It wasn’t until the last year or so that I started to consistently wear sunglasses. What makes it worse is that I have always owned a pair but using them was a whole different story. Seeing all my mommy group friends always use sunglasses inspired me to actually start using them and now I hate to be without them. I actually have 2 pairs of sunglasses in my car right now just to be sure I always have a pair.
Since I have been using them, my kiddos now like to wear them as well, not all the time like I would like but it’s a start. Did you know that children under the age of 10 are at higher risk of UV damage than adults? and that more radiation reaches a child’s eyes because their lens can’t filter out UV Rays? I had no clue. I must state that even though children are more at risk, UV protection is essential for keeping our eyes healthy no matter how old we are.
When it comes to fun in the sun we typically concern ourselves with protecting our skin. Although that it very important, in most cases the protection of our eyes gets overlooked (no pun intended) even though they are vulnerable to ultraviolet exposure. Here are some important steps we can take to shield our kids from harmful sun exposure especially now during summer. *On that note, during the summer you should be more mindful of protecting your eyes during the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. because UV levels are at their highest AND no matter what the weather looks like outside, UV Radiation is always present when the sun is out
When choosing sunglasses, keep the following in mind:
- They should have both UVA & UVB protection…The label “UV 380” covers all UVA and UVB rays. (Both can lead to eye damage. UVA rays are present regardless of what time of day it is. UVB rays are shorter in length and are more prevalent during the summer months).
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- Wraparound glasses or glasses with a larger template piece help block the entire eye from various sun angles.
- Try them on and make sure they don’t have a distorted lens or any scratches.
- Make sure they are comfortable so that you and/or your children won’t mind wearing them.
- See if the sunglasses come with a sticker or tag on the lens indicating its compliance with the criteria set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
Your child is never too young to start wearing sunglasses. Actually, the earlier the better because not only will it protect their eyes but it they’ll also form a habit of wearing them. Motivate them to wear them by allowing them to help you select the one for them. My daughter loves anything girly & My son loves Spider-Man, so they actually like the sunglasses we got them and they want to wear them.
If you would like to get more information on how to protect your eyes, check out The Bureau of Missing Sunglasses and/or connect with The Vision Council on Facebook.
Do the mother know that wearing sunglasses for kids on the roads is necessary? The first year of life, the human retina is fragile and weak, so it should be protected.
Therefore, the ophthalmologist often encourage parents to build the child the habit of wearing sunglasses. However, the fact that many parents often overlook the shopping for her baby to take the glasses.