Your child, you are careful with that. Everything you do is aimed at his or her safety. Yet there is one thing that many parents overlook. An eye test on their child. Because what about their eyes? Although the development of children is closely monitored, you rarely hear:you should do an eye test child! Unless there is a very clear reason for it. In this blog:the importance of an eye test in children. Make no mistake, it's more important than you think and there are many signs of potential eye problems. Here at home we know all about it. With a dad who has -10 and a mom who has -5, the children can't stay behind, as it turns out…
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You probably pay attention to your child's diet. And whether he or she moves enough. But there is one thing that many parents overlook. Because what about their eyes? If you don't have any problems with your eyes, and you can't tell from your little one that something is wrong, you might not think of an eye test for your child. Have your child's eyes ever been tested? If not, then you're not alone. In a survey, 25% of parents with children aged 0 to 12 years indicate that their children's eyes have never been checked. Excuse me? A lot can change in 12 years and an eye test with your child is indeed important. Certainly with a view to road safety, for example.
Have a child do an eye test, why should you? You may think it will all work out. Do you notice nothing about your child, in terms of sight? Then there is no reason to worry, right? We don't want to scare you, of course, but an eye test on your child is not an unnecessary luxury. Children themselves often do not notice that their vision is less than it should be. And how should you signal it as a parent?
While it is so important:especially when they are at school. And not just to be able to read the letters on the blackboard. Their safety in traffic also depends on good visibility. So don't turn a blind eye; if in doubt, have your child's eyes examined. In fact… even if you are not in doubt, I would still visit the optician in the meantime!
For example, you can already start doing a simple test online. Within a few minutes you will know more about the health of your child's eyes †
Also adults usually do not or hardly notice that their vision is deteriorating. That happens very gradually. It is the same for children. And maybe they already see less well since birth, so they are actually a bit used to it. How can you discover whether there is a reason for an eye test for a child?
Does your child regularly complain about a headache after a school day † Is he or she regularly tired † This could be due to poor visibility. But there are also other signals, which are perhaps less obvious.
Do you recognize the above points? Many parents may be more likely to think of dyslexia, but it may just be that your child's eyes are not as good as they should be. Then it may well be that your child's school performance is affected because he or she does not see well. An eye test is always important. In addition, your child often does not feel well if there is impaired eyes. As mentioned, it is smart to have a child's eye test performed. Until their 8th birthday, this happens with an ophthalmologist in the hospital. After that it can also be done at the optician. Your child's eyes will also be examined at the consultation office.
Where you have your child's eyes examined also partly depends on the age.
Children from 0 to 4 years old still go to the consultation bureau. Their development is closely monitored there. When your baby turns 3, the eyes will be tested. Quite a challenge, because how do you test the eyes of a little one who can't read yet? Mom and Dad have to work in advance. Your child has to learn what all those pictures mean, in order to be able to tell what they see later.
Hopefully nothing out of the ordinary comes out of this investigation. But even then, it's too early to conclude that your child's eyes are good. Does your child complain a lot about fatigue or headaches? Or do you recognize the other signals we mentioned? Then it is smart to have a child's eye test done after all.
Read also :To the consultation center with a 3 year old:drama
Until the age of eight, the eye test is performed on a child in the hospital, by an ophthalmologist. If your child is between 8 and 12 years old, you can go to the optometrist. And an optometrist is not an optician. An optician only looks at visual acuity to determine any glasses strength. However, an optometrist also looks at the health of your eyes and often does support work for an ophthalmologist.
The eyes are examined by means of pictures and letters. Both eyes at once, then each eye separately. Does your child not yet know all the letters? No problem, that will of course be taken into account. It is not a master or a teacher. If your child is 12 years or older, it will be examined by a qualified optician. Pearle is the place to be if you want to know more about an eye test for your child.
It is recommended that you have your child's eyes examined once a year. And by the way, that advice also applies to you! Maybe you can make it an annual outing? Set a good example, and clearly explain to your child the importance of good vision. Don't forget to show how cool glasses can be! Your child 'must' not have glasses, but 'may' wear glasses.
Tip:Do the eye tests show that your child needs glasses? Check your health insurer for additional insurance to be sure. Because just as with the costs of braces, it is also nice if the costs of glasses or lenses are (partially) reimbursed.
Although glasses have nothing to do with jam jar glasses anymore, unfortunately the image is still a bit behind. Many children still find glasses not too cool and are afraid of being bullied. No need, because there are really cool children's glasses these days. Is your child over yet? Very beautiful.
Unfortunately, there are also children who are not easy to talk to. "A pair of glasses? I'm not getting started on that mom!" My son also had to wear glasses years ago. He already had problems reading because of his dyslexia, but there was also the suspicion of bad eyesight. After the eye test it turned out that glasses for school and watching TV would not be an unnecessary luxury. Unfortunately, Luc absolutely did not want to wear his glasses. And forcing it backfired in our case. I'm sure he turned it off as soon as he was out of our sight. Because his safety - also when cycling to school - is the most important thing for us, Luc now has night lenses. This way he sees fine during the day without lenses and glasses, and he still feels confident.
Tell me, do you have an eye test on your child every year?
