Is your child ready for the new school year?

The start of a new school year always seems to sneak up on us. One moment it’s summer holidays and sandy shoes, and the next you’re labelling uniforms, buying stationery and juggling after‑school schedules.

With so much to think about, your child’s eye health can easily slip down the to-do list, but clear, comfortable vision plays a critical part to read, learn, play and participate at school.

Understanding the impact

For kids, vision plays a big part in learning in the classroom. From reading and writing to looking at the board, so much of what goes on in the classroom is visually based. But they often don’t know or communicate that something is wrong with their eyesight. They might think that blurry words on a page or difficulty seeing the board is ‘normal’, leaving parents unaware that something’s off. When their vision isn’t functioning at its best, this can impact:

• Learning and concentration
• Reading speed and comprehension
• Self confidence in and out of the classroom
• Sporting performance and hand‑eye coordination

Often, what looks like distraction, frustration, or behavioural challenges can actually be a child struggling to see comfortably.

To help make things a little easier, here’s a quick eye health checklist to consider as the new school year gets underway.

👀 When was your child’s last eye check?

Regular eye examinations can detect changes in vision early on, even before they impact schoolwork or confidence in the classroom.

If it has been more than two years since their last eye test, or you are not sure when it was, now’s a good time to schedule one.

Click here to find a local optometrist.

🪧 Keep an eye out for these subtle signs

• Holding books or screens very close
  • Classic symptom of being short-sighted
• Rubbing their eyes frequently
  • Rubbing their eyes too often may indicate eye strain, dryness, allergies, or vision problems.
• Experiencing frequent headaches
  • Headaches may be a warning sign of vision problems or focusing difficulties.
• Squinting to see distant objects
  • Squinting is often a natural reaction to help focus, but it’s not a good solution
• Having trouble keeping their place on the page
  • Trouble following words or lines on a page may indicate focusing or eye alignment problems
• Complaints of tired or sore eyes
  • Eye fatigue or soreness is often a warning sign of eyes working too hard, especially during reading, homework, or screen time.
• Avoiding reading or homework
  • While homework is rarely a favourite activity for most children, avoidance of it may be a sign that vision problems make it uncomfortable or challenging.

👓 Are their glasses still doing the job?

If your child has glasses, it’s a good idea to check:

• Do they still fit properly?
• Are the lenses scratched or damaged?
• Are they wearing them regularly/when they need to?

As you know, children grow very quickly and what worked last year may not be the right fit now.

💻 What impact does screen time have?

Too much screen time can take a toll on children’s eyes and overall health. Prolonged use of phones, tablets and computers without taking regular breaks can lead to eye fatigue, dry or irritated eyes, blurry vision and has been linked to the progression of short-sightedness (myopia).

Encourage your child to take regular breaks by setting screen time limits, practice safe viewing distances (keep the screen about an arm’s length from eyes), and balance screen use with plenty of outdoor play.

😎 Starting the year with confidence

If anything on this checklist sounds familiar to you, or if it’s been a while since your child had their eyes examined, now is a great time to schedule a comprehensive eye exam. It can really make a big difference in your child’s life, so they can head into the new school year feeling confident and supported.