A lot of people in the world have bad eyesight, and a lot of them start wearing glasses at a very young age. There is nothing wrong with not having perfect vision, and most often it’s all due to genetics, but there are some things that we ourselves do that damage our vision. And while sometimes there isn’t much we can do about it, when it comes to our kids, we should do our best to preserve their eyesight for as long as we can. So what are the things that we can do to keep our children’s eyes healthy?
Healthy habits
Kids will always be little rebels inside, and they will often do exactly the opposite of what they are told to, just to see what will happen. So if we don’t explain to our kids why doing certain things is bad, they might not take it as seriously as they should. If we tell them not to look directly into the sun, they will have a contest of who can stare longer, but if we explain to them that the brightness will damage their eyes, they will certainly think twice. The same should go for not sitting too close to a screen, not reading in the dark or trying to strain their eyes in other ways. Try to explain to them what the consequences will be, but don’t scare them, because one day they might have some vision loss for other reasons, and you don’t want them to be scared of it.
Keep a close eye on them
Very often, if left unchecked, loss of vision can worsen over time. Excess straining of the eyes, which happens if a person is not wearing visual aid when they should, only makes the problem greater. And children often don’t know that they have reduced vision, because they simply think that everyone sees like that. Watch your children and look for signs of struggle: squinting their eyes when reading or watching something that is farther away, bumping into things or not recognizing people from a distance are all signs that point to less than optimal vision. You can also ask the teachers in their school if your kid has requested to sit in the front row, closer to the board, or is in general having trouble reading either from the board, or from their book.
Explain the visit to an optometrist
Some children, even if they realize they need glasses, are scared of going to the doctor to get their eyes checked. It’s important to explain to them exactly what happens there and that it doesn’t hurt one bit. Tell them that even if their vision isn’t perfect, it’s not their fault, and that it is completely normal; that the doctor is just going to look at their eyes and then they will be able to choose some fun glasses to wear so they can see better. Here’s a tip how you can make the visit a part of a fun day: take them out for ice cream or to buy a new toy, then while you’re there, visit a mall optometrist in Broadway. Be there with them the whole time and tell them that you went through the same thing many times – because you probably did. In the end, wearing glasses or Pure Optical contact lenses is nothing scary or embarrassing. If you are looking for other variants of contact lenses, check contactlensesplus.com. Or let your child choose their own frames and make them seem like a fun accessory, they won’t feel like they are not fitting in. Moreover, having positive role models around them isn’t bad either, so if nobody in your immediate family wears glasses, you can invite a friend who does to talk to them about it while making them feel more comfortable.
