eyes

School is about to start again in a few weeks, and while most parents are busy buying school supplies, getting new clothes for their kids and thinking about the school routine, fewer parents are planning to have their child’s eyes tested before the beginning of the school year. According to a recent Loblaw Kids Eye Health Survey, 35% of Canadian parents do not plan to have their child’s eyes examined before school begins.

Getting Your Child's Eyes Checked Before The Start Of School

Loblaw Optical Departments across Canada are hoping to change that as eye exams should be an important part of every parent’s back to school routine. To help raise awareness of the importance of eye exams in young children the Loblaw Optical Departments offer the Kids See Free program. The program provides children from ages 4-10 years old, with one pair of free eyeglasses up to $49.00 and kids safe polycarbonate lenses for free. This program is available at Optical Department located in Loblaw stores. This includes: Loblaws, Real Canadian Superstore, Your Independent Grocer and more.

We recently stopped by our local Superstore® and our 5-year-old had a full eye exam at their Optical Department. He had a great appointment and his eyes were healthy. Thankfully he also has 20/20 vision and doesn’t require glasses.

I really loved the convenient location for his eye exam and after our appointment we ended up doing some grocery shopping before heading back home.

Getting Your Child's Eyes Checked Before The Start Of School

Getting Your Child's Eyes Checked Before The Start Of School

At the end of the appointment we were told to come back in a year to do a check-up. It is important to know that even if your child has no symptoms or diagnosed vision problems, you should still get their eyes tested annually.

Vision changes can occur without parents or children even noticing. Here are some signs to watch out for:

  • Having difficulty reading
  • Sitting close to the TV or holding a book too close
  • Frequent eye rubbing
  • Sensitivity to light or excessive tearing
  • Closing one eye to read or watch TV
  • Avoiding using a computer because it hurts their eyes
  • Having trouble seeing the chalk board
  • A sudden drop in grades

Be sure to get an appointment to get your child’s eyes tested if you notice any of the above or if you haven’t done a check-up in a while. Eyeglasses can really mean the difference between a child thriving at school or falling behind.

Disclosure: This has been a sponsored post, however all opinions and views on this post are 100% my own.