Spring is coming up and along with getting your house in order, getting your family’s health in order is also important. Here’s a friendly reminder about the importance of eye exams.
One of the ways children learn about their world is through their eyes and what they see. The Alberta Association of Optometrists state that ‘1 in 4 children have a vision problem that is significant enough to impair their ability to learn’. That’s 25% of children. Whoa!
Children may not tell you that they have a vision problem as they may assume that is how everyone sees. It is so important for vision to be regularly checked by a healthcare professional.
Did you know that with your Alberta Health Care Card, annual eye exams are covered for children between the ages of 0-18 years old. The eye exam is FREE so there is no excuse for not taking the kids annually!
It may be helpful to ask friends and family for optometrists they recommend. I took my son for his eye exam to the optometrist whom I had been seeing for years. I soon found out that he didn’t like children very much which did not make for the best experience for my little guy. The year after, we found an optometrist who made the exam super fun for the boys and they loved every minute of it! They look forward to going for their annual eye exam and to sit in the ‘big chair’.
For the toddler who aren’t reading letters yet, they have a modified exam with pictures in it! My boys were excited to identify the pictures of the hand, duck, horse, and cake for the Dr. How cute!!
In Alberta, “Eye See Eye Learn” is an awesome program developed by the Alberta Association of Optometrists to provide free eyeglasses to kindergarten students who need them. There is information on their website with details on how to participate in the program.
Also, with more time spent outside with the warmer weather coming up, we may not realize the importance of protecting our little one’s eyes from UV rays from the sun. Look for sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays. We bought Baby Banz ones for our little guys for their first pair of sunglasses as they strapped around the head to help keep them on. Looks like Baby Banz has some new styles for older kids now. Might have to get new ones for the boys!
