4 Tips for Taking Preschoolers to an Eye Exam!
I took my three year old to get his eyes examined a few weeks ago. On the way there I wondered how in the world we would get through the exam without him knowing his letters or numbers. It seemed like that would create a challenge!
I did know that at our pediatrician’s office the eye chart had recognizable objects on it, but even some of those were a little advanced for my young son to identify. How would this work?
That was only the beginning of my worries, it seems. My little guy got a little nervous about sitting in such a big chair, the sound it makes as it raises up, and the lights going off. That was all before the exam had even begun!
A Few Eye Exam Tricks Worth Sharing
He made it through just fine and is right on track, visually, but I learned a few tricks for taking a little one to the eye doctor’s that I wanted to share!
1. Think About Timing:
Remember you’ll need a cooperative little guy or gal for the exam, so choose an appointment time when you know your child will be most cooperative, not tired, and not hungry!
2. Talk About What to Expect:
I’ve found that children can handle new experiences best when they know what to expect. Although my son had been to the pediatrician’s office many times, going to a new type of doctor’s office, having the lights turned off, and sitting in an unusual looking chair with all kinds of strange looking machines around was a little overwhelming. I’d encourage parents to tell their children that the eye doctor has to turn the lights out to show the “movie” screen and talk about how the optometrist may use various flashlights and even neat machines to look into his eyes.
3. Practice:
Our optometrist asked my son to hold a letter E and turn the letter to match what he saw on the eye chart across the room. To help your child understand better what will be expected during the exam, hold a sheet of paper or show your child an E chart on the computer and talk about how the eye doctor will need him to look at the chart and tell him or show him what he sees.
4. Have Incentives Ready:
Ask the receptionist if the doctor has child’s prizes available for good exam room behavior. If not, or if you know that the promise of a lollipop or sticker isn’t enough to keep your child still for 20 minutes, I recommend bringing along another small prize as an incentive. Having your child’s vision checked early is important for early detection and a key to making sure your child is prepared for early learning either informally or at a preschool program.
Ready for your three or four year old to get their eyes checked? Call your closest America’s Best retailer and schedule an appointment today.
