Does your Child Need Glasses?

It’s tough to tell if your child needs glasses; accustomed to the blur, they may not realize they aren’t seeing as well as they should. Poor eyesight may mean that they are missing out on notes the teacher puts up. Not having great vision can also be an impediment to fast reading and may prevent them from excelling in sports. Luckily there are some signs that can alert parents to the need for a trip to the optometrist.

Eye strain often results in headaches. If your child complains regularly of a headache, try to ascertain what they were doing leading up to the symptom. If they have been busy with schoolwork or reading, consider having their eyes tested.

Don’t mistake red eyes and tears for allergies; children who rub their eyes while reading, watching TV or working on their computers could need a pair of glasses.

Another telltale sign is children who sit really close to monitors and TV screens or need to hold books really close or far away in order to read effectively.

Short attention spans and struggling with the hand-to-eye coordination that is required for sports and arts and crafts may also be indicative of a visual impairment.

You can test your children regularly throughout their lives in order to ensure that they are not suffering from poor eyesight which can prevent normal development.

Babies should have their eyes tested at 6 months and then every two to three years by a registered optometrist.

An epidemic of myopia (shortsightedness) is sweeping Asia. 80 to 90 percent of students need glasses during their school careers and a small percentage of these (10-20%) will have high myopia which could result in blindness.

Myopia can be caused by a lack of sunlight or from too much time reading or sitting in front of computer and TV screens. Ensuring that your children eat a healthy diet and spend at least two hours outside every day will help them to develop and maintain excellent eyesight.

Eye exercises are also helpful in maintaining healthy eyes. A really easy and effective exercise to do is this one:

Sit in front of a window. Hold your finger six inches away from the tip of your nose. Focus on your finger and keep looking at it for ten seconds. Now look out the window and focus on an object in the distance for ten seconds. Repeat this exercise ten times. Do this every day to help improve eye function.

Speak with your optometrists about exercises you can do at home to help improve eye health. If your child does need glasses, ensure that they wear them regularly to prevent further deterioration. 

picture credit: 

from Palinn Ooi and their link is here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/phalinn/

Exercise Can Relieve ADHD Symptoms

ADHD can cause students to have trouble staying focused and impedes their academic performance. For about two thirds of those suffering from ADHD, prescription drugs may bring some relief of symptoms, but the side effects can be severe. New studies show that exercise can help to relieve the symptoms of ADHD for many students and help them excel academically.

Exercise as an alternate ADHD medication

The Pediatrics research journal recently published the results of a study which showed that children who exercised regularly displayed improved brain function and cognitive performance. Their executive functions improved and they even scored better on their tests, especially for math and reading comprehension.

Executive functions are essential in combating the symptoms of ADHD as they allow the student to resist distraction. An improved executive function will allow students to maintain focus and will improve their working memory. Executive functions also govern a student’s ability to move from one task to another which is called cognitive flexibility.

John Ratey, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard, has suggested that exercise be prescribed as a medication to combat the effects of ADHD because it causes the release of dopamine and serotonin. These two ‘feel good’ hormones boost academic performance and improve mood. "Think of exercise as medication,” says Ratey. “For a very small handful of people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD ADD), it may actually be a replacement for stimulants, but, for most, it’s complementary — something they should absolutely do, along with taking meds, to help increase attention and improve mood.”

Exercise also has a wealth of benefits that go beyond the classroom and it has no bad side effects! The biggest problem for most parents is getting sedentary students away from TVs and computer screens and outdoors where they can exercise.

Get your kids moving!

The best way to get your kids moving is to make it fun rather than a chore. You can take walks around your neighborhood; just 30 minutes four times a week will do the trick. Encourage your kids to participate in outdoor activities and get them to join a club or sports team, bike to school and go for hikes on the weekend. Be a good example for your children and find fun and exciting ways to get them moving every day.

There are many local resources for parents like Michelle Obama’s ‘Let’s Move’ campaign which offers parents advice on how to get their kids moving. The British Heart Foundation offers tips on how to encourage exercise and how much exercise children need. Canadian families can get a tax cut called the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit. Parents can claim up to $1000 per child for expenses related to fitness, sports and exercise.

Does your child have ADHD and need one to one academic coaching for success? We have tutors with specialized training with ADHS. Contact Tutor Doctor Longmont today!