Vision is one of the most invaluable senses for all people, and for parents, this sense if particularly crucial.

Parents use their eyes, not only to complete their daily tasks, but to ensure the health and safety of their children; not to mention how much they use them for gazing at their glorious little ones. As a parent, imagine if you weren’t able to clearly see dangers that your child could be subjected to, or if you weren’t able to see the look of joy on his face when your little one took his first steps.

Because vision is so important for parents, taking care of them is crucial. The way you use your eyes and the things that they are exposed to can impact their health and your vision; but fortunately, there are ways that you can ensure your eyes stay healthy and your sense of sight remains keen.

Wear Protective Lenses

You love spending time outside with your kids, but exposure to that bright sunlight can have damaging effects on your eyes.  The sun’s ultraviolet rays can lead to serious eye issues, including macular degeneration, cataracts, photokeratitis and eye cancer. To prevent the development of such conditions, make sure you wear UV protected lenses every time you go outside. Also, make sure you protect your child’s eyes, too!

Monitor Your Screen Time

Sure, sharing photos of your little ones on social media and using the computer to look up activities for them to enjoy is great, but too much screen time can be detrimental to your eyes. Spending too much time focusing on your smartphone, tablet or computer can cause you to strain your eyes.

To prevent straining your peepers, make sure you monitor your screen time. Limit the amount you use your technological devices, and when you do use them, make sure you remember to take breaks. Practicing the 20-20-20 rule can prevent straining; every 20 minutes, take a break from your screen and look at something that is 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Schedule Eye Exams

Have your vision checked annually. During an eye exam, your doctor will not only be able to assess your vision and whether or not you need corrective lenses, but will also be able to determine if any issues developing within the eyes, like cataracts, glaucoma or macular degeneration.

Practice Eye Exercises

While working out in the gym can ensure you stay in great physical shape, and exercising your eyes can ensure your vision stays in great shape, too.  Try rolling your eyes to the right 10 times, and to the left 10 times; moving your eyes upwards and downwards 10 times and massaging your temples to give your eyes a workout. Doing so will strengthen the muscles in your eyes, which will help to keep your vision keen.

Get Some Rest

As a parent, getting a good night of sleep can seem virtually impossible; however, sleep is vital to the health of your eyes. Try your best to get 8 hours of sleep every night; if you have to, go to bed earlier, but if you can’t, try to take a nap at some point in the day. Also, make sure you turn off technology about an hour before you go to bed so you can give your eyes a chance to relax and turn your brain down to prepare it for sleep.

By exercising these five tips, you can ensure that your vision stays sharp so that you can focus on what really matters; your kids.