Both of my children's schools recently had an eye hospital come in to screen students. That same weekend, our family went to an eye-health talk. The timing felt pointed: my first grader still has some vision reserve, while my fourth grader's myopia has deepened again.
It would be easy to blame screens. He doesn't use a phone or TV much at home. What I keep coming back to is the stretch in early primary school when he was behind and slow with homework. He often ended up hunched over the desk until after 11 p.m. Long near-work, too little sleep, and not enough outdoor time all piled up; there was an extracurricular guzheng class too. In hindsight, I blame myself for treating completed homework as more important than it should have been and for putting too much academic pressure on him.
The talk reminded me that before 18, as children grow, the eye's axial length can increase, and prescriptions often creep up year by year. That worries me. What we can do is try to slow the progression and be more relaxed as parents, treating grades with equanimity. A child's physical and mental health, and a peaceful family life, matter more.
Glasses that fit properly
A suitable prescription helps a child see clearly and reduces eye strain. The essence of myopia is that the eye becomes longer; under current medical technology, myopia is not reversible. A properly fitted, good-quality pair of glasses generally will not make myopia worse. For a nearsighted child, glasses remain a simple and reliable solution. They improve distance vision, help restore normal binocular function, and are important for preventing strabismus and amblyopia.
Posture and breaks from close work
I am trying to stop the habits of putting eyes almost on the page and writing with the head tilted. That means watching and correcting posture in the moment, and keeping continuous near-work to no more than 30 to 40 minutes at a stretch.
Regular eye checks
Primary school is when myopia often appears. As a parent, I should take the children to a proper medical institution every 6 to 12 months for a vision check, so problems can be found and addressed early.
Two hours outdoors
Daily outdoor time can help prevent myopia from starting and from progressing. Sunlight stimulates the retina to release dopamine; it is currently the most economical and effective myopia-control measure we have. I remind the children to leave the classroom at recess, move around outdoors, and let their eyes relax.
Screen limits
For non-study use, a single session should not exceed 15 minutes, and total screen time should stay under one hour a day.
Sleep before 9:30
Primary school children should get ten hours of sleep a day. Too little sleep may affect growth hormone secretion and therefore growth and the body's general functioning, leading to fatigue, drowsiness, and lower resistance. Whether or not the day's homework is finished, I am sticking to a 9:30 p.m. bedtime.
Food, including sugar
I am working on the picky eating. More fish, fruit, and green vegetables can support eye health. I am also paying attention to sugar, and not only because of cavities and weight gain. It is often said that sugar is acid-forming; when eaten in excess, metabolizing it uses up a lot of vitamin B1 and can interfere with calcium absorption. If the sclera lacks calcium, its elasticity drops, the eyeball is more likely to lengthen, and lower osmotic pressure can deform the lens, deepening myopia.
The home environment
Research shows that children of nearsighted parents are more likely to become nearsighted not only because of genetics but also because those parents may create a more myopia-prone environment. Nearsighted parents may spend longer doing close work, may have less interest in outdoor activity, and may therefore take their children outside less often. I have to examine myself here too. Going forward, I want to start with the environmental factors that affect the onset and progression of myopia: reduce the burden of close work and increase outdoor time.