Our eyes are amazing organs. They help us see and experience the world around us! But did you know they’re also essential for your child’s overall development? Learning is 80% visual, so strong, healthy eyes significantly benefit your child’s success in school and out.
Children’s eyes continuously change and develop, and your child will be expected to reach various visual milestones as they grow. But children aren’t always aware if there is a problem or can’t articulate if they have one. Many children with vision problems may believe that how they see is normal when they’re working harder at learning than their peers do.
You can watch your child for signs of vision problems, but routine eye exams are essential for monitoring your child’s visual development and diagnosing issues before they get worse.
To help give your child the best start possible, book them for an eye exam at Bluewater Optometry.
Undiagnosed vision problems can severely impact your child’s ability to learn. They rely on their visual skills and eyesight academically, recreationally, and socially.
To ensure your child gets the best start in life, the Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends that children undergo eye exams at crucial moments of their development.
Children should receive their first eye exam when they’re between 6 and 9 months old.
Babies aren’t born with perfect vision, but it improves significantly in this time, with many critical visual skills developing by the time they’re 4 months old.
Your child is not born with perfect vision, but it improves significantly within their first 4 months. At this point, your child’s primary way of interacting with their world is through their eyes. Any undetected eye or vision problems can lead to developmental delays.
Preschool children should have at least one eye exam between 2 and 5.
These are critical years for your child’s visual development. Your child will fine-tune their visual abilities. They’ll begin to develop eye-hand-body coordination, fine motor skills, and visual perceptual skills necessary for reading and writing.
During these years, vision problems like crossed eyes (strabismus) or lazy eyes (amblyopia) can develop. An eye exam is essential for diagnosing these conditions and assessing your child’s visual development and ocular health.
School-aged children between 6 and 18 should have annual eye exams to ensure their eyesight won’t impact their ability to learn and participate in school.
As your child advances through their grades, their eyes will be continually tasked with increasing demands, like reading, studying, homework, and sports. Undiagnosed vision problems can lead to difficulty in school, low self-esteem issues, and life-long disadvantages.
Annual eye exams will help ensure that their ocular health and eyesight are’t holding them back.
Undiagnosed vision problems can look like behavioural problems or learning disabilities. A comprehensive eye exam is crucial for determining if your child has a vision problem that requires correction.
You can help your child by watching them for signs of an eye issue. Book their eye exam as soon as possible if your child:
If you have questions about your child’s ocular health, visual milestones, common childhood vision problems, or finding glasses your child will love to wear, we would love to help you out! Please call our office to book your child’s eye exam today.
We’re on the corner of Exmouth Street and Napier Street, right across from Norm Perry Park.
We are closed for all statutory holidays, and long weekends.
Hours are subject to change without notice.
Bluewater Optometry
