10 Eye Exam Tips (Just For Kids!)

Hey parents, it’s important to get your children’s eyes checked at a young age.

We see patients as young as 5 years old, and we know that just like going to the dentist or the regular doctor, sometimes coming to the eye doctor can freak your kid out a little bit.

We completely get it – so here’s a list of things we’ve compiled to help your child know what to expect ahead of time. These 10 tips are just for kids; we hope it takes away some of the mystery and anxiety surrounding their first eye exam!

1. We Know It’s Your First Time – It’s Okay To Be Nervous!

We understand that your first time at any doctor can be a little scary. So first things first, it’s okay to be nervous. We see kids all the time, and we’ll do everything we can to make you feel good about visiting our office. Don’t be embarrassed or too upset – everything is just fine.

2. Mom, Dad, Grandma, Or Whoever You Want Can Totally Be With You The Whole Time.

That’s right – your parents, brother or sister, grandparents, or whoever you like can sit in the room with you. We have extra chairs for them – the more the merrier! They can talk to you or even hold your hand if you feel nervous.

3. We’ll Practice Your “Sitting Very Still” Skills.

To be able to get the right measurements and pictures that tell us what your eyes are like, there are parts of the exam where you’ll need to sit very, very still so the doctor can look in your eyes. Try to get all your wiggles out in the parking lot, and be ready to sit like a statue!

4. You’ll Get To See The Doctor Use Different Flashlights – Some Of Them Are Really Bright!

It’s dark in the back of your eyes! Dr. Adsit and Dr. Mitchell have to shine flashlights into everyone’s eyes so they can see clearly and make sure your eyes are healthy. Some of the lights are dim and some are bright, but don’t worry, this part doesn’t take very long. The light might make your eyes water a little bit just like the sun does, but they don’t hurt.

5. The Room Will Be Dark Part Of The Time.

When it’s dark, the middle part of your eye, your pupil, gets bigger to take in more light. The pupil is what we look through to see the inside and back of your eye. We need it as big as possible so we can see everything.

Also, when you read the letters on the projector, they’re way easier to see when the lights are out. We’ll always have at least one lamp on, but the exam room will be dark for part of the time.

6. It Might Feel Kinda Like School – We’ll Quiz You On Your Letters!

In order to see if you need glasses, we’ll have you read letters off the chart on the wall. You’ve probably done something like this with your school nurse during your eye test there. This part of the exam is just a quiz to see where your vision is at right now and if we need to help make it clearer with glasses. It’s really important that you tell us exactly what you see on the chart!

7. Nothing Will Touch Your Eyeballs – No Needles, No Equipment, Not Even Our Fingers – Promise!

The eye doctor doesn’t have to be scary, in fact, he won’t even touch your eyes! He might feel your eyelids and he’ll bring his flashlight close to your face, but he won’t poke or prod your actual eyeballs at all.

8. There Will Be A Couple Of Eye Drops.

This part is hard for some kids, mostly because they think it will hurt really bad. But here’s the deal. The drops we use feel a lot like swimming pool water. You ever jump in the pool and get the water in your eyes? It stings for just a couple seconds, and then it goes away. It’s the same way with our eye drops, after a few seconds you can’t feel them at all!

9. You Get To Pick From Our Treasure Chest When Your Exam Is Over!

Yea, that’s right! Get ready to pick a treat on your way out! After all, you deserve something nice for coming in to see us.

10. If You Need Glasses, You Can Try On Whichever Frames You Want!

If you do happen to need eyeglasses, we have all kinds of cool ones. Plastic, metal, big, little, and all different colors. We’ll help you pick out a pair that will fit your face and also be something that YOU really like!

So, don’t be too scared to come to the eye doctor. We’d love to hang out with you and make sure you can see great!!

 

Note to parents: Is it time for your child’s annual eye exam? Click here to request their appointment!