We have one member in our extended family who is registered blind as spending time with him makes me realise how those of us with sight take it so much for granted.
We are a family who have regular eye tests, my partner wearing glasses, and contact lenses for sport, and Ruby is also under a specialist eye doctor for a squint, although thankfully her sight is fine.
For children, 80% of their learning is done through sight, so keeping their eyes healthy is really important. Eye checks can pick up early signs of other illnesses such as diabetes. There's lots of useful information on the Boots website:
- Ensure your child has a balanced diet - Vitamin A found in foods such as milk and eggs, and Zinc found in bread and meat are just two of the nutrients which are essential for good eye health.
- Protect your child's eyes from harmful UV rays by wearing sunglasses. It's estimated that 80% of a person's exposure to ultra violet rays happens before they are 18.
- Book an eye test to pick up any problems early on. It's advised that children have an eye test at around 4-5 years old, and this can pick up any problems such as squints or a lazy eye. The sooner these are discovered, the easier they are to correct without the need for surgery. Eye tests for kids are nothing to worry about, the Optician will make if fun and age appropriate and there's no need for them to be able to read or even have great letter and number recognition skills.
Our children use their eyes all the time - to alert them to danger; to explore the world and learn new things; to recognise places and people and to differentiate emotions. To see the world through my child's eyes, I gave her my camera and encouraged her to take photos on her daily walk to school. This is a little of what she saw:
Of course, National Eye Health Week is not just about children - when was the last time you got your eyes checked? Why not book an appointment today?
Disclosure: This is a featured post in association with Boots. I received an eye-health parcel in exchange for this post.
Its so easy to take your sight for granted! Great reminder here!
ReplyDeleteThanks Andrea.
DeleteAlmost a third of my daughters class wear glasses which I was quite surprised about. Eye health is so important, I know this having worn glasses since the age of 9.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder about taking her (and me) for a check up x
Wow, that is a lot. Mind you, I've noticed a lot of children at my daughter's school wear glasses and also patches, but I guess that's just an indication that they are getting their eyes tested which is a good thing.
DeleteThank you for reminding me that I should have booked Mr Boo an eye appointment last week but forgot **runs off to phone opticians**
ReplyDeleteOh oops! Glad I reminded you.
DeleteAnd I love your daughter's photos. What is that little sock/ shoe thing on the fence post? Great eating outside post, too. Still waaaay toooo hot here. Linda
ReplyDeleteOh that was funny Linda - just a little lost bootie that someone had found and popped on a fence hoping the owner would reclaim it. It's funny the things they notice isn't it? x
DeleteI have worn glasses since I was 10 years old, I no longer can remember what it is like to have good eye sight! In my twenties I went over to contact lenses and I have to say I love wearing them, but it is so important to remember to not wear them all the time! Both my brother and I ended up needing glasses by the time we were 10 so I am very aware of how important it is to ensure B Lloyd has regular check ups! I remember telling my parents for what felt like ages that I "couldn't see at school" any more :(
ReplyDeleteSo important to get kids eyes checked, I do mine regularly because I am totally myopic, and had specs from 10 years old. My daughter too neede them from that age, and I wouldnt be entirely surprised of the two boys follow the pattern!
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