Kids Sunglasses – the small cost of healthy eyes…

It wasn’t until I was a mom of a blonde (nearly translucent) human, did I realize the importance of UV eye protection for babies and kiddos. While I selfishly wore high-end sunglasses from Salt Optics with all the bells and whistles (UV400, backside anti-reflective coatings, handmade in Japan), my son could barely open his eyes in his stroller as we campaigned our neighborhood during our many quarantine walks.

I started with a cheap pair of sunglasses from the local grocery store – just to see what he would do. GUILTY of not wanting to drop some $ on a toddler who has a unique but particular love for a certain outfit (ah-hum, we had a Buzz-only attire for nearly three months), I feared he would not feel shades matched his “look.” Much to my surprise, he immediately loved wearing the sunglasses and asked for them every time we went outside. So maybe the kid can rationalize (me not holding my breath)…

Fast forward to the opening of our new clinic, Mt Hood Eye Care, Gresham, I wanted to make sure we not only had amazing eyewear for our adult patients but for their children as well. While it’s easy for us to recommend UV protection lenses in prescription frames for the kids who already need glasses, what about those who are blessed with great eyesight? We immediately brought on kids’ sunglasses from Babiators, with 100% UVA/UVB lenses, and bonus, are stinking cute. Last week, an eight-month-old had a pair of these suns slipped on his face for a candid, adorable baby photo in our optical. To everyone’s surprise, he didn’t want them taken off – and the parents purchased them on the spot and let him wear them out. My son, now the sunglass accessory king, recently “settled” on a polarized frosted “ice” frame that matched his, I want to look as cool as dad look. Thank goodness we have moved on from the I’m not sure we need pants, ever, a phase that was this last winter.

If we think about it, kids typically are outside more than we are (at least they should be as studies show that kids with at least 30 minutes outdoors daily have a dramatically lower incidence of myopia, requiring a prescription to see later in life). Make sure you look for sunglasses that have full UVA/UVB protection. So let’s slap on the sunscreen (or chase them down with the sunscreen spray anyway) and hand them adorable and protective sunglasses to keep those eyes healthy.

Mom win.