Eye Care Tips for Children
October 24, 2018You encourage your children to exercise, brush their teeth and eat healthy foods. Another part of your daily routine should be emphasizing the importance of eye care for children. When you help them build healthy habits early, they will continue to practice these for years to come, which can help them stave off vision problems.
It’s never too early to start these routines. Use these child eye care tips to prevent and treat different eye health issues in kids.
1. Encourage Kids to Tell You About Sight Changes
Staying on top of your kids’ vision means knowing when something changes. Young children may not be able to articulate changes in vision, so you will need to watch for behavioral cues, such as squinting or rubbing their eyes excessively. For older children, ask them if they have trouble seeing the board at school or if words seem to blur together or move on the page while reading. If the answer is yes, then schedule an eye appointment.
2. How to Promote Eye Health in Kids Who Wear Glasses
What if your child already wears glasses? One of the most important things you can do for them is to make sure they wear their glasses daily. This will help them see better and lead to less frustration with school tasks such as homework. Here are two tips to ensure those glasses stay on their little nose:
- Show your child how to clean their glasses, so they don’t get smudged.
- Designate a spot in their room to leave the glasses at night and pick up in the morning.
3. Tell Kids Not to Touch Their Eyes
Kids rub, scratch and touch their eyes a lot. This can lead to germs from their fingers getting into their eyes. Encourage kids to wash their hands before touching their eyes, especially if they wear contact lenses.
4. Explain the Importance of Eye Protection
Many children play sports with contact or fast-moving balls. Explain to them why they need to protect their eyes in these situations. Some sports, such as softball and field hockey, even require kids to wear masks over their eyes to prevent damage. If your child plays a physical sport, encourage them to try out eye protection.
5. Buy Your Children Sunglasses
Kids have been known to stare directly into the sun, which isn’t good for their eyes. But even being outdoors for a couple of hours can result in sun damage. Invest in a pair of sunglasses for your child, and tell them to wear them whenever they go outside.
6. Taking Care of Your Child’s Eyes: Teaching by Example
Kids learn from their parents’ habits. If they see you taking care of your eyes, they are more likely to do so themselves. So wear your own glasses, wash your hands and put on sunglasses outside. Of course, another way you can take care of your own eyes is to take Physician Recommended Nutriceuticals, which are recommended by doctors to enhance long-term ocular health. Call us at 1-844-PRN-4YOU today or contact us online to talk to a representative or view our products today.