Unlike adults and older children, toddlers don’t know that blurry vision isn’t normal. Chances are if your toddler has bad vision, they may have had this problem for as long as they can remember. So, it may be all they know. Just by paying attention to your child and small clues, you can catch vision problems early on.

Here are 8 signs your toddler needs glasses:

1. Squinting

Your toddler may have a few moments where they do this, or they may do it all of the time. Either way, you should find a way to determine if it is becoming a problem.

2. Trouble naming items

If you ask your child, “What’s that?” and it’s something you know they know, (like a car or a dog and its far away) but say they don’t, this may be a sign that your toddler has bad vision. You should make them an appointment to have their eyes checked.

3. Excessive blinking or rubbing

Some toddlers don’t even squint when they have bad vision because they haven’t figured out that this helps our eyes focus. Some will just blink excessively to try to clear their sight, but obviously this won’t work if they need glasses. Also, they may rub their eyes a lot even when you know they are not tired. This is a way for them to get their eyes to work.

4. Watery eyes

Sometimes blurry vision that doesn’t go away can cause your toddler’s eyes to water because of the constant refocusing the eyes are doing. If they are far sighted and they are trying to look at something close, it may make their eyes water.

5. Headaches

Most toddlers are able to tell you if something hurts and where. If your toddler is telling you their head hurts and they are telling you this often, it is time to get their eyes checked to rule that out first. There are certain tests an optometrist can do to check their vision.

6. No interest in pictures or books

Most children love books and pictures. They love to name things and repeat it and talk about it. So, if your child seems like they want to look at a book, but you start to talk about it and they lose interest all of a sudden while looking at the pictures or book, they may be having some vision problems.

7. Looking very closely at things

Now like the above situation, if your child is interested and just starts to look very closely at the picture or bringing it close to their face, they may need an appointment. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

8. Telling you their eyes don’t work

There are some toddlers who can actually tell you their eyes are acting funny. They may not be able to say it in a complete sentence or proper wording, but if they are pointing to their eyes a lot or talking about them, get them checked.

Any of these signs could be a number of things, but starting with an eye exam can help narrow down the cause.

Taking care of your child’s vision is one of your most important responsibilities as a parent. You will need to make sure that your kid’s eyes are always protected especially during the hot summer season where harmful UV rays from the sun light may cause damage to their eyes.

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