Winter’s freezing temperatures can put your health at risk if you don’t take the proper precautions and follow specific safety measures. When it’s cold outside, you’re sure to be bundling your toddler up to keep them safe and warm when they go out, but what are you doing to protect their eyes?

Many parents believe that the “sunglasses season” is spring and summer. Once those warmer months pass, they tuck away their kids’ sunglasses until spring returns. What they don’t realize is that the winter glare can be even more harmful to a toddler’s eyes because of the snow’s reflective properties – not only do our eyes catch the UV rays on their way down from the sun, but also on the way up after it bounces off the white snow.

Fortunately, there are several ways to keep your toddler’s eyes healthy and protected during the winter months. Read on to learn everything you need to know to keep your child’s eyes safe in times of colder weather.

Keep Eyes Moisturized

The winter air is cold and dry, which can quickly dry out the eyes. When eyes become dry, they get irritated. Irritated eyes can lead to blurry vision and other problems. To avoid dry eyes, use a humidifier at home and in your child’s room. You can also put a few moisturizing eye drops in your toddler’s eyes to keep them comfortable.

Wear Sunglasses

There’s no such thing as “sunglass season” – adults and children should wear sunglasses throughout the year, especially in winter. Even when you can’t see the sun, the snow reflects its harmful UV rays, which can harm your toddler’s eyes, even leading to issues like cornea damage and cataracts. At Roshambo Eyewear, we have a saying: snow glare is the worst glare. Our virtually unbreakable flexible sunglasses are polarized, ultra light, made in Italy, and start at only $20.

Wear Goggles During Outdoor Activities

The goggles you see skiers and snowboarders wearing when they hit the slopes aren’t only meant to keep snow, strong winds, and unwanted debris out of their eyes – they also help protect the eyes from the UV rays reflecting off the snow. Get your toddler into the good habit of wearing snow goggles when they partake in outdoor winter activities. Not only will they help protect the eyes, but they look cool too. Roshambo Eyewear is developing a new line of snow goggles available this winter – they promise to be every bit as amazing our our signature line of unbreakable sunglasses and prescription glasses!

Give the Eyes Microbreaks

Children can spend an inordinate amount of time keeping themselves entertained with technology when it's too cold to play outside. When children focus on visual tasks in front of a screen, their eyes will blink less often, which can dry them out and lead to irritation. Maintain your toddler’s eye health by getting them into the habit of taking microbreaks from 30 seconds to five minutes.

Schedule Annual Eye Exams

Once a child reaches one year of age, they should see an optometrist once a year. Annual eye exams will help catch any vision problems your child may be suffering from, and the sooner they’re addressed, the easier it should be to correct them.