RachelB613
I live in Oakland, CA. I frequently see young teenagers, especially African-American teenage girls (around Claremont Middle School and in some parts of Berkeley) wearing backpacks that seem specifically for younger kids (primary grades; K-3rd). I have seen these girls, and possibly even boys, with Dora the Explorer, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Spiderman, Superman, Strawberry Shortcake and various Princess backpacks. They are always small backpacks (about 16") and don't seem like they would be big enough for a middle schooler to fit all their stuff that they'd need for school.
- How do these backpacks fit into the lives of these teenagers I see?
- Do certain groups more than others tend to use them? (i.e. I've never seen Latino kids wearing them, but maybe they do.)
- Why?
- In what ways?
- What function do the backpacks serve?
- What do these backpacks tell us about these kids who use them?
Please do not answer this question unless you know the answer to WHY these specific kids or other kids that you know use these backpacks. I tried to explain earlier... I am a graduate student at UC Berkeley in the Education Department. I doing this investigation as part of an assignment for my Urban Education class. (Please do not post random answers just so you can get points. That is not very helpful to me. Thanks!)
Answer
I see that in Oakland too, mainly around Oakland Tech. It's just a fashion thing really. They've been popular for at least a few years, mainly with the African-American community in Oakland. I guess it has something in common with the Finding Nemo cup I have on my desk.
The amount of books and papers these kids are bringing to and from school really does fit in a little-kid backpack. They'll probably have a notebook or two, maybe a binder, a few pencils, and possibly a book or two. Mostly they can leave things in their lockers. I went to a competetive private school, so I had a lot of books to carry back and forth every day, but public schools often don't have enough textbooks to go around, and don't let kids take them home even if they want to.
Once in high school I went to a debate competition that was held at a public school in Utah, and it started before the end of classes on Friday (since Utah refuses to allow any debate rounds to take place on Sundays). I remember being struck by the fact that many kids when they were leaving for the weekend didn't even have a backpack at all - just a couple books/notebooks tucked under their arm.
The little-kid backpacks serve the same function as any other backpack, and they have enough room for everything that the kids need to bring home with them. So what's wrong with having a backpack with cartoon characters on it?
I see that in Oakland too, mainly around Oakland Tech. It's just a fashion thing really. They've been popular for at least a few years, mainly with the African-American community in Oakland. I guess it has something in common with the Finding Nemo cup I have on my desk.
The amount of books and papers these kids are bringing to and from school really does fit in a little-kid backpack. They'll probably have a notebook or two, maybe a binder, a few pencils, and possibly a book or two. Mostly they can leave things in their lockers. I went to a competetive private school, so I had a lot of books to carry back and forth every day, but public schools often don't have enough textbooks to go around, and don't let kids take them home even if they want to.
Once in high school I went to a debate competition that was held at a public school in Utah, and it started before the end of classes on Friday (since Utah refuses to allow any debate rounds to take place on Sundays). I remember being struck by the fact that many kids when they were leaving for the weekend didn't even have a backpack at all - just a couple books/notebooks tucked under their arm.
The little-kid backpacks serve the same function as any other backpack, and they have enough room for everything that the kids need to bring home with them. So what's wrong with having a backpack with cartoon characters on it?
Backpack leashes for kids?
Hailey Ric
What is your thought on those? Are they cruel or useful?
My twins(who are 15 months old and have been walking since 7 months!) have them.
Mikey has a monkey
And Xavier has a puppy dog.
Now if you are a parent of twins, you know that it's hard to go anywhere while holding both of their hands and at 15 months they would rather walk then ride in a stroller.
Also, when you hold their hand, their arm is up pretty high and it's bound to start hurting their arm. So what do you think about them?
Just because the kids know not to run off doesn't mean someone wont decide to take the child. There are some sick people out there that will just snatch a kid up. I have 7 children! Ages 15, 10, 7, 4, the twins 15 months and a 1 month old. I don't have the kind of peace of mind parents of 1 or 2 children have.
Also, it gives the kids some freedom. Not a lot. But enough. Obviously you don't pull them around on a leash like a dog.
Answer
I have no problem with them. I have 4, soon to be 5 young kids, so I know what it's like to have a bunch of toddlers running around. You want to give them some freedom, but you don't want them to run into the street or get lost. My 4-year-old daughter has one, and it works well because sometimes she'll want to walk/run at her own pace, so it ensures that she can do that without getting into trouble.
:)
I have no problem with them. I have 4, soon to be 5 young kids, so I know what it's like to have a bunch of toddlers running around. You want to give them some freedom, but you don't want them to run into the street or get lost. My 4-year-old daughter has one, and it works well because sometimes she'll want to walk/run at her own pace, so it ensures that she can do that without getting into trouble.
:)
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