Kids and glasses

The most common thing I hear from parents when they bring their child to get their first pair of glasses is this: "I feel like a bad parent! I had no idea!"
And my response to that goes back to the old saying "You don't miss what you've never had." 
While this may be a little simplistic, it's also the truth. Knowing that your child needs vision correction isn't as easy as one might think. The only way to REALLY know if your child needs corrective lenses is to have a comprehensive eye exam. This should not be confused with vision screening which only checks for visual clarity. A full eye exam checks for much more, such as near vision, eye coordination and focusing capability. 
So when should you start getting eye exams for your child? Age 3-5 is the general recommendation. Sometimes, your pediatrician will refer a younger child for an eye exam if there are concerns. But often times vision problems really aren't noticed until a child is school-aged. Here is a list of signs and symptoms you can watch for in your child. 
-Frequent squinting
-Holding a book very close, such as 7-8 inches
-A very short attention span or frequent daydreaming
-A drop in school performance
-Frequent eye rubbing or blinking
-poor eye-hand coordination
-Avoiding certain close tasks, or far distance activities
-Complaints of headach, double vision, blurring
-Covering or closing one eye
-Tilting or moving their whole head while reading
-Omitting,miscalling or repeating words read aloud
-Sitting exceptionally close to the TV

Lastly, if your child does need glasses, have FUN with it! There are great options in kids frames these days. Multiple pairs of eyewear keep the kids interested and engaged in wearing their glasses.
Come check some out Saturday August 10th from 11-3 during our Kids Day celebration! To schedule an eye exam go to www.eyestylesoptical.net
Get more information on this subject at http://www.thevisioncouncil.org/consumers/content_188.cfm
Your questions and comments are always welcome!