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For Parents

earn • For Parents

Healthy screen habits for kids, simple steps that protect growing eyes

You’re in the right place. Scroll down for easy tips and trusted eye health resources every parent should know.

Your child's school can get involved with the Eyehouse Kids Device Program - reducing screen related eyestrain for all children.
Speak to your head principal today.

This page is shared with parents via Catholic Schools Parents Association and schools nationally.

Everyday eye‑comfort: the habits that help

 

  • Blink often — blinking allows oil glands in the eyelids to squeeze and release fresh oil. These oils naturally spread and so reduce dryness that builds up when we stare at screens. Next time you're with your children,  just watch how little they blink when they're using a device. On average its once every 20 seconds when using screens, but without them the average person blinks once every 3 seconds.
  • 10:10 rule — after about 10 minutes of close work, look far away for 10 seconds. (Many families also use 20‑20‑20, either is great, but I've found the 10:10 rule tends to form a habit more easily)
  • Position & posture — keep desktop screens slightly below eye level and an arm’s length away - roughly 55 to 65cm. Adjust brightness to room light. Laptop screens should roughly be 45 to 50cm away. IPads should not be closer than 40cm from eyes.
  • Stay hydratedChildren should drink varying amounts of water depending on their age, with a general guide being:
  • 5 cups for 4–8 year olds, about 1.2litres
  • 5–6 cups for 9–13 year olds, about 1.5litres and
  • 6–8 cups for 14–18 year olds. about 1.8litres
  • These recommendations can increase with activity levels, climate, and body weight, but the key is to encourage plain water intake and to be mindful of your child's hydration levels throughout the day. 
What else do I really need to know?
Read on about Myopia, Dry eyes, Blue light, LED's, Comfort lenses and how schools are currently rolling this out across Australia.

Myopia (short‑sightedness) & outdoor time

 

Outdoors matters: aim for 2 hours outside, most days. Distance viewing and daylight support healthy eye development.

 

Early checks: if you notice squinting, moving closer to the board at school, or sitting too close to the TV at home, regular headaches (once or twice a week) or eye strain (complaints of tired eyes after school), book an eye exam with your local Optometrist.

 

My nephew who was 8 at the time came in for his first eye test after he mentioned to his parents he couldn't see writing on the classroom board, or buildings far away. When I tested him, he could only read the biggest letter on the chart.

He was already at -2.00ds in both eyes - even tree leaves were blurry for him to see.

We changed his habits of reading late at night in dim lighting, encouraged daily outdoor playing time, and we fit him with MiYOSMART spectacle lenses and fortunately his prescription has only shifted by -0.25 in 12 months - which indicates we're doing the right thing. If we were doing the wrong thing, the lens power would have shifted by -1.00ds or more.

 

The worrying thing is, I've seen this happen to thousands of kids so I can definitively say that young children are not fully aware that their vision is declining. Only when it stops them from functioning, do they voice their concern. For example they're unable to read the classroom board, or they struggle to reading text on the tv, or signs on the road. 

To minimise the risk of serious issues as they age, we need to catch it sooner, which is why annual eye tests are important for younger age groups.

Myopia control options include specialised glasses, contact lenses and atropine therapy, your optometrist will guide you. There are resources on this page which will support you in that conversation.

Learn more in our resources below.

Dry eye from screen time, simple relief

 

  • Blink & break — micro‑breaks and mindful blinking reduce evaporation.
  • Humid air — avoid direct air‑con or fans towards the face; use a humidifier if needed.
  • Screen settings — increase text size and aim for mid-contrast; reduce glare with a matte screen protector. (this is a feature of the Screen filters we provide schools)

Blue‑light protection for laptops, tablets & phones

 

Filter the source: apply a device‑specific blue‑light screen protector to reduce glare and high‑energy visible light peaks from LED screens.

Please note: The 'eye safe mode' on your device is not the same as a blue light screen filter. The eye safe mode still allows all wavelengths of light through, just to a lesser degree. A filter however, blocks out the unwanted wavelength of light, like an air filter not letting through the unwanted particles.

 

LED's can cause harm:

An ophthalmologist once shared a powerful story of a 30-year-old watch repairman who developed a pterygium, “surfer’s eye”, despite rarely going outside. The cause wasn’t sunlight, but a strong LED lamp shining at the side of his face every day.

LEDs emit high-energy visible light, the closest wavelength to UV, and over time it triggered the same type of tissue damage normally caused by the sun.

 

The concerning part? Our phones, laptops, tablets and TVs emit the same type of high-energy light, just at lower intensity, but for far longer periods of time. Daily exposure adds up.

At Eyehouse, we tested our blue light filters with hypnotherapists, school staff, principals, athletes and business owners. The results were consistent: less eye strain, better comfort, deeper sleep.

High-energy light doesn’t just irritate the eyes, it impacts long-term eye health. This is why proactive protection matters.

 

Comfort lenses: for sensitive users, blue‑light filtering glasses can improve comfort in evening hours. Good sleep hygiene really matters, so also dim LED lights before bed.

One of our customers measured a 74% increase in restorative sleep - measured by his Whoop band, simply by wearing our glasses in the evenings. Now my wife, kids and their school friends do the same.

 

How schools are rolling this out

Schools partnering with Eyehouse are implementing device‑matched blue‑light screen filters on all laptops and iPads. Parents also receive a quarterly information sheet with practical tips on screen balance and eye health to keep the topic front of mind.

Want this in your child’s school?

Speak to your Head Teacher or parent representatives about the Eyehouse Kids Device Program, or contact us for program details for your school.

 


Next step for families
Protect your child’s devices today and start healthy screen habits that last.

 

Note for schools: program enquiries and bulk deployment options available upon request. We can provide quarterly Digital wellbeing and Eye Health messages curated by industry leaders in the field, for you to share with parents.

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