Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month

You’re hitting all the back to school sales for school supplies, clothes, and shoes. You’ve booked your child’s doctor and dentist appointments. So, you’re all set to send them off for a successful year of school, right?

Chances are, you forgot one last to-do on the checklist. August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, which is fitting for this time of year because scheduling a vision exam for your kiddos is often an overlooked task. Many learning problems can be addressed by simply correcting your child’s vision at the beginning of the school year.

I have four boys, and three of them need vision correction (the fourth is a baby, so the odds aren’t in his favor). Each of my older boys failed his vision screening at kindergarten check-up, which makes me realize I should have pursued eye exams earlier.

When should my child have an eye exam?

The American Optometric Association recommends that babies have their first eye assessment at 6 months of age. Many vision problems in young children and babies go unnoticed by parents and pediatricians.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, children should be screened at three important points in life: when they reach the age of 3, when they begin school, and/or when a vision problem is suspected.

What if I can’t afford an exam?

Programs are available to babies and 3-year-olds that will provide free vision exams for the important milestones that the American Optometric Association and American Academy of Ophthalmology recommend.

Seetolearn.com offers a list of optometrists that will do a no-cost exam for your 3 -year-old. Infantsee.org lists providers who do free vision assessments for babies under one year of age. You can choose from a decent number of reputable eye doctors in the Omaha area. 

What if I don’t have vision insurance?

In our family’s experience, it was cheaper to pay out of pocket for exams and glasses. Many vision plans don’t cover much for the cost of the premiums. Our medical plan now covers pediatric eye exams and glasses yearly, so check to see what your plan covers for your family.

Where do we start?

We did not have vision insurance when our oldest kids started glasses, so we opted for a discount eye center. Most of these places offer back-to-school specials for affordable exams and glasses. We paid $50 for an exam and $99 for two pairs of glasses each year. Having a backup pair of glasses with rough and tumble boys worked for us, because they broke at least one set of frames yearly. One of our kids broke three sets in less than a year!

After four years of glasses, we established our boys as patients of an optometrist friend of ours. The exams and glasses are a bit pricier than the value center route, but the benefits of this option are worth the cost for us. The frames are higher quality, and their doctor is familiar with how their eyes change each year. Plus, we get a year warranty on frames, so that is a huge value to us. If we time their exams just right, they even get free upgrades to transition lenses (the ones that turn into sunglasses when they go outside).

Is my child old enough for contact lenses?

Contact lenses are a huge responsibility.

My oldest two kids entered contact lens territory at 13 and 12. I was apprehensive about them wearing contacts, but they both made the transition to contacts pretty well. They feel more confident, have better peripheral vision, and can wear sunglasses they like.

Our optometrist gave us these guidelines:

1.They should ask you for them. Don’t plant the seed and try to coax them into contacts. They need to be the ones who genuinely want to wear them. If they ask you about contacts, consider them and ask their eye doctor.
2. Kids should be able to go through one year of no broken glasses. If they can’t keep glasses in top shape, they probably can’t handle the responsibility of contacts.
3. He prefers kids are 13 or older for contacts, but kids can be considered earlier if you think they are ready for the responsibility.

Whether your kiddo needs that first pair of glasses, or is moving into the world of contact lenses, schedule that eye exam before school starts!

tiffanifrost
Tiffani is wife to David and mother to 4 boys, and they live in their self-proclaimed “frat house” in Bennington. She is a Nebraska native, freelance writer, and certified group fitness instructor. She earned her Journalism degree from the University of Denver in 1999, and returned to Omaha in 2007. As an active family, they enjoy exploring local parks and trails, participating in races, and traveling. Tiffani is an avid triathlete and runner, and completed her first (but not last) Ironman race in 2016. She writes about her adventures on her blog MomCanTri.com.