Now’s the Time to Book Your Back to School Eye Exam

Brought to you by Pearle Vision and TheCo.

In between our picnics in the park and summer camping trips, we’re already thinking about back to school preparations. Kay is starting grade one, and Tee will be going in to grade three. From hard experience, I know that now’s the time to get our supplies organized, do our back to school shopping, and make sure everyone is ready for a great school year.

One of the things on our to-do list? Get the girls’ vision checked. Babies should have their first complete optometric eye exam at around six months, again around age three, and then once a year after they start school. Annual checks are important to make sure their vision is developing normally and their eyes are healthy. For us, it makes sense to get their exams done before school starts to help prepare them for a successful school year!

The good news is that eye exams for children are covered in most provinces/territories. In British Columbia and Ontario, children’s annual eye exams are included in your provincial health plan, so there’s no reason not to get it done!

This year we did Tee’s annual check-up at Pearle Vision, our neighbourhood one stop shop for eye care. Since I’m terrible at remembering these kinds of things during business hours, their super convenient online booking system means I can schedule our eye exams* with a Doctor of Optometry whenever I have the time, even at 11:00 pm. I was able to book our appointment in a couple of days at a time convenient for all of us.

Dr. Liang greeted us as soon as we showed up in the office. I filled out a quick one-page information sheet and showed her Tee’s health card. Dr. Liang was friendly and knowledgeable, but most of all she was great with the kids! She made sure Tee knew what was coming and that she felt comfortable before putting anything near her face or eyes. She was so patient with both kids telling her all about their toys and friends, and Kay interrupting twice to show off her wiggly tooth.

After a thorough exam, she explained that Tee is slightly farsighted which is normal for children, with healthy eyes and good colour vision. Tee was a little bummed about not getting to use the big phoropter (the “Better, 1 or 2?” machine), so Dr. Liang let her give it a whirl anyway.

I told Dr. Liang how we had missed Kay’s early eye problems back when she was in preschool, so she made sure I knew exactly how Tee’s eyes are doing and answered all my questions patiently and in-depth. She made all of us feel comfortable and put all my worries to rest.

Happy and healthy eyes!

After our eye exam we went next door to consult with the eye care experts at Pearle Vision on some new glasses for Kay before school. Pearle Vision direct bills your insurance plan, so there’s no paperwork or reimbursements to worry about. And as a busy mom, I sure can do with a few less things to worry about!

I have a little confession: I dread taking the kids out to shop like this. No matter how much I try to prepare them ahead of time, they’re spirited kids and sometimes they have more energy than is good for them (or me). There was another mom in the store at the same time as us with two of her own boys, and despite the kids getting a little loud at times, none of us got the eye rolls. You know what I mean.

Our eye care experts Linda and Ken were so patient with the girls trying on ALL the glasses. They helped us find the right fit, answered all our questions, and never made us feel pressured to buy anything.

Kay loved this sparkly red pair. (She wants everyone to know that red is her favourite colour!)

Or maybe two pairs! Pearle Vision carries all the quality brands you know and trust like Ray-Ban, Oakley, Coach, and Ralph Lauren, and with their big 40% off lenses and free lenses for kids promotion going on right now, you can get two pairs for a great deal!

But you didn’t think Tee would sit quietly by while Kay had all the fun, did you? Of course Tee had to try on some glasses. Hey, you don’t have to have a prescription to wear glasses. They’re a fashion statement too!

She’s sure got the fashionista pose down pat!

My mom tip of the day is to schedule your kids’ eye exams now, before school starts, so you know they’re starting with their best foot forward! And now is a great time to visit Pearle Vision to get in on their 40% off lenses and free lenses for Kids! Arrange your eye exam today!

*Eye exams arranged.

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