Your children’s eyes are very, very delicate, important and need to be taken care conscientiously. Did you know that 80% of your child’s learning is visual? So, you can’t afford to take any chances with your children’s eye care safety. Therefore, you should be proactive to ensure your children’s eyes are taken care of.

Here are 5 eye care tips for kids:

1. Eye Examinations

It is recommended by the Canadian Associate of Optometrist (COA) that your child has their first eye exam at 6 months, 3 years, and just before they start school. You should schedule an appointment with your optometrist regularly to ensure your children’s eyes are healthy and have no vision problems. Good vision plays an important factor in your child’s performance at school and potentially affect your child’s safety. Scheduling regular eye exams is the best way to detect and treat problems early in order to keep them from getting worse and worse.

2. Stress the Importance of Hand Washing

You should prioritize good hygiene habits because it can defend your children from eye infections such as pinkeye or conjunctivitis. These infections can easily be transferred through dirty hands or contaminated surfaces so stressing the importance of hand washing will prevent the risk of contracting eye infections.

3. Limit your Child’s Screen Time

You should discourage your child from spending long hours starting at the phones, tablets, computers, and television. Did you know that digital eye strain is a common complaint for people who use computer for an extended period of time? You should educate your children the important of maintaining a proper distance between the screen and their eyes in order to prevent eye strains. You also need to make sure that your children are working in well-lit areas while they’re doing their homework or using electronic devices like phones and computers.

4. Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Did you know that getting a good night sleep can increase your children’s eye health? Your child is probably spending most of their time reading books or working on the computer at school. This is why it’s important that they get proper rest because it lowers their risk of dry eyes, eye strains, headaches, blurred visions, and much more.

5. Feed Them Right

It is important in the early years that your children eat foods that boost eye health. Foods such as carrots and mango are rich in beta-carotene, which helps our bodies process eye-friendly Vitamin A. In addition, kale, spinach, and broccoli are loaded with healthy vitamins, as well as nuts, fish and whole grains provide omega-3 fatty acids that are important for our eye health.