Keeping up with Back-To-School Routines
Just because this school year looks different doesn’t mean our back-to-school routines have to change drastically. In fact, as a parent, I'm adamant about keeping up with our back-to-routines, so my kids can still feel school is special and create something to look forward to.
Part of that back-to-school routine involves an eye exam. And in this ever-changing world, one thing that remains consistent is that the majority of learning that our kids will be doing-whether classroom, hybrid models or distance learning, involves their vision. In fact, 80 percent of what a child learns is through vision. I would venture to say that this year, it’s even more important to get your child an eye exam, as the increase demand on a computer or device, will involve much more of their eyes and vision.
Ideally, clear vision is what we are hoping our child sees, but have you ever thought, what if my child doesn’t know the difference between clear or blurry vision? What if they can’t articulate that they can’t see well? 76 percent of parents say that sight is the most important sense; but only 50 percent take their kids for an annual eye exam.
How clearly a child sees the world around them is an essential part of a comprehensive eye exam. Nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism can create blurry vision and hinder the information that a child takes in regarding the world around. And when that interferes with learning, it can cause the child to fall behind, lose confidence and the avoidance of school related activities. There are also so many other visual skills accessed during an eye exam; a child’s focussing ability from far to near or the coordination of their eye muscles which, if not working properly, can further cause major setbacks in school. If a child’s focussing ability or eye coordination is not working efficiently, this can lead to headaches, eye strain, losing place during reading activities, reversing letters, double vision and even long term vision issues, if not addressed early on in a child’s development.
A comprehensive eye exam also ensures early detection of congenital or chronic eye diseases while creating a baseline, if changes in eye health occur as the child develops.
As a parent, I want to set up healthy habits for my kids that will set them up for success in school and life. For their mental well-being, I’m gearing up to make the back-to-school routines fun and create a little excitement in returning to a whole new school year. For their physical well-being, I’m making sure that their eyes, the sense that they use the most in school, is healthy and working at the highest potential.
Keep those eyes healthy and happy!
Dr. Jen Wademan
