Remember when you were younger, you may have been told to eat lots of carrots because it would help your eyesight? Well, I remember eating carrots every single day and yet I have been wearing glasses since I was 7 years old (that’s over 35 years folks)! p.s. I still love carrots haha
When I had my children, I was very curious to see if any of them would require glasses with as strong a prescription as I did.
Back when my daughter’s (now 16 and 19) were entering school age, vision screenings were completed at their school. As a result, I didn’t end up taking them to an eye doctor until after they had started school. My oldest daughter has 20/20 vision and my youngest daughter wears glasses.
Now that my son is 5 and in Kindergarten mode, I knew it was imperative to get him in for an exam. After all, he has grown up in the technology age where there are screens everywhere you turn. I always worry about screen time and make sure he isn’t straining his still-developing eyes.
How convenient is it to get your eyes checked and get your grocery shopping done at the same time? VERY!
The year-round Kids See Free program, which is offered at the Optical Department in Real Canadian Superstore locations, provides kids aged 4-10 with any frame valued up to $49 with single vision, polycarbonate ‘kids safe’ lenses for free. There are no hidden costs and you can take advantage of this program once per year.
We made an appointment at our local optical department located in the Real Canadian Superstore.
Are you aware of the differences between an optician, optometrist and ophthalmologist? It’s really important to understand what each of them do so that you are better prepared for when you take your child for their first appointment. The following definitions are from Dictionary.com:
Ophthalmologist – a specialist in the branch of medicine concerned with the study and treatment of disorders and diseases of the eye.
Optometrist – the practice or profession of examining the eyes for visual defects and prescribing corrective lenses.
Optician – a person qualified to make and supply eyeglasses and contact lenses for correction of vision.
We recently made the decision to get a comprehensive eye examination for our son because what’s provided in schools are screenings looking for specific visual issues. A professional eye examination assesses all aspects of vision and eye health.
I knew my son might have some anxieties about all of the machines etc., so we talked about the “cool” factor, and likened it to a few of the favourite characters he knows that have glasses etc. I also let him know that I would be in the room with him the whole time.
Within minutes he had calmed down and put a smile on his face, ready to get his beautiful big brown eyes checked.
Regular eye exams for your kids are so important, annually is best!
Stay tuned for my next post where I capture his eye exam appointment itself from start to finish, including what the doc had to tell us about J’s eyes! It’s quite surprising!