Eyesight Issues and Inferiority Complexes
Half of Australian children have never had an eye test before they reach 8 years of age.
As busy parents, we understand that it is a check that is often neglected. We often forget that when a child complains that they “don’t like reading”; we often think that it is normal for a child to dislike reading at early age. Behavioural issues such as short concentration span, disruptive behaviour in class, dislikes reading, or giving up on sports can be the first few symptoms of eye issues. As parents; not only we have to keep up with their daily activities, but we also have to be able to “translate” what our children are “really saying” to us. Children communicates differently; they might simply say that they are tired when you asked them to go through their homework; which might mean that their eyes are tired when they try to read or write.
Personally, I was a shy kid in early primary school, was not interested in maths and certainly was just clumsy in sports. It was only until my mom suspected I could not see clearly when I went closer towards the TV to see tennis scores that she took me to the optometrist. The outcome was brilliant; I could actually see; I thought I could see but obviously as a kid you do not know what you should be able to see; or what other children can actually see. I started to blossom in my social skills as I could actually see their faces clearly and able to read their facial expression when I talked to them. I gained many friends as well as excelled in maths and started playing tennis (I could actually see the ball; how exciting!). It was an instant change. I no longer felt inferior to my friends.
Visual demands on our children at school have also increased through the years. Average Australian children spends 20 hours or more on electronic devices a week as well as book reading. It can increase up to 40 hours a week by the time they get to high school. In addition, modern parenting with longer working hours may rely on digital devices to keep their children occupied especially during school holiday; thus may pose more threat to their eyesight. All these tasks our children performed put more pressure on near visual demands on our children whether we like it or not.
Final word of eye advise: never take your children’s eyes for granted and while it is important to be aware of common eye symptoms in children, not all eye problems are visible to parents. Therefore; regular eye examination by paedriatically trained optometrists or ophthalmologist is essential for all Australian children.
Sonya Wijaya (B. Optom./ PG. Spec Cert. Cont. Lenses and Paedriatics/ Ther. Endorsed) is an optometrist in Doncaster East (Optical In Sight) www.opticalinsight.com.au