Rachel, Author at Rachel Pitzel

*This is a sponsored conversation with THink about Your Eyes* Grayson just had his last day of school two weeks ago, and in our family that means it's officially summertime. Woohoo! When our kids are out of school, we try to fill up their free time with fun activities like play-dates and summer camp. We have a blast every summer traveling to new places, and heading to the beach or pool. But before we know it, every store starts selling back to school supplies and you wonder, "where did the time go?" I know I'm not the only one. The fall creeps up on us, and that's why I'm taking this time to team up with Think About Your Eyes. Think About Your Eyes is a public awareness campaign dedicated to educating the public on vision health, and promoting the importance of getting an annual comprehensive eye exam. They have over 19,000 eye doctors in support of this campaign and have a dedicated feature on their website for people to find an eye doctor near them- it's so easy! The school year is hectic, our schedules are tight, and after school activities only make it more complicated. It's hard to find the time to schedule an annual eye exam with an eye doctor, especially when it's something we often overlook. You may think that since your children get a vision screening in school, there's no reason to go any further than that. But did you know 75% of vision problems aren’t detected via screenings? That's crazy! I had no idea! Nowadays there's a huge focus on digital devices. Tablets, video games, television, and smartphones... our children's eyes are at risk now more than ever. Just like the muscles in your body, your eyes can get tired too. Eyes become strained or fatigued from staring at a computer screen, or watching TV for several hours. Visual fatigue can lead to headaches, burning eyes, back pain, and difficulty focusing. To prevent permanent damage, Eye doctors recommend the 20-20-20 rule. You take a break once every 20 minutes and focus on something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Easy enough to remember, right? In addition, being outside in natural lighting relaxes the eyes and gives them a break, so make sure to play outdoors as much as possible this summer! I know that one isn't hard for most of us. We need to keep in mind that our children don't know what "normal" vision is, so we can't wait for them to speak up to us and tell us that they aren't seeing well. Critical issues such as lazy eyes and astigmatisms can easily go unnoticed by parents, and our children don't know any better. Early detection is crucial to prevent learning disabilities and possible vision loss in the future- so we need to take our children to an eye doctor regularly. You can utilize the Find A Doctor tool on ThinkAboutYourEyes.com/locator to set up an annual comprehensive eye exam for your child and find an eye doctor near you. There is a ton of helpful information on the Think About Your Eyes website for being prepared about what to expect at the eye doctor. Protecting our children's vision needs to be a priority, and their Find A Doctor tool makes it so easy for us. A quick recap: Limit your children's screen time, or take breaks Play outside as much as possible Encourage your children to wear sunglasses Schedule an appointment for your children to see an optometrist! Summertime is the perfect time to schedule your child’s annual eye exam before they go back to school in the fall. Think About Your Eyes has taught me so much about children's vision health, and how I can help protect Harper and Grayson's eyes. I really encourage you guys to go to ThinkAboutYourEyes.com/locator, find a doctor near you, and set up an appointment for your child!

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