Preparing children for school goes beyond purchasing new supplies and updating their wardrobes — parents should also make sure that their kids’ eyes are healthy. Oftentimes, children are mislabeled as having a learning or behavioral disability when in actuality, they’re suffering from a vision or eye health problem. It’s essential to make sure your kids can see well so they can perform at their best in both class and sports.
Here are a few things every parent should consider for their child before they head back to school this fall:
Eye Tests
Your children should receive their first comprehensive eye exams before they enter kindergarten, usually around the age of 3, advises Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Such tests can detect some of the more serious eye diseases, including amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus (crossed eyes) before the conditions turn into a permanent problem. Without treatment, your child could lack peripheral vision, warns WebMD.
Reading
Avoiding books is a sign that your child may have a vision problem. Preschoolers, in particular, tend to be very enthusiastic about reading books as they start to learn words. By first grade, most children are able to read. If your child is showing reluctance toward books, you should schedule an eye exam with your optometrist to rule out vision problems.
Glasses
It can be a challenge to ensure children wear their glasses at school as they’re often sensitive to the reaction of other kids. You can encourage your kids to use their glasses by allowing them to pick out frames themselves before they head back to school.
Sunglasses
Equip your kids with a pair of sunglasses for outdoor activities at school, such as recess and sports practice. BabyCenter stresses the importance of choosing a pair with 99 to 100 percent UVA and UVB protection, as those with less protection cause pupils to dilate, allowing more rays to enter the eyes
At Real Kids, all of our sunglasses have 100 percent UV protection. You can find the perfect pair of back-to-school shades for kids of any age in our collection.