>I couldn't believe how heavy our girl's backpack was when I carried it from the car. She weighed it and it's 25 pounds! She's only nine and weighs under 60lbs. Unbelievable!

I know about that. I was so impressed with my older daugther's backpack weight, that I started checking with her what was she carrying, and why. Over time I helped her organize her stuff better, and she reduced the daily load by about 70%. In short, she was carrying the books and papers for all the week instead of what she really needed every day, and there was several things she could actually leave at the school most of the time, as I discovered once I talked to her teacher.

Of course is not that kids are not smart enough, but they lift the weight pretty easily, not been conscious about what it means for their spine long-term...

If you can dedicate some time, you may be able to reduce that a little, maybe...

Best luck!