate, or gather can create its own kind of heaviness. Sunshine doesn’t always lift the mood; sometimes it highlights what feels missing.

The same misunderstanding surrounds grief. Society often treats it as a short-term experience with predictable phases and a clean ending. But in her practice, Dr. Grimes sees how grief keeps evolving. It doesn’t disappear on a timeline. It weaves itself into routines, memories, and milestones. People learn to carry it differently, but they rarely leave it behind completely. And that’s not failure, it’s human.

Her approach to mental health centers on truth rather than pressure. She encourages clients to acknowledge the emotions they try to hide: sadness that lingers longer than expected, moments of joy that feel out of place, and the waves of loneliness that return even when life seems stable. Instead of pushing for quick recovery, she focuses on helping people understand how emotions shift and how to care for themselves through those changes.

Much of her insight comes from her military years, where she witnessed the emotional toll of loss, transition, and constant survival. She saw how people continued functioning while carrying pain that had nowhere to go. That experience shaped her belief that healing requires space, space to feel, to speak, and to move through emotions without judgment.

In her clinical work today at Elevated Minds, she encourages people to build small, steady habits that anchor them during difficult seasons. Journaling helps them recognize patterns and name what feels heavy. Community support breaks the cycle of isolation. Therapy creates a place where emotions don’t have to be minimized or explained away. And intentional routines, daily sunlight, mindful breaks, and calm evenings help rebuild emotional balance.

Her upcoming books expand on these ideas, offering practical guidance for navigating both grief and seasonal depression. She focuses on helping readers understand that healing is not about escaping pain. It’s about learning how to live with it in a healthier way, honoring memories, acknowledging loneliness, and still allowing room for moments of light.

What makes Dr. Leeshe Grimes a compelling voice in mental health is her ability to bring language to experiences that many struggle to explain. She reminds people that emotional seasons don’t always match the weather and that there is no single path through grief. But within those shifts, she believes there is always a way forward.

The seasons will continue to change. And with the right tools, compassion, and support, people can change with them, finding steadiness, softness, and light again, one step at a time.