In olden days, spectacles were very rarely seen. I still remember my great grandmother reading newspaper without specs till her last days at the age of 97!
In this modern era, spectacles are possessed by kindergarten kids too! The quest for Child Ophthalmologists has intensified. To meet the demands of increasing vision defects, colourful frames are being manufactured to entice the kids and it has become very common to see portraits of kids wearing glasses in Spectacles shops today.
Though malnutrition is the major cause of early eye-wears, the blame is equally shared by the advancement of Science and Technology.
My friend consulted a Neurologist for his son’s headache at the age of 4 and without prescribing any medicine, he just advised to take him out to revitalize his eyes. He added to refrain from watching TV/Computer/Tablet/Mobile screens.
Vision threatening gadgets have become a vital part of our life.
Working moms are busy with their schedules ..
House wives are busy with their household chores & serials ..
When mom is inside the kitchen, Cartoon network is tuned to keep the kid occupied.
When mom wants to watch her favorite TV show, mobile or tablet is offered to stare at a still closer distance!
Weekend .. Yayyy!! Time to take the kid out for shopping .. Oh, he is ready to view the colors of fresh veggies & fruits, dollies & lollies.. hurray!!!
When the kid pulls some chocolates, chips and other unhealthy stuffs to the trolley, he is offered a mobile to stay healthy! When he is still busy with his Subway Surfer and Temple Run, mom finishes her shopping peacefully and dad accompanies with no complaint of managing the naughty kid!
Back in the car, dad is driving, mom is tired of shopping but the kid is busy with the dashboard. Mom takes off the hand but it reaches again in 2 seconds 😉 AC is on but the vents are repeatedly closed.. FM is on but in deafening decibels! When parking light is on to indicate hazardous drive, dad shouts at mom to restrict the kid. To manage the situation, again mobile is offered to bring back peace!
Night time .. Ah, the Moon and stars are readily lighted in the sky stage .. The show has begun, but there are no spectators .. The kid is given a separate luxurious room where the moon and stars are painted with wonderful colors, yet they neither sparkle nor impart harmony!
Long ago, the performances of moon and stars were daily enjoyed by people from Terraces. Oh, I forgot .. Many terraces are occupied by Cell phone towers and Apartment terraces are occupied by Penthouses today! Still, there is a chance to peep through your balcony door 😉 where there is a will, there is a way !
Jokes apart! Smart phones are not smart for kids. TV/Tablet is not the only solution to keep the kid occupied. Involve them in your daily activities. My 3.5 year old is my best ever cooking partner, I swear!. Involve them in gardening, cleaning, arranging & whatever possible. Though there will be a mess initially, you could see a change sooner. In free time, get them involved in books and play activities. I should write a separate post on keeping them engaged 😉
In short, eyes are so precious .. Please protect them .. Expose them to mother nature and she will take care of them!
Broader the vision and do not confine the sight inside the walls of your living room ! Step out and see how Nature steals the show!?! Happy parenting 🙂
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Well said..Narration of the situations where we tend to offer gadgets to Kid is awesome :).I had few of those similar experience with my LO who is 18 months now..Excited to see your next post of how to engage them healthy..