Wilf started school in September and needs to use his eyes a lot as he learns to identify letters and numbers and starts to read.
Although many children will have an eye test at the hospital around their fifth birthday (well, in my area they do!), it's still important to get them used to having regular eye checks so any issues can be identified and treated early on.
There are a few things to look out for that suggest there might be sight problems. These include: if your child rubs their eyes a lot; if they hold things very close to look at them; if they blink a lot or squint; or if they stand very close to the TV.
Wilf has a terrible habit of standing right in front of our TV, so I wanted to get him in to see the optician for his first eye test to double check there were no underlying issues.
He tends to be quite reserved when he faces new situations, so we watched the "I really absolutely must have glasses" Charlie and Lola episode, which explains what happens at an eye test. He really enjoyed the different activities the optician asked him to do, such as pointing at letters she was showing him in the mirror and finding shapes within coloured dots. He even co-operated when she asked if she could shine her bright torch into his eyes.
It turns out, his eyesight is great.
The only problem is that actually, he really, really wanted to have a pair of glasses!
Bless him! I had my check up at the opticians this week, I wish I could say the same, but my eyesight has got worse and I had a slapped wrist for having ten year old glasses!!! eeek!!
ReplyDeleteWe took our first trip to Specsavers recently too and have that exact kinda photo. These are the little milestones to remember xx #MySundayPhoto
ReplyDeleteBless him. My girls have eye tests every year
ReplyDeleteThank you for linking up
He looks so sweet in the big chair! In the US kids get regular screenings every year at school.
ReplyDelete#MySundayPhoto