The back-to-school "to do" list seems to grow longer and longer, what with shopping trips, updating immunizations, attending orientation sessions and signing up for after-school activities.
So it's no wonder that one of the best ways parents can help their children to have a successful school year - by having their eyes examined - often is overlooked.Usually, it's a teacher who notices a problem - when a child can't see writing on the blackboard. But eye care professionals say it's best if children have their vision tested well before the problem becomes obvious to others.
Though mmany children start complaining about vision problems like nearsightedness in second grade, there are serious conditions that could be picked up by a doctor long before that, says Karen S. Kaul, an opthalmologist. And even an infant can have his or her eyes examined.
Kaul suggests parents to have their children tested by about 6 months, and then again at age 3. There are several vision problems - such as strabismus (crossed eyes) or hyperopia (farsightedness) - that can be helped or even corrected if they are caught early enough, Kaul says.
One of the more common conditions seen in very young children is amblyopia, referred to colloquially as a "lazy eye." In some cases, no treatment will be required. But often the child will need corrective lenses, says Kaul, or he may need to wear a patch to force him to use the amblyopic eye.
"The earlier the patching is done, the more successful it is," Kaul says. "By the time a child is 6 years old, there is a very small likelihood of improving the vision in that eye."
Myopia, or nearsightedness, is still the most common vision problem for youngsters. About 2 percent of children will develop myopia by the age of 6; 10 percent by age 10, and 20 percent by age 20.
Children usually develop nearsightedness during one of two growth stages: in about the second or third grade, or in their early teens, says David Claypool, an optometrist. And it's at those ages that most kids are fitted with their first pair of glasses.
Reaction to this momentous occasion is mixed, Claypool says. "Some cry when they have to have glasses. Some cry when I don't prescribe them because their best friend has them."
Although children still dread being called "four eyes" or "nerd" if they wear glasses, most doctors don't recommend contact lenses for children until they are at least 10 to 12 years old.
"The key word is responsibility," Claypool says. "You can put contacts on most anyone. But someone has to be responsible for the disinfecting and the on and off."
By the time they hit their teens, though, most kids can handle caring for their own lenses. And parents may welcome the change by then; contacts are especially convenient for teens who participate in sports.
In the meantime, eye-wear manufacturers are doing a good job of producing frames that young children - and their parents - can live with, says Pam Binge, assistant manager of Pearle Vision in Naples, Fla.
Between 80 percent and 90 percent of young customers choose metal frames these days, "because they look good on them," Binge says.
Although parents still lean toward the more durable plastic frames, the kids don't like the them as much. "When they look at themselves (in plastic frames), they feel like they're really wearing glasses," she says. Metal frames, on the other hand, are less likely to take over a child's face and look more like the glasses they see adults wearing.
The metal frames also offer children a better, more comfortable fit; they have nose pads that can be adjusted to the child's nose.
Because children don't have much of a nose bridge, there's usually a gap between the nose and plastic frames; it doesn't look good, and the glasses often slip.
Although some parents are concerned that their child will bend their wire frames out of shape or outgrow them more quickly than plastic frames, Binge says they should consider that children usually need to have their prescription changed frequently anyway. And the more children like their glasses, she says, the more apt they are to wear them.
That advice also applies when it comes to cost. Though children aren't as into designer frames as adults are, Binge adds, there are brands that cater to youngsters, such as Looney Tunes, Osh Kosh, Ralph Lauren's Polo, and Laura Ashley for girls. Children often choose those frames, not necessarily because they want a brand name, but because they like the way the glasses look. And parents may want to consider spending the extra $30 to get the pair the child likes, or risk that the glasses will be hidden away in a purse or backpack as soon as their son or daughter gets to school.
Most children's frames cost between $50 to $130, and the single-vision lenses they usually require are about $55. Shatter-proof, scratch-resistant polycarbonate lenses are more expensive, but recommended by opticians. Some optical shops also sell flexible frames, wire frames that are less likely to become misshapen if mishandled. Others offer special children's packages, which include a limited warranty on the lenses and frames.
And before they send them on their way, opticians should also show children how to care for their new glasses: by setting them down on the back instead of the lenses, using the case when they're not in use and cleaning them with a soft cloth and a special cleaner or warm soapy water.