Looking after our eyes is something that should be considered from a very young age; therefore it’s essential that we teach our little ones all about the best eye care to help them develop healthy habits for the rest of their life. From our ever growing collection of prescription glasses and protective eyewear for kids, which is carefully curated by our expert buyers, to our informative blog posts, children’s eye care is something we care a lot about. If you need help instilling the importance of eye health into your children’s minds, here are 7 fantastic ideas you can use to promote good eye care habits at home…
1. Take Your Kids for Regular Eye Exams
Regular eye exams are essential for making sure that your children’s eyes are healthy. Not only does this give you peace of mind (and also any indicators you need for prescription glasses), but the visits to the optometrist will set a good example to your kids. It will encourage them to be more mindful of the way they look after their eyes and having the encouragement of an eye care professional can often have a huge impact.
2. Encourage Kids to Wear Sunglasses
Sunglasses are essential for protecting eyes from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Sunglasses should be worn whenever it is sunny outside and this is something that should become second nature to the whole family. In order to do this, it’s important for parents to set a good example. And remember, UV rays are still present even in the winter time so sunglasses should be worn all year round.
3. Teach Your Kids About Eye Anatomy
If you want your kids to understand more about their eye health, it can often help to educate them about the eye. Teaching your kids about eye anatomy can heighten their interest and will help them comprehend the importance of good eye care habits – and the consequences of bad eye care habits.
4. Encourage Cleanliness
Cleanliness is something that most parents are already vigilant about, but it’s important to remember to extend this mentality to the eyes as well. We all remind our little ones to clean behind the ears but have you ever told your kids to clean their eyelids? Eyelid hygiene is just as important and will help to prevent infections and protect vision.
5. Talk to Your Kids About Eye Health
When grandparents or elderly family members start to experience problems with their eyes (such as Macular Degeneration or cataracts), it can be quite daunting and sometimes confusing for little ones to understand. But health problems in the family shouldn’t become a taboo subject; health disorders and eye health should be talked about openly from a young age so that your kids get a good understanding of potential health challenges ahead. Talking about eye health in an open manner will also encourage them to take care of their eyes and administer good eye hygiene.
6. Inspire a Healthy Diet
A healthy diet is essential for keeping the whole family healthy and it’s the best protective method for keeping everyone free from illness and disease. Make sure you educate your kids about a healthy and well-rounded diet and teach them about the importance of vegetables, nuts and oily fish in boosting eye health. If you tell them that carrots will help them see in the dark (they really do), they will never leave their veggies uneaten again.
7. Help Your Kids Take Care of Their Glasses
Not only is good eye care and eye cleanliness important, but looking after our glasses is just as important – and this should be something you share with your children. Help them keep their prescription spectacles or their sunglasses clean by teaching them the best methods of washing, cleaning and polishing (for both frames and lenses). Ensure they have their very own glasses case and always encourage the proper storage when they are not wearing their specs.