Is it me or are our lives being dominated by looking at screens?  Screens of all types – TV screens, computer screens, cell phone screens.  The other day, we went to some big dinner gathering and I will never forget that moment when all 10 kids were hovered around 3 cell phone screens.  (Pathetic?  Maybe so, and that’s a topic for another day.)  In these days of looking at lots of screens, it’s also a good time to revisit some basic things to take care of your kids’ eyes.

Based on some great resources from the American Optometric Association, here’s some great tips for us dads to keep our kids’ eyes sharp and strong.

Infants:

The main thing during the early years is to provide age-appropriate stimulation.  Mobiles and other objects around the crib.  Books. Stories.  All the stuff that you probably are doing now – just keep doing it and mix it up when you can.  Also, don’t forget to get an initial check-up with an optometrist at about the 1-year mark.  The main things to look out for in this age: excessive tearing, excessive eye-rubbing, lots of crusties, lots of redness, oversensitivity to light, and the appearance of a white pupil.