Protecting your Children’s Eyes in the Home

As September marks Home and Sports Eye Safety Month, this post will focus on ways to keep your house eye safe specifically for kids. It's important to take the earliest chance to make sure your home environment is an eye-safe zone.

Generally, kids are born with an immature optical structure that develops as they get mature. As part of normal infant vision development, newborns can view objects only very close. A child's visual system is constantly stimulated as the individual develops. Toys can be one of the best methods for stimulating a youngster's vision. However, at the same time, it's important to remember that a lot of childhood accidents take place in the house, many with games and toys.

What's the best way to prevent accidents? There are several steps you can take when selecting games for the home to ensure your child's eyes are safe.

First of all, ensure long-handled toys - such as play brooms- have curved edges, and carefully watch kids under two with such toys. While building blocks are usually fine for almost any age, it's good to check that the sides are blunted, in order to prevent eye or other bodily accidents. It's a good idea to steer clear of shooting toys, such as arrows or guns. In an instance where you can't eliminate them altogether, then use of these toys should only be used when accompanied by a responsible adult. If your older child uses chemicals or tools, be sure he or she wears protective glasses.

What else can be damaging in your house? Toys are actually just the tip of the iceberg. As a guardian to your children, it's your job to go through the house and guarantee there's nothing that could endanger your children and their eyes. One of the most common threats is hazardous materials that haven't been carefully put away. If a child can access these materials their eyes are at great risk.

Although it's true that games and toys for children may not always be 100% safe, there are many wonderful playthings that can benefit children's eyesight. There are many age-appropriate toys for youngsters that offer amazing ways to stimulate visual development. When buying toys for kids, look for those that focus on hand-eye coordination and will encourage youngsters to learn about spatial relationships. It can also be a good idea to look on the Internet before heading to the toy store. Then you can ensure that your purchase is safe for your child's eyes and will enrich their optical development at the same time!