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Stringing
Stringing for juniors: what string a child needs
Why polyester is a bad idea before a certain age, what tension suits small racquets, and how often to restring a child's frame.
Stringing a junior racquet is thought about differently from an adult's, and the most common mistake is copying dad's setup.
Polyester is out
A child does not generate the racquet speed polyester needs to work. Without that acceleration, polyester only adds stiffness: it removes power, demands more effort and loads a growing arm and shoulder.
For a junior, nylon or synthetic gut is right, or multifilament if the budget allows. Soft, powerful and comfortable.
Tension goes low
Junior racquets, given their head size and construction, are strung at lower tensions than adult frames. High tension in a child's racquet strips the little power the frame gives, and the child ends up forcing the arm to compensate.
As a reference, the recommended range is printed on the frame just as on adult racquets: stay at the low end.
How often
A child rarely breaks strings, because they do not hit as hard. But string still dies over time. For a junior playing two or three times a week, once or twice a year is reasonable.
If the child is in the colored-ball system, the ball is softer and wears string less: you can space it out further.
When to move to polyester
When the child plays with a yellow ball on a full court, generates real racquet speed and starts breaking strings often. Before that it adds nothing and can do harm.