Your child’s ability to see the world relies on healthy eyes. By teaching them how to care for their eyes, you help protect them from injury and ensure their eyes and vision remain healthy in the long run. Here are our 5 top eye care tips for kids.

Good Eye Care Habits for Children

1. Maintain a Healthy Diet and Drink Plenty of Water

Healthy eyes and a balanced diet go hand in hand. Favor meals high in vitamin A, such as yellow and green leafy vegetables, and encourage your child to consume a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Eggs are also a good source of zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, and vitamin A, all of which are essential for healthy eyes.

Hydration is another thing to watch out for. Making sure your child drinks enough water is important for maintaining healthy eyes and a healthy body; the right amount will depend on the child’s age, degree of physical activity, and the weather.

2. Wear Eye Protection

Playing sports or engaging in activities that could result in eye injuries, such as playing ball, hockey, or woodworking, requires your child to wear protective eyewear, such as safety goggles. Physical activity is fun and beneficial. For activities like riding a bicycle, wearing a helmet protects against concussions, which are mostly preventable and can cause long-lasting vision issues.

To further shield your child’s eyes from the sun’s UV rays, get them a pair of high-quality sunglasses that block UV rays. In addition to long-term harm, staring directly at the sun or at light rays reflected off snow and water may result in retinal burns.

3. Give The Eyes a Rest

Staring at the school board and school books all day, followed by playing video games or watching TV in the evening can cause eye strain. Be sure your child gets sufficient sleep to allow their eyes to rest. Replace evening activities with those that don’t require intense eye focusing: going to the park, playing outdoors with friends, or simply lying down with their eyes closed while listening to music or an audiobook.

4. Reduce Time Spent on Digital Devices

We spend a significant portion of our life using digital devices and gazing at displays. Digital eye strain, headaches, and even dry eyes can result from prolonged eye fixation caused by playing video games, watching videos on smartphones, and playing computer games.

Encourage your child to engage in other activities, including sports, to help them spend less time in front of a screen. Additionally, teach kids to take frequent breaks and to stare into the distance every few minutes to give their eyes a vacation from using screens or digital devices for extended periods of time.

5. Get Their Eyes Checked Regularly

Up until late adolescence, school-aged children’s vision can alter often and without warning. If left untreated, impaired vision can lead to behavioral and attention problems as well as learning difficulties.

Routine eye exams are crucial because they can identify visual issues, identify eye disorders early, and greatly improve the chances of maintaining long-term eye health. It’s critical to monitor any changes and alter the prescription as necessary for people who wear contacts or glasses.

Make an appointment for an eye examination with Eye Fashion Optical in Waco right now to make sure your child’s eyes are receiving the care they need. Your child’s eye doctor can address any questions you or your child may have and provide more eye safety education.

Q&A

My kid frequently rubs their eyes. Is that bad?

Kids often rub their eyes, especially if they have allergies, irritated eyes, or they feel like something is stuck in their peepers. Rubbing can scratch the cornea, and transfer bacteria from the child’s hands to their eyes, causing an eye infection.

Instead of rubbing, have them wash their eyes with cool water to flush out any foreign body or irritant, and ease inflammation. If the problem persists, contact your child’s optometrist.

Other than reducing screen time, is there anything else I can do to maintain eye health & safety?

When you’re at home, keep an eye on your children’s playtime and make sure that none of their toys — or the toys at their friends’ homes — are sharp. Sharp plastic swords and toys with jagged edges can cause serious eye injuries.