Eyes are an important organ of your body. They show us how beautiful the world around us is. This is an organ that works from the moment you wake up till you sleep at night. It sends information to your brain so that the latter is able to process information about events and happenings outside of the body. Needless to say, such an important organ need to be taken care of. Taking care of your children’s eyes depends on a lot of factors but it is necessary that you take some proactive measures to take care of your kid’s eyes. You can protect your kid’s eyes from any kind of infection, wounds as all this helps in developing a good eyesight. So, let us look into what are the basic eye care tips necessary for our kids.
8 Eye Care Tips for Your Kids
Your kid will have healthy eyes for life if he is able to see clearly after birth and during the teen years. For this you need to take good care of his eyes in these formative years . Here are 8 eye care tips for your kids:
-
- Healthy and nourishing Diet for the Kids: A child’s eyesight has to be taken care of from the tender age itself. A healthy diet consisting of vegetables like spinach, carrots, beetroot, and yellow fruits like mango, banana, pineapple, papaya that are abundant in carotene are to be included in a kid’s diet right from the young age.Following is a list of easily-available vegetables that are a good source of nutrients which are essential for your child’s visual well-being:
- Carotene: This is found in abundance in vegetables like sweet potato, carrot, pumpkins and spinach
- Vitamin C: Vegetables like bell pepper, tomato, peas and all varieties of citrus fruits are rich in Vitamin C and can be included in your kid’s diet
- Vitamin E: Vegetable oils like sunflower oil, safflower and soya bean oil are abundant in Vitamin E. Dry fruits like almonds and pistachios abound in this vitamin
- Zinc: Consuming red meat, poultry, whole grains and nuts can also increase the amount of zinc in the body of growing kids
- Vision Stimulation – Start Early: Infancy and early childhood is when it is apt to stimulate our kid’s vision. Ways to go about this stimulation:
- At a very young age the child is to be introduced to different colors, shapes and various forms that stimulate a child’s vision
- Make him play with different toys and games where he is introduced to differentiating shapes, colorful puzzles and building blocks
- Usage of crayons help the child to recognize colors and shades
- Limited Exposure to Media: Modern lifestyles often translate into increased digital media exposure. Hence, there are a few points to be kept in mind for healthy eyes:
- Make your kid sit at least 3.5 meters away from the television. The room should be well-lit to avoid eye-strain
- Prolonged computer, cell phone or tablet usage can lead to a condition called the Computer Vision Syndrome, which is also called as Digital Eye Strain. Blurred vision; headaches, dry eyes and eye strain are the most common symptoms of CVS
- Hourly breaks between usage of devices is essential for eyes to get due rest
- As the saying goes ‘All work and no play make Jack a dull boy’. A child’s physical development is crucial. Spending more time outdoors playing games and indulging in other physical activities results in increased exposure to sunlight, which is a good source of Vitamin D. This also helps in enhanced hand-eye coordination
- Observe Signs of discomfort in your Child: Parents have to be alert and note any signs of discomfort the child is showing. This can be in the form of watery eyes, difficulty in reading from the blackboard or repeated complaints of headache. Consult a doctor immediately for an eye examination
- Healthy and nourishing Diet for the Kids: A child’s eyesight has to be taken care of from the tender age itself. A healthy diet consisting of vegetables like spinach, carrots, beetroot, and yellow fruits like mango, banana, pineapple, papaya that are abundant in carotene are to be included in a kid’s diet right from the young age.Following is a list of easily-available vegetables that are a good source of nutrients which are essential for your child’s visual well-being:
- Annual examination of the eye by a good Ophthalmologist: Any problem that is detected at an early age can be resolved easily. Take your child for a regular eye check-up to rectify problems on time
- Protect your child from eye injury: When a child is involved in playing team sports like cricket, football and hockey, it is better to have a protective wear for the eye. While swimming, using goggles can prevent infections that might be caused from the chlorine in the water. Keep toddlers and infants away from sharp-edged toys
- Develop Good and Healthy Habits: Apart from the above measures it is important that:
- Children must be inculcated the habit of drinking adequate amount of water from a young age. Water keeps your eyes fresh, and it also reduces any puffiness that occurs around the eyes due to exertion
- Adults have to set an example by going to bed early, so that the child follows suit. This is crucial for the eyes to get adequate rest after a tiring day
- It is good to instill in the child that he has to wash hands at regular intervals. Rubbing eyes with dirty, unwashed hands can introduce germs that might cause allergic conjunctivitis or any other eye infection
- Avoid Using Kaajal or/and Soorma: It is an old age myth that applying any form of kohl like Kajal or soorma will enhance your kid’s eyesight. But this is not a good practice as in today’s world we are not very sure of what quality of material goes into manufacturing these products. A lot of these substances are not considered safe and can affect your kid’s eyesight
Kids are innocent so we need to warn them from time to time about dangerous things that can be harmful to their eyes. We live in a world of beauty, charm and adventure and to enjoy this we need to keep our eyes healthy. So, let us resolve to protect our kid’s eye from a very young age.
What do you do to take care of your kid’s eyes? Do share your experience in the comments section below.
