The end-of-year school holidays are here, and the temperatures are delightful. However, while it's fantastic to be able to send the kids outside to play, it is very important you remember the health of their eyes this school holiday. Getting them away from their electronic screens is certainly a healthy option, but sunlight can also play its part in damaging the eyesight of your kids. Keep these two tips in mind so your children's eyes remain healthy over the summer break.

Sunglass Protection

Vitamin D plays an important part in the development of your child's eyesight, and your kids will certainly get plenty of Vitamin D when they play outside in the sun. However, too much of the sun's UV rays are damaging. The most effective way of protecting the eyes while still giving them some sun exposure is to choose a good pair of sunglasses. The two most important attributes to look at when purchasing sunglasses are:

• The glasses are a wraparound style. Wraparound glasses stops the UV rays from sneaking through the sides of the glasses.
• The glasses are labelled with 100% UV protection. These glasses protect the eyes from UVA and UVB radiation that comes from the sun's rays.

Once you have chosen a great pair of sunglasses, you can also make a change to your kid's diet during the summer too.

Nutrition

During the summer, it is normal to trend towards eating lighter meals, as no parent wants to be spending large chunks of time in a hot kitchen. Make the most of the salad season by including lots of leafy greens on your child's plate.

Green leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach contain lutein, and lutein helps to keep the retina in the eye healthy. While it is not easy to get your kids to eat salad during the winter months when they want comfort food, slipping leafy greens into a tasty salad presents no challenge during the summer. Make sure you also add some grated carrot for extra eyesight health. The vitamin A found in carrots is also proven to be beneficial for eyesight health.

Remember to take your child to their optometrist at the end of the holidays for an eyesight checkup before they head back to school. Eye health can change quickly during your child's development, so a regular checkup is the best way to make sure their eyes are not straining while they are learning at school.

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