Saving Backs and Backpacks

Since when do kids have so much homework? When I was in school we had homework, but it seemed like we brought home two books a night at most. Each night as the kids load up their backpacks with everything they need for the next day at school, I just shake my head. The amount of weight they are carrying is just unreal.

Let me put it a little more black and white and less worry-wart-mom-ish. The girls have each gone through backpacks. I’m not talking about tossing them around, treating them rough or normal wear and tear. I’m talking about pushing them beyond their limits only a few months into the school year. Miss M has managed to nurse hers along and will (hopefully) get through the rest of the year, but Miss K is on her 3rd backpack. They’re putting so much weight on the backpacks that the straps are tearing off. If it’s doing that kind of damage to their backpacks, imagine what kind of harm it is doing to their bodies.

It’s just not right.

My solution has been to encourage the kids to lighten the load whenever possible. Only take one library book in the backpack and throw graded paperwork in the recycle bin each day. I tell them to ditch anything that isn’t essential. The biggest improvement will come as they are able to move further away from textbooks and migrate to digital formats and online learning.

Remember loose leaf paper maintained In a three-ring binder or spiral notebooks with the shreds of paper that lingered when you removed a page? While my girls use some of those, it isn’t the norm. They journal in a notebook but most of their assignments take place using Google Docs. Just the other day, my daughter had an assignment due that required another child to proof it. We contacted the other student at home and 10 minutes later the pre-proofing was complete. There are a number of programs the teachers and school district have implemented for learning and kids are required to utilize them. Part of me regrets that they will miss out on learning how to create beautiful penmanship. The rest of me is thrilled that their studies are focused on utilizing tools and technology that will be integral to their future success.

This is my second year as part of the #HPSmartMom Panel so any time I have the opportunity to showcase the HP brand, I’m happy to do so. As Miss M starts junior high next year, we’re certain we’ll need to invest in a quality laptop for her. One example is the HP Envy Touchsmart Laptop. Not only does it offer great general use but this laptop delivers exceptional gaming and entertainment experience from AMD’s most powerful mobile processor – the AMD FX Special Edition APU. The AMD FX Special Edition APU introduces mobile systems with AMD’s highest performing APUs, exclusive at Best Buy. The HP Envy TouchSmart 15.6” touch screen laptop makes multitasking a breeze while the Quick AMD FX series processor is great for everything from streaming movies to gaming. Plus, with the new FX APU powered notebook, be unbeatable and experience the processing power of ten cores (4 CPU + 6 GPU)!

As schools continue to migrate toward technology, additional classes such as robotics and engineering become standard practice and general studies utilize less pen and paper, it will be important to make sure your families are equipped with the right tools to be successful. Utilizing an HP Touchsmart Laptop not only will provide the student with the necessary processing capabilities but it will also offer entertainment value to the rest of the family.

The HP Envy Touchsmart Laptop will help take the load off the back, function as a primary source for online homework assignments then transition to an entertainment source when the work and productivity are done. It is available at Best Buy. There’s free shipping on orders of $35.

Would your laptop get more use for productivity or for entertainment?