How many kids could you count that were wearing sunglasses at your last outdoor playdate or pool party?
Not many, right?
Did you know that sunlight can cause irreparable permanent damage to your child's eyes?
Would you like to know how to pick the right sunglasses for your child to prevent eye damage?
Actually, children's eyes are most at risk for permanent eye damange from sunlight from birth to 10 years old!
Are you taking the important steps to protecting your little munchkin's eyes?
Here's some guidelines, that I learned from Real Kids Shades to help choose the best eyewear to protect your little ones eyes from the harmful sun.
How to Pick The Right Sunglasses For Kids
- Only buy sunglasses proved to block 100% both UV-A and UV-B rays (tested by a third party)
- Look for a UV-400 rating, which is ideal!
- Find frames that are bendable or unbreakable - you'd hate to have a plastic shard fly into your toddler's eye.
- Wrap around designs are best to protect against peripheral UV rays (reflective light=just as damaging as direct)
- Polycarbonate lenses and frames most impact resistant. Acrylic lenses can shatter!
- Don't buy opaque sunglasses that you can't see through. Children communicate so much with their eyes, you want to be able to see them at all times.
Here's Baby O. doing her best bulldog impression, sportin' her My First Shades from Real Kids Shades in Yellow Daisy. This is a great design for kids ages 0-3, with an adjustable neoprene band that can go under a hat or wear alone - plus the band floats in the water so you don't have to worry about loosing them in the pool.
Of course My First Shades provides 100% protection from UVA and UVB rays, and is made from polycarbonate lenses and frames, so are shatterproof.
Honestly, Baby O. is my "spirited child" and she did try to pull these glasses off multiple times, successfully. I'm hoping that if I just keep putting them on her she'll get used to them and forget she's wearing shades.
If I remember correctly, I had a red pair of these for my first little girl, and she wore them and loved 'em so I think it just depends on your kiddo's personality, but I'd still totally recommend getting a pair to protect your little one's peepers!
Here's Big Sister H. adventuring, like she does on our daily walks with her Real Kids Shades in Flex Lime. Now these shades are designed for children aged 3-7 - so here is where I disclose that my little peanut's head has been in the 90th percentile since birth.....crossing our fingers that this means she'll solve the next great mathematical puzzle.....needless to say we went "up a size" just in case.
I absolutely love these sunglasses. The flexible frames are so important for little ones that throw, spill, crush, step on, pull apart, etc. anything they can get their hands on. You know what I mean.
Unlike skin cells, the eye lenses do not repair themselves, once they're damaged, it's forever. This is why it is SO important that we start our kids off at an early age getting used to wearing sunglasses. You're actually protecting their future eye health, by showing them how to wear glasses now.
~ CONTEST ~
How would you like to win a $10,000 educational scholarship for your future smarty pants? Have a photo of your kid's gorgeous eyes?
Enter Prevent Blindness America Most
Beautiful Eyes Contest, today!
Details:
- From June 24 - July 31, 2013, parents and guardians of children ages zero to 17 are encouraged to enter their child in the Most Beautiful Eyes Contest by submitting a photo to the Prevent Blindness America Facebook page at facebook.com/preventblindness.
- From August 1 - 31, 2013, everyone is encouraged to place online votes for their favorite photo. Each state will have a winner (void where prohibited), who advance to the second round of voting.
- Every state winner will receive a free pair of Real Kids Shades sunglasses and a copy of the children's book, "Jacob's Eye Patch" by Beth Kobliner Shaw and Jacob Shaw!
Good Luck!
Tell me, do YOU wear your shades when outdoors?
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