Eye tests are good for health

Last week I took H for an eye-test. The ophthalmologist’s clinic was packed and we had a good one hour wait. H had taken along a book. It was another one from the Captain Underpants series. (On that note – When exactly do kids outgrow potty humour? I must remember to do a post on that someday) Yet, I was  grateful. One, because at least it was a book and not the iPad and two, because I was spared endless rounds of word games and Atlas (H sits poring at the world map picking out places, mostly Chinese, ending in X so Atlas with him is no joke).

Mercifully, he read his book quietly, asked the receptionist how many people before his turn then sat counting. In, with the doctor, he sat through the eye test, read what he was asked to and generally behaved impeccably.

We’ve been going to the same ophthalmologist for quite a few years now and as we were leaving he commented, “H has matured a lot.” An innocuous enough remark considering that the kids are growing up. But I remembered the nightmare of the first few visits. 

H was a little over three years old when I noticed he had an affinity for watching television sideways. He was also bending too close over his textbooks (which is a habit I’m still struggling to get him out of). The eye-test was simply a precautionary measure. As it turned out he needed glasses.

Then began rounds of eye tests. He refused to sit on that chair, when he did he wouldn’t sit still, he would scrunch his eyes, or blink rapidly or simply keep them shut, despite our repeated entreaties. Worse, he’d break into the ABCD song when asked to read the alphabets on the monitor.

The first time round it was funny. Then on it was just frustrating.

The most unfortunate part was that the doc couldn’t give him a hundred percent accurate pair of glasses. As a result his eyesight deteriorated further. I changed doctors many times over until I finally found this one who could handle him well.

That is why the compliment was such a huge deal. And I came home feeling very optimistic as I thought that maybe things will fall into place as the kids grew up.

Earlier in the day the kids had been exceptionally rowdy. Tired and upset as I was, I wrote a distressed post wondering where I was going wrong. And now I’m glad I didn’t publish it. That eye-test sorted out my day. 

Seriously, doctors are useful people in more ways than one :-).

18 Replies to “Eye tests are good for health”

  1. I take the kids for eye test once in a year, every year. Been doing it since they turned 5. Now both kids have spectacles with a minor number. I think I chronicled this in a few posts on the blog. Glad that all worked out well. Ugh! You suffer from Atlas pangs too. Me as well. Why do kids do this? 🙂

  2. That must have been such a sweet experience Tulika.. I can only guess the level of contentment you must have felt! So glad for you 🙂

    Cheers

  3. It's nice when others can observe such things because when you are around 24×7, sometimes, the bad times seem worse than what they are and take prominence over the good ones.
    Oh and as someone who has had glasses since I was 8 years old, I can empathise with the whole process of eye checkups!

  4. Glad to know things are going well with your son and the eye doctor. Being a kid who needs glasses is not an easy thing. I started wearing them at 7 years old and remember the struggles.

  5. I can relate to the happiness you must have felt on the doc's observation. Happy for you and H too.
    We have had a tough time with A's specs and docs spread over different cities. He's been wearing since he was 5 and he manages to break his glasses at record frequency… even now! *sigh*

  6. Ahh…tell me about the doctor visits with toddlers. We have this pediatrician for the little one who is in his seventies. The best doctor we could find for her allergic bronchitis problem. The only problem, he is short-tempered. And the girl who is otherwise well-mannered in public, always and always makes it a point to annoy him by stepping on his weighing scale or touching the toys in his consultation room. Thus getting us scolded with, "Why can't you make your kids sit stable?" I so wish I could tell him, "At your age, I might succeed."

    I hope H's eye problem is sorted out soon. I understand the pressure of handling kids all by yourself. Take care.

    1. You will, you will Rekha. I completely know what it's like to have an active toddler on your hand. Things do get better you know :-).

  7. Such a pleasure when we find the right doctor! As for H, I found the ABCD song memory rather cute myself. Kids mature way quicker these days. Ask me, I know! Good thing he's got the eye thing sorted and some days we really are thankful for those doctors, aren't we?

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