Summer is all about fun for kids on break, but it's also a great time to focus on keeping them healthy and getting them ready to go back to school
This post is sponsored by Think AboutYour Eyes. All opinions are my own.
Summer
is in full swing! Maybe you love its more relaxed schedule, maybe you struggle
with your kids at home all day and finding enough to keep them entertained and
busy, or maybe it's a combination of both. For us, the bulk of our summer has
the exact same schedule as the fall, because the kids' preschool hosts a six-week summer camp session with the exact same hours as
their school year. Which is pretty great, because we don't have to leave the
house until 8:30! I know I'll miss these days when I'm in the carpool lane for
kindergarten by 7am, that's for sure. Regardless of your schedule or planned
summer activities, summer is definitely great for focusing on your child's
health, and I'm going to share three easy tips on ways you can keep your kids
healthy this summer.
3
Tips to keep kids healthy this summer:
1)
Make sure they have and use sun protection
The
first thing I think of when I hear sun protection is sunscreen. Which, of
course, is extremely important! A good SPF is mandatory for most of the year
here in Texas, but especially during the summer months when we spend a ton of
time outside at splash pads, in our backyard pool, or running through the
sprinkler. Make sure to re-apply it to the package directions too - even water
resistant and "sweat proof" options need to be reapplied!
The
part of sun protection that's not as closely considered? EYE WEAR! Yes, your
kids need to wear sunglasses with adequate UVA/UVB sun protection. Their eyes
are more sensitive than yours so if you're squinting against the bright summer
light, your children's eyes are even worse off! We keep a small basket of
protective sunglasses in our playroom stocked with multiple options that my
kids can choose from (I've learned that having choices for toddlers is the key
to getting them to wear sunglasses). It's right by the front door so they can
grab a pair before they go out to walk the dog or ride their bikes, and we keep
a few pairs on our back-courtyard table so they
can wear them while running through the sprinkler or playing in the pool.
2)
Light summer schedules are the perfect time to schedule your kids' annual eye
exam
Don't
know where to go to get your children's eyes checked? ThinkAbout Your Eyes, a national public awareness campaign for vision health, has a
great Find A Doctor tool right on the homepage! There's also
tons of information about eye health. Even if you *know* your child doesn't
have vision problems, the eye is a complex organ that requires a special annual
check up. Everything from eye pressure, to blood flow to the shape of the eye needs
to be checked up on annually, and school and
pediatrician screenings are not enough to catch early vision issues! The
website is a great resource to get you and your child ready for his or her
exam.
3)
Regulate screen time
This
one goes year round, but it seems especially important in the summer when kids
are home all or most of the day and "get bored." Or perhaps you're
like me and work from home, and need to make sure your child is preoccupied if
you're on a pressing deadline. I get it. And while there are tons of great apps
for learning and development, screen time should still be regulated and
minimized just from an eye health perspective! Staring at a screen is hard on
the eyes. The blue light screens emit actually alter brain functions. Use
screen time sparingly and make sure to get your kids outside every day the
weather permits! Not only is the fresh air good for overall health, physical
activity is too. Provide screen time boundaries for your kids to ensure a good
balance and diversity of activities or eye, brain and physical health.
Summer is here so get out there and enjoy this more
relaxed season! Visit pools, the splash pad or the beach; go camping and eat a
s'more; get out on a boat or go for a hike in the woods. Summer is a great time
to de-schedule yourself and your kids and enjoy all the season has to offer.
Put your screens down and pull out the sun protection (remember your eyes,
too!) and soak it all up! It's also a great time to take advantage of relaxed schedules
and prepare for the busyness of fall by scheduling your child's annual comprehensive eye exam. Getting that taken care of in
the summer makes you a step ahead come school schedule season, and crosses one
thing off your busy to-do list before the crazy holiday season commences.