This time of year is as exciting for me as it is for my children. I used to beg my parents to go back-to-school shopping weeks in advance; my kids do the same. They’re not that “in” to clothes shopping yet; I’m talking about school supplies! We didn’t have a lot of money when I was young – we got just the basics. But they were fresh and new and I loved organizing my pencils, papers and folders over and over again. (I still love a brand-new box of crayons.)

This will show my age, but I didn’t use a backpack when I was in school. They weren’t around then, at least not for school. These days, picking out the backpack is the most important part. And, of course, there must be a matching lunchbox –l even though my children eat school lunches about half the time.

There is some stress involved though. I am so “over” buying the cute plastic backpacks… three times a year… because they simply fall apart. And I don’t let my children pick out the huge ones that practically dwarf them. (Because they will fill them to the brim with the strangest “necessities.") My older daughter finally realized the importance of a roller pack last year when she was assigned school books for the first time.

Even still, correctly buying and using a backpack can be a challenge. So I’m passing along the following information I received via e-mail today, in which Dr. Jonathan Cluett (an About.com contributor in the area of orthepedics) shares tips on wearing backpacks. Enjoy!