Kids see free: Free glasses, frames for kids at participating Atlantic Superstores

Optician Colleen Miller’s favourite phone call to get is from a happy parent whose child has been seeing the world clearly with their new glasses.

“I had a little boy whose mom called me after she gave him a bowl of strawberries,” recalls Miller. “He couldn’t believe there were seeds in strawberries! He’d never seen them before.”

Miller says, surprisingly, only 35 per cent of Canadian parents planned on having their children’s eyes tested before they went back to school.

“One in four kids need glasses, but often parents don’t take them in because they don’t notice any problems — and the kids don’t know enough to spot a problem,” explains Miller.

She says parents often feel guilty once they realize their child does need glasses, either because they’d delayed having their eyes tested or because they didn’t spot the problem early on.

“Sometimes they’re really upset because they didn’t realize how bad their eyes were. It takes a lot of people by surprise,” says Miller.

She says parents should watch their children to see if they’re having difficulty reading, sitting too close to the TV, holding a book too close to their face, closing one eye to read or watch TV, rubbing their eyes frequently, experiencing sensitivity to light, or avoiding computers or tablets because they say it hurts their eyes.

Even if your child isn’t exhibiting any of those warning signs, they still need to have their eyes checked regularly. Eye examinations are covered by MSI every two years for children up until they turn 10 years old, but Miller says children should have yearly exams once they are six months old. Certain eye conditions, like crossed eyes or lazy eyes, can be corrected if they’re treated while a child is young. Yearly eye exams can also detect other conditions like diabetes, Vitamin A deficiency, high blood pressure, retinal diseases, irritable bowel syndrome and tumours.

If your child does need glasses, you don’t have to worry about the cost of frames and lenses. Atlantic Superstore’s Kids See Free program is available at select locations across the province.

Families can take advantage of free frames (valued up to $49) and polycarbonate lenses for kids aged four to 10.

“This makes it much easier for parents,” says Miller. “It’s one less thing to worry about.”

Each child can get one free pair each year, and parents can choose to pay the difference if their child wants frames that are more than $49. Scratch-coating on the lenses is an extra $30 and anti-glare can be added for $59.

Frames for kids come in tons of colours, patterns and styles, and Miller says the bold, colourful selections are the most popular with the younger set.

“A lot of kids get upset when they don’t need glasses because they really want them,” laughs Miller.

BY THE NUMBERS: KIDS’ EYE HEALTH IN ATLANTIC CANADA

-30% of Atlantic Province parents do not plan to have their children’s eyes examined before school begins.

-Of the parents who indicated they won’t be getting their children’s eyes examined before school:

-21% of them have never considered getting their children’s eyes checked before school starts.

-16% of them don’t think eye exams are needed.

-26% of them think their children “see fine” and therefore don’t need a yearly eye exam.

-15% of Atlantic Province parents revealed they’ve never had their children’s eyes tested.

-14% of Atlantic Province parents waited till their children were 7-10 years old to get their eyes tested.

-The majority (48%) of children in Atlantic first get their eyes checked between the ages of 4 to 6 years old.

-Of the Atlantic Province parents surveyed, 32% of them had children who wear glasses:

-13% of them feel guilty or at fault for their child having to wear glasses.

-10% of Atlantic Province parents whose children wear glasses fear they will be bullied because of it.

-58% of Atlantic Province parents agree glasses are trendy.

-63% of Atlantic Province parents fear their child will lose or break their glasses.

-8% of Atlantic Province parents are worried their children will become less active if they get glasses.

— The Loblaw Kids Eye Health Survey was an online survey conducted among 1,082 adults from July 19-24, 2016.

TIPS TO ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO WEAR THEIR GLASSES

It can be difficult (and may even seem impossible) to ensure children wear their glasses. However, there are many things parents can do to encourage them to wear their glasses:

Involve children in picking their glasses

Ensure proper fit so the glasses are comfortable

Depending on your child’s age, highlight their favourite characters who wear glasses (e.g. Minions, Harry Potter)

Make it part of the morning routine to help form the habit

Instill ownership and responsibility in them for keeping their glasses clean and safe

Make a point of praising them when they wear their glasses on their own, without being reminded or told to do so

SOURCE: Atlantic Superstore