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Can I say I told you so to all those parents out there?

Disclosure: This post is a sponsored post for which I received monetary compensation.

#TheMotherHood #WorldVisionDay

Since my kids were babies, they have always had sunglasses. I’ve always gotten comments like “isn’t that a bit much to expect a kid to keep those one?” My answer has always been, “No. I’d rather they be protected, thanks.” It’s my nice way of telling them to piss off, and mind their own business. Well, can I say I told you so to all those parents out there? I’m right! UV Rays do major damage to your eyes, and people should be wearing shades ALL YEAR ROUND with UVA/UVB protection. Who says so? The Vision Council, that’s who!

Personally, I’ve always worn sunglasses. Even though I’ve got dark brown eyes, they are the color of “poop,” I’ve always felt a need to wear shades! My eyes are a little more protected when it comes to UV/UVA rays. Darker color eyes have just a little more protection, because we’ve got a bit more of a pigment in our eyes. As you all know, my children do NOT have dark eyes. Little Miss came out with blue eyes that we all knew were going to stay blue. You know when you’ve had a baby that the blue eyes they have at birth aren’t always the blue they’ll be later in life. Not with this one. I knew she’d have blue ones, just like my husband. What could I do? My son? He had blue ones that I knew would change. I was hoping for brown, but we got hazel….they change color depending on what he wears. STILL very light eyes, still need a lot of protection from the sun.

The moment I realized I’d have light eyed kids, sunglasses were purchased. It doesn’t matter what age kids are, sunglasses come in all shapes, and sizes! The shades we got had a band around them – sort of like goggles, or a ski mask. My son’s wearing them in the collage above, with his cute bathing trunks and hat sitting on the chair. Those he inherited from his sister, because she upgraded after a few months, and had sparkly pink ones she adored. Then she ended up with really cool orange ones around the same time The Boy came into the world, so she told us he could have the blue ones that wrapped around the head. Check those orange ones out in the above collage, too. She wore them EVERYWHERE, and I mean EVERYWHERE.

Why would I get ones that had the band around them, and fit such a tiny baby? I wanted my kids to just get use to having sunglasses on. Plain and simple. I knew they’d have light eyes, their eyes would be sensitive to light, and the sun would do major damage if I let them out there for years without protection. It worked, because my kids never go anywhere without their shades. People chuckle, people comment, and many have said “What? Are you famous? Miss Hollywood in the house.” People need to shut up, because every time they picked on my kids and said stupid things like that to them, my kids gave me a hard time with wearing sunglasses.

Of course, I’d also get the “You’re being over protective. They’re too young to be worried about sunglasses. Give them a break.” Well, I’m here to tell all of those parents, strangers, and family members: I was right, piss off.

#worldvisionday #visioncouncil #uvrays

Here’s a few facts I’d love to share with all of you out there, so you know how important wearing sunglasses is for everyone, all year round:

  • UV radiation is present year-round
  • UV damage is cumulative
  • Unprotected exposure can cause temporary and permanent vision problems

Our family wears UVA/UVB protective shades all year-round, because it’s important. It’s not about looking cool, it’s about protecting our eyes. However, we do go out of our way to get sunglasses we all like, and that are comfortable to wear. There’s a lot of Disney themed sunglasses around this house, that’s for sure!

I had surgery to correct my vision close to 10 years ago, and before that I had to wear glasses to see everything. I’m taking any, and all, precautions to keep my eyes in pristine condition. I don’t want to wear glasses again! At least not all the time. I’ve come to the realization when I’m on the computer, computer glasses might be a good option to cut down on digital eye strain. Yes, digital eye strain is a real thing! I bet a lot of people out there have it, but don’t realize it!

Almost everyone is in front of computer, or on a tablet, or on a smartphone. It’s making our eyes tired, and giving many people dry eyes, blurred vision, headaches, back and neck pain. I try not to allow the kids too much time on their Kindles, and they rarely go on the computer at home. Since I know what it’s like to suffer from digital eye strain, I don’t want the kids dealing with it, too. Unfortunately, my writing job requires a lot of screen time, so I try to follow the 20-20-20 rule when I remember! It’s taking my eyes off the screens every 20 minutes, looking at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. It helps. I’ve also adjusted my computer screen, and opted for better lighting. Oh, and I clean the screen now.

It’s important to get your eyes checked each year, know your family health history, and have stylish sunglass options, right??!!! Take care of your eyes, they are the only set you get!

 

 

 

 

By | 2016-08-30T17:25:13-04:00 October 14, 2013|Family|Comments Off on Can I say I told you so to all those parents out there?

About the Author:

Staci loves to write, and loves to share her "take" on everything thrown her way. Movies, entertainment, food, fashion, shopping, money, travel and family. There's nothing off limits at NovemberSunflower.com, and Staci's always telling it like it is: good, bad, and all that lies in between!