When my 6-year-old daughter was halfway through grade one, I began to suspect something was going on with her eyesight. The signs were very small and slight—she would squint a teensy bit when reading, and sometimes rub her eyes.
I knew that I should be taking my kids to have their eyes checked regularly—eye exams are recommended for school-age kids every year, just like the dentist. But I’ve always had, and still have, great eyesight. So it wasn’t top-of-mind for me.
Eventually, my husband and I decided it was definitely time to get her checked, and we took all three of our daughters to have their eyes examined.
“Both Lauren and Paige need glasses,” the optometrist told us.
I was stunned.
I was definitely not expecting to hear that two out of my three children needed them. I had no idea whatsoever that my youngest, Paige, (who was about to turn 4-years-old and heading to junior kindergarten in the fall) had trouble with her eyesight. My weeble just didn’t realize that she wasn’t seeing clearly and probably thought that everyone saw the world the way she did. (Insert heartbreak here.)
We shouldn’t have waited as long as we did, but that’s parenting for you—there’s a fine balance between being overprotective and doing the right thing. And you’ll often feel like you’re failing at getting it all right.
What I didn’t realize (and wish I had known) was that taking my kids for an eye exam is so much more than a vision test. It benefits their health overall, sets them up for a successful school year, and can even detect larger health issues in addition to eye-related concerns.
And the best part for parents of wee ones is, if you have a kindergartener you can take advantage of the Eye See…Eye Learn® program.
Eye See…Eye Learn® is a BC Doctors of Optometry program at participating school districts in British Columbia, that provides kindie students with comprehensive eye exams and one free pair of eyeglasses. (When you have to get two pairs of kids’ glasses—this is a great benefit.)
If you’re like me and aren’t so sure if your kids need glasses—you’re not alone. But, here are a few things to know:
- Coverage for eye exams is available through MSP for BC children under 19
- You can find an optometrist and a lot of other helpful info here on the BCDO website.
- Now that the school year is starting up, this is a great resource
We all know that it’s important to take care of our kids’ eye health—and it’s also pretty darn hard to stay on top of everything parenting-related all the time. But getting an eye exam is an easy thing to check off your to-do list as school starts. And you’ll be glad you did.
Besides, have you ever seen anything cuter than a little kindergartener in a pair of specs?
(Says a very unbiased mother.)
This post is brought to you by BCDO but the opinions are our own.
Tagged under: eye health,sponsored,Glasses,getting your kids eyes checked,kids eyes,eye doctor,optometry,doctor of optometry,kids eye health,kids and glasses
Category: health
