How to Protect Children's Eyes from Damage Caused by the Sun

So the sun is blazing in the sky overhead and your children want to go out and play. Are they ready? They've got hats on, smeared with suncream and insect repellent, and maybe even sun protection clothes, but are fully protected?

While these are all necessary to keep kids safe from the sun and stinging bugs, there is one danger that they are still being exposed to…eye damage from the bright sunlight. We tend to forget that the sun can cause problems to the eyes if they are not properly protected by sunglasses. Sunhats for kids alone are not enough.

Of course many kids won't want to wear sunglasses, particulary if they're just running out to play in the back garden. You want to make sure that your kids are as healthy and happy as possible so it is up to you to make sure that the sunglass habit becomes a natural part of life. Explain why keeping the eyes safe is so important and make sunglasses a part of your family routine. While it may be tempting to hammer the point of eye safety home with tales of horror and doomed vision, this might not be your best bet. Kids have vivid imaginations of their own and they can connect the dots.

You don’t have to get too technical about the reasons in order to make an impression on your kids. If you make this idea fun and begin to wear sunglasses as an example the family will line up behind you and soon they will all embrace the idea. The younger your kids are when you start the easier it will be for you to establish the practice of wearing eye protection

Toddlers and young children are difficult to convince to wear hats and getting shades on their eyes will definitely be a challenge, but it can help their sight. The UV rays can cause eye problems and so can the reflective glare that is created by the sun. It may be hard to believe but watching the sunlight dance on snow, sand or water begins to destroy the eyesight of even the littlest outdoor adventurers.

To help keep your child’s eyes protected from the sun try these useful tips:

• Start to teach your children the importance of sunglasses and eye protection early on. One of the best ways is by setting a good example. You should wear sunglasses too and make it seem fun and exciting. Kids are great mimics and they all want to be just like mum and dad.
• Let your kids choose their own sunglasses, but you can point out the styles with the best features.
• Remember that those cute toy sunshades are not helping the eyes. You can find real sunglasses that are cute and cool. These will provide 100% blockage and keep them safe from the damaging rays and UV light of the sun. Check for aproved sunglasses.
• There are kids sunglasses with Velcro fasteners and short cords that can make sure the sunglasses stay safely in place.
• Make sure that your kids know that they are never to stare directly at the sun because this can permanently damage their eyesight.


Remember, just because the sun may not seem to be overly bright on a particular day it does not mean that you or they should forget the sunglasses. If they're going outside and it isn’t raining then those sunglasses should be an everyday part of their accessories. 

This is an original news article © The Kids Window

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