Is it time for your child to see the eye doctor? Here are some simple and easy tips to prepare your child for their eye exam to ensure that the process goes smoothly.
Clear and comfortable vision is key to your child’s social and educational development, which is why visits to the kids eye doctor should begin early on in life. Knowing how to prepare your child(ren) for an eye exam is key to making the experience as pleasant and stress-free as possible.
At our Calgary eye clinic, our highly-qualified eye doctors perform kid-friendly eye exams to:
- Detect any visual problems
- Diagnose, treat, and/or manage eye health issues
- Determine whether your child requires prescription eyeglasses
- Ensure your child’s vision is developing correctly
Qualified, Gentle, and Friendly Kids Eye Doctors in Calgary
At our Calgary eye clinic, our qualified optometrists provide a wide range of vision services for your whole family, including childrens/seniors eye exams, contact lens fittings, emergency eye care, and more, to ensure your and your family’s eyes always stay healthy.
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Top Tips For Preparing Children For an Eye Exam
Your child’s vision is very precious and as a parent, you want to help him/her develop healthy eye care habits today that will continue well into adulthood. Remember, a positive first experience with a kids eye doctor can help cultivate a sense of comfort with visiting such a professional for eye-care services.
Here are some top tips for parents to help prepare children for their eye exam:
1. Stay Relaxed
The best way to prepare your child for their first eye exam is to stay calm and relaxed. Your child will pick up if you are feeling anxious, and it’s likely that he/she will begin to feel a measure of anxiety as well. By staying calm, you’ll show your little one that an eye exam is a normal experience and not a cause for concern.
2. Tell Your Child What to Expect
Before the eye exam, briefly explain to your child what to expect from the appointment. Remember to use plain language and you can say something like: the eye doctor will look into your eyes and ask you to identify some shapes or pictures.
Make preparation fun: You can make eye exam preparation fun by practicing naming shapes or showing them some videos of what to expect from an eye exam. Or you can do role playing, where your child gets to play the patient and you the eye doctor, and vice versa.
3. Address Your Child’s Questions
No doubt, your child will have many questions about what he/she can expect from the eye exam. Keep all your answers genuine and to the point, and remember to always stay positive. This is also a good time to talk about the importance of our eyes, what they are for, and how they can help us see things near and far.
Tip: Turn the experience of a first eye exam into a key teaching moment, where your child’s understanding of vision and everything eye-related has the chance to develop.
4. Stay With Them During the Exam
To help your child remain calm during the eye exam, it is highly recommended that you stay in the room with them. In addition, you may want to bring their favorite stuffed animal or toy along, so they can hold and play with it if the exam becomes stressful.
How Parents Can Prepare For a Children’s Eye Exam: What to Bring
As a parent, there are several things you need to prepare before you go in for your child’s eye exam. When you visit the eye doctor, make sure you gather the following information about your child:
- Any medical conditions they have or current drug prescriptions
- Birth details (eg. were there any complications, was it a premature birth, etc)
- Any vision conditions and associated prescriptions your child may have
- Medical records, including the names of your child’s other doctors
- Any known allergies
- Family medical history
- Any recent vision changes
Bringing this information with you will ensure that the eye exam goes as quickly and smoothly as possible, and it will give your eye doctor all the information they need to carry out the most comprehensive and accurate test.
Call Today
Is your child due for an eye exam? To find out more about what you can expect from a children’s eye exam at our Calgary eye clinic, and how our highly qualified kids eye doctors can make this an enjoyable and stress-free experience for you and your little one, visit us at 2525 36 St NE, Unit 157 Calgary, Alberta, T1Y 5T4.
Alternatively, you can contact our optometrists at 403-280-7518 or book an appointment online.
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