Children form an integral part of all nuclear families and are a major reason of our happiness and holistic wellbeing. Working diligently with their natural innocence and curiosity, they fasten and fortify the delicate filaments of the family fiber.
About 10 Parental responsibilities that have been identified as huge contributors to their wellbeing in ensuring that our children are healthy in every Form, Feeling and Formality. They evolve from gaining information, processing it, and transforming themselves until they reach the platform of performance. This journey, in reality never ends.
The most important of these 10 Parental responsibilities is to ensure that children are holistically well balanced in all spheres of their lives. Health stands out miles apart in ensuring that this balance is achieved across the entire spectrum. Physical, Emotional & Mental Health score the highest in this scorecard and should be the central point in our care-obligation towards these little bounties from the Lord Almighty.
With the advent of COVID 19, the Physical health of our children has definitely been affected, especially their eyes. The harmful effect of screen-time cannot be over-emphasized in this fast-growing tech savvy world we are forced to swiftly move into. The vast array of digital devices available at their fingertips is indeed affecting their eyes in more ways than one. The incessant exposure to Blue Light emitted by screens & devices is quite detrimental to the refraction and optics of the eye. Research has it that 65% more children are rapidly developing Myopia and Astigmatism – resulting in short sightedness, distorted images and eye fatigue.
Additionally, it has also contributed to the dryness of the eyes, neck & shoulder pains, irregular sleep pattern, irritability & behavior change and reduced attention span, not to mention the complete shift to entertainment under the guise of education.
Four important pointers Parents need to keep in mind during this trying period and beyond.
CHECK THEM OUT
Due to the complexity of symptoms, oftentimes kids may not identify the problem they face, and sometimes struggle to describe or verbalize their feelings. It is important to check in with the children, reassure them and make a mental note of the symptoms they are experiencing. The exercise should be repeated often so as to ensure that nothing gets missed out
SWITCH TO LARGER SCREENS
Small screens make the eyes work harder. Encourage them to switch to larger screens and reduce the strain on the eyes.
SCREEN USE LIMITATIONS
The recommended usage of screens across ages is as per the below matrix, however, this is not practical, especially for teenagers nowadays, and more so during the pandemic.
Two years & under: No screens at all Two to Five years: Half an hour a day Five to Eighteen: Two hours a day
Therefore, monitor screen usage, encourage children to take screen time breaks, teach them to practice 20:20:20: After every 20 minutes, take a 20 second break or blink 20 times.
TAKE A BREAK - STRETCH & STRENGTHEN
It is important to get out there in the sun. Sunlight is the primary source of Vitamin D; also dubbed the ‘Sunshine Vitamin’. Apart from helping bone growth, it counters depression, strengthens the immune system, elevates moods, etc. So, go out there and get some sun.
In order to alleviate the overall ocular symptoms, the use of Blue Block lenses have been highly recommended far & wide. These lenses have filters that absorb or block blue light, and in some cases UV light, from getting through. That means that if you use these glasses when looking at a screen, they can help reduce exposure to blue light waves. Blue light contributes to keeping you awake due to the disturbance of the circadian pattern. The Blue Block Lenses will surely alleviate these symptoms to a larger extent and allow you to have some sound sleep.
The shift to E-Learning has greatly contributed in creating a demanding frontier that needs to be addressed, as it is promptly eroding the wholesome eye health of our children. To mitigate this challenge, parents need to play a pivotal part in the lifestyle of the entire family. By setting a personal example on restricting screen time, they can send a message across of the ‘new normal’ in the household. Spend more time identifying and participating in alternate activities.
Planting a tree, cooking, baking, playing Frisbee or any other physical game, involving the child in writing, art & craft, painting {thereby enhancing the cognitive functions of the body}, storytelling etc., are apt examples of how to enhance bonding, enjoying family time and above all keeping our eyes safe from the screens. This will also be construed as being un-restrictive and will generate an inherent skillset within the child, build self-confidence and tickle the creativity within. It is important to Practice what you Preach and this means that you too need to set good examples of screen time discipline.
As your practitioner, I would like to encourage you all to practice the above on a daily basis; always keeping the Health of your child as your motivating factor. I wish you all the very best and urge you to reach out to me in case you need further advice for yourselves and your family.
As we collectively try and override the challenges of COVID-19, I pray for you to be safe, secure, happy & ofcourse Healthy.
