As a loving parent, it’s wonderful to watch as your child enjoys all that youthful energy, engaging in sports or innocent backyard running around. Children are naturally curious and energetic and this instinct to explore what they’re physically able to do—run, jump, play—is a beautiful part of childhood. But it also makes children more susceptible to eye injuries. No parent wants their child to sit on the sidelines with an eye injury while their peers enjoy sports and playtime. Here are things you can do as parents to protect your children from eye injuries without discouraging them from being active.

Provide Comfortable Eye Guards

For kids playing organized sports, comfortable eye guards are essential. It’s all too easy to get poked with a hockey stick in the eye, or get smacked by a stray softball right in the eye. Other kids don’t yet have the skills to keep teammates from being injured. Let your kids choose their own eye guards or goggles so they feel comfortable in them. They won’t do any good sitting in a drawer while your child’s on the pitch.

Provide Safe Play Environments

A key ingredient in sports and play safety is lighting. If your kids like to play outside until it’s absolutely impossible to see, provide great lighting that they can turn on at dusk. Do the same with any basketball hoop areas in the driveway. Also, make sure your child has adequate footwear with good traction. A lot of sports injuries for kids happen because someone slipped.

Get Eye Injuries Seen Immediately

If your child does have an eye injury, contact your eye doctor for a pediatric eye exam in New Albany, MS as soon as possible. Don’t assume that the damage is limited to a broken blood vessel or a black eye. There could be internal damage to the eye that might even threaten your child’s future eyesight.

For any problems or questions related to your child’s eye health, you can rely on Weeden Eye Clinic. Our New Albany, MS optometrist is here to make sure that your child’s eye health is as good as possible, even after an accidental eye injury. Contact us today to book your appointment!