Howdy Mamas!
My daughter (three and a half) has trouble with close up skills. She loves to do puzzles, but doesn't seem to ever get faster at doing the same ones (easy ones for younger children), and when she's doing pre-writing type activities, she has trouble keeping the crayon on a really wide path. There are a few other things that make me think she may be having trouble seeing. However, she can spot really tiny contrails way up in the sky which nobody would ever notice, and she yells "Airplane! Look, Mom! It's an airplane!" So, she can clearly see things far away. We are doing a little bit of learning to read because she's very verbal, knows her letters and sounds, and she seems to be ready, but I'm concerned that she won't be able to see the words when they aren't huge on the page anymore.
It is possible that she's just developing small muscle skills more slowly than others, and she is very coordinated with large muscles, so it's certainly a possibility.
So, Mamas with children who had trouble seeing at a young age, how did you figure it out? What signs did your kids exhibit when they couldn't see properly? I will be having her checked out by a doctor (my pedi gave me a referral to a pediatric opthamologist), but I wanted to get the moms' take on it.
Thanks, mamas!
My opthamologist recommends children be seen once a year starting at age 2 sooner if there is a problem. The sooner it's caught and corrected the better.
Vision problems in very young children can be tough to spot. My 5 year old got glasses earlier this year. I was pretty vigilant in trying to spot the signs of it because I myself had eye problems as a child. What tipped me off to my daughter not seeing properly was that she would tilt her head funny when she was trying to read, and sometimes (especially when she was getting tired) she'd cover one eye. Turned out that like me, she has an astigmatism (so she is neither near-sighted nor far-sighted, but rather her vision almost "twists"). Definitely have the ophthalmologist look her over. Ever since my daughter got glasses, she has had a much easier time with reading.
I second the other mama's that she should be seen by a pediatric opthamologist. My ds has been followed from birth, but he got his first pair of glasses at 2. If she does need them, I suggest Solo Bambini frames. They are adorable and indestructible! We've had the same frames for almost 2 years! Your Dr. might not carry them, but you can order them off the Solo Bambini website. Good luck!
sounds like she needs her eyes checked. some kids need glasses as kids but not as adults like my oldest when the muscles in the eyes develop they dont need glasses anymore. sounds to me like she needs them. I dont remeber the signs I think it was cause he couldnt keep an eye on the baseball. and had a hard time reading but he was 7 when he got his glasses and about 12 when he didnt need them anymore
Well I was 2.5 when I started wearing glasses and my son was 4 so yes it's possible. Take her to an eye Dr. it does sound like something to me. My son went to the dr every year starting at 6 months..I was really paranoid because I was so little. I think preschool age is when they should go for the first time whether you notice something or not. Trust your instincts you know your baby better than anyone. Good luck
Dr. Collier in Allen is a developmental optometrist and may be worth a visit.
