Your child’s ability to see the world relies on many things, especially on healthy eyes. Nowadays, unfortunately, a huge number of children are facing eye problems. This can be caused by a great number of factors, one of which is being overexposed to digital devices. For you, as a parent, to prevent terminal eyesight damage in your children, you need to teach them how to take care of their eyes, how to protect themselves from injury, and how they can keep their eyes and vision healthy long-term. So, we have prepared a couple of tips that will help you protect your child’s eyes.
A Healthy Diet and Proper Hydration Are the Key
A well-balanced, nutritious diet and healthy eyes go hand in hand. You should encourage your child to establish proper nutrition and to eat healthy foods such as fresh vegetables and fruit, and it is your responsibility as the parent to make sure they eat a lot of food rich in vitamin A, which is usually found in yellow and green leafy vegetables. Another very important food for healthier vision is eggs. Eggs are very rich in important nutrients such as vitamin A, zeaxanthin, lutein, and zinc, all of which are vital for eye health.
Apart from a proper diet, another very important thing for eye health is hydration. Proper hydration is one of the crucial elements for maintaining healthy eyes and a healthy body as well. So, you need to make sure that your child drinks a lot of water that is appropriate to their age, weather conditions, and levels of physical activity.
Wear Eye Protection
Physical activity is enjoyable and an absolute must for children. However, you need to make sure your child is wearing proper protective eyewear, such as safety goggles, any time they are involved in physical activities that may cause eye injury, such as playing hockey, ball, or carpentry. In addition, wearing helmets for sports such as hockey or cycling will prevent concussions, which can result in vision problems. Luckily, some sports injuries are preventable. Moreover, if your child spends time in front of the computer or any other device, you should provide them with high-quality blue light blocking glasses for kids that will keep your child’s eyes protected from harmful blue light. Furthermore, you should also provide your child with proper UV-blocking sunglasses that will protect their eyes from the sun’s radiation. Staring directly at the sun or reflecting in water or snow can cause serious damage, such as retinal burns, in addition to some other long-term damages.Â
Give Your Eyes Rest
Staring at the school board for a long period of time and at tiny letters in school books, followed by some other activities such as playing video games or watching some kind of digital content, can be the leading cause of eye strain. So, you, as a parent, need to be sure that your child gets enough sleep that will allow their eyes to rest. One of the smartest ways to do this is to replace evening activities that do not demand intense eye focusing, such as playing out with friends, going to the park, or simply lying down while listening to music or audiobooks.
Beware of Digital Device Screen Time
Spending time on digital devices and staring at screens for long periods of time is an integral part of our lives. Watching videos or playing video games on smartphones or video computers will require the eyes to be fixated for a long period of time, which can lead to eye strain, dry eyes, and headaches. To fix this issue, you should try to reduce the time your child spends in front of the computer and include them in some other activities, such as sports.
Regular Eye-Checks
School-aged children’s eyesight may change quite often and unexpectedly until late teenage age. If neglected, poor eyesight can interfere with learning and even cause attention and behavioral issues. Scheduling regular eye exams is important, as you will be able to find out what the underlying eye problems are and if there are any serious eye conditions that can have a serious impact on the quality of your child’s life.
A child’s vision tends to change quite often. This is one of the main reasons why you need to take care of their vision, have it checked regularly, and control some aspects of their life, such as screen time. Your child’s eyes need rest if you want to preserve their good eyesight for a long period of time.
Leave a Reply