If you have bad eyesight in your family, you will no doubt want to keep a close eye on your child to work out whether or not they have inherited it. Older children might be able to communicate that they can’t see a whiteboard at school, but how do you tell with your younger ones? Here are some of the signs to watch for to discover whether or not your toddler needs glasses.
Squinting
One of the clearest signs that your toddler needs glasses might come from them squinting a lot. They are trying to focus on something in the distance and squinting can be the only way to make it appear to be clearer. You might first notice it just from observing your child in their everyday life, but you could also notice it if you ask them to point out something and they appear to struggle with seeing it.
If you think that your child is squinting too much, enquiring into the services of a home visit opticians might give you the answers that you need. They can come to your home and assess your child’s squint and whether or not they need corrective glasses.
Sitting Too Close to Devices
We all got told not to sit too close to the television when we were younger, and this is something that has not changed at all. If your child is near-sighted, they might instinctively move closer to a TV to see it better, or they might hold a handheld device like a smartphone or an iPad close to their face so they can see it.
Again, it might be worth arranging a visit from a home visit opticians just to verify that there is indeed nothing wrong with their vision.
Obvious Discomfort
Think about how you feel when your eyes are strained. You are likely to be irritable, and your eyes can feel tired and dry. You might be more inclined to rub them or to blink rapidly. These are all signs that you should watch for with your children. If it seems like they often have headaches or that they are rubbing their eyes frequently, they might be struggling with their vision.
You need to make sure that you are having open and honest conversations with your children about their health from a young age. This will encourage them to come to you when they do feel discomfort, and it means that you might be able to rectify the issues as soon as possible.
Noticing that your toddler needs glasses is something that is difficult to do, but luckily it is also easy to fix. If you have your suspicions that your child is in need of glasses, you need to address this as soon as possible. By getting them the help they need, they will not have to deal with the discomfort that may be bothering them. They can then continue to properly explore and discover the world around them.
