Good eyesight is a gift that your child can benefit from for their entire life!
Children’s eye health is partially determined by genetics, but there’s still a lot you can do as a parent to encourage good eyesight. Be proactive
about your child’s eyes, and they’ll thank you for it later in life.
Six Ways To Encourage Great Children’s Eye Health
1 – Give babies/toddlers a stimulating environment
For the youngest children, it’s important to give them an environment with lots of things to look at. Use high-contrast colors and plenty of pictures or patterns in their room. Toys such as hanging mobiles are also good for improving eyesight, as well as hand-eye coordination.
2 – Limit screen time
There’s significant research to suggest that too much screen time can directly damage a young child’s eyesight. They need to be spending plenty of time looking at things far away, not just close-up devices. Otherwise, they could end up nearsighted and wearing glasses their whole lives.
3 – Get them playing outside
Natural sunlight is good for the body, and good for the eyes! Getting them outside will encourage proper eye development and ensure their eyes “learn” how to focus and function in many different situations.
4 – Encourage sunglasses use
While being outside is a good thing, at the same time UV radiation can damage the eyes over time. Cataracts, for example, are often linked to long-term UV exposure. So, once they’re old enough to use sunglasses safely, encourage your child to wear them whenever the sun is too bright.
5 – Provide an eye-healthy diet
Your child’s eyes need their nutrients. Vitamins A, C, and E, zinc, lutein, and omega-3 fatty acids are all well-known to promote eye health in children and adults. Include plenty of these nutrients, and your child’s eyes will have everything they need to develop properly.
6 – Know the warning signs of problems
A young child has no idea what ‘proper’ eyesight looks like, and has no way of telling you if their vision is blurry. You should watch out for symptoms of problems.
- Squinting to focus
- Always holding objects very close, or at arm’s length, to look at them
- Tilting their head back and forth
- Constant eye rubbing
- Head or eye pain after visual activities
- Disinterest in far-off objects
If your child shows any signs of eye problems, get them to the optometrist for a checkup. Valley Eyecare Center in Phoenix is here to help! Just contact us to schedule an appointment.
