Sunglasses and Eye Health

In the summertime, it’s second-nature to apply tons of sunscreen on our children to protect their skin from the harmful effects of the sun. But many times, as much attention as we give to their skin, we often overlook another area that can be damaged by the sun – their eyes.

 We put sunglasses on to shield our eyes and our children should have the same protection. This protects them now and also helps to prevent them from developing common eye problems later on in life. Keep in mind that UV rays are radiation and radiation is damaging to the eyes just as much as it can damage anything else. Here is just a partial list of those common eye problems that you should be aware of:

·         Over-exposure to the sun’s UV radiation can cause the cells of the eye – inside and out – to divide abnormally. This abnormal division can cause tumors – both malignant and benign.

·         “Surfer’s Eye” is common in coastal regions and is caused by sun exposure. This affects the cornea which can affect your ability to focus clearly.

·         Overexposure to the sun also effects the lens of the eye as well as the retina which can lead to macular degeneration and cataracts later on.

A good rule of thumb to help protect your children’s eyes is to put sunglasses on them if they are going to spend any extended amount of time in the sun. It’s never too early to start this practice. You’ll want to use standard tinted glasses not the colored lenses that are popular with kids.

If you have younger children who are having a hard time wearing the sunglasses, a large hat with a wide brim or visor is the next best thing. You can also try attaching an elastic band to the sunglasses to help hold them in place.

Sunglasses, sunscreen and your children should be a common routine in the summer!

Helping Your Child Get Ready for the First Day of Kindergarten

We’ve given birth and nurtured our children and watched them begin to grow into wonderful little people in awe of the world and all their surroundings. Now it’s time to prepare for them for the first big step in their lives – preparing for the first day of kindergarten.

Getting ready is probably the most difficult part. You have likely already been working to instill good, healthy habits into your child’s life but it’s even more important as they prepare to enter school to instill healthy habits like getting enough sleep – at least 10-12 hours per night and eating right – a healthy breakfast and lunch will help your child get through the day.

Once your child is in school on a full-time basis, it’s common to think that after school activities are all part of the process. We want our children to be well-rounded and involved and in our quest for making this happen, we tend to get our children wrapped up in many after school activities. Children can become as burnt out as adults can so it’s important to fight the urge to let them get involved with everything and keep these after school activities to a minimum.

The next step in helping your child adjust to school is to help them foster independence. Allowing your child (within reason of course) to pick their outfit and dress themselves will help give them both independence and confidence. Keep in mind that this doesn’t include tying their shoes. It is not uncommon for children not to learn to tie their shoes until their kindergarten year.

You also want to address things like making sure your child understands the importance of putting away things when they are done using or playing with them, putting the lids back on paints and markers and putting the crayons back in the box when they are finished.

Finally, make sure you have the “potty” talk before your child heads off to the classroom. Make sure they are able to take care of themselves after using the potty and don’t forget to stress the importance of washing their hands when they are finished.

Talking over these few tips will help your child be better prepared for their school day – take the time to make it a positive one! 

Crafts for Remembering Summer Vacations

Summer vacation is always a fun time for you and your family. Why not hold onto those memories a little longer and make them last a lifetime with a few simple crafts to capture those memories.

One simple idea is a “beautiful places” key chain. With just a few simple items, you can create a key chain keepsake.

You’ll need a few metal caps, pictures of the places you visited, a key chain accessory, duct tape, glue and yarn. Carefully cut the picture to fit the shape and size of the caps you are using and glue them to the inside of the cap. Cut pieces of yarn to match the number of caps you’ve made. Cut a small piece of duct tape and attach the yarn to the back of the cap. Cut a longer piece of yarn and pull it through the loop you’ve just attached to the back of your cap and knot it. Do this for all of the caps but be sure to leave enough space into between the caps.

Attach your keychain accessory to the end and you’re all finished.  

Another fun summer vacation project is a travel timeline. This can actually be done during the trip itself and will not only make the trip more enjoyable but will also limit the number of times you hear “Are we there yet??” All you need for this craft is a line of string or yarn, a hole punch, some drawing paper, crayons, colored pencils or markers and a few paper clips. See? No mess! Before you leave for your trip, install the string in your car like a clothes line. Have your child or children draw pictures or write short stories about each milestone of the trip. When they are finished, hang on the string with a paper clip. A good first picture to start with is of your own vehicle with everyone inside smiling and excited for the trip!

Finally, try an easy treasure chest. Get a box with a lid and long sheet of paper folded accordion-style. Glue the first sheet of the paper into the lid and the last sheet into the bottom of the box. On each page, glue or draw a picture from summer vacation and then tuck it neatly away in the box to be enjoyed through the years.