“Don’t Shoot Your Eye Out!” With Dangerous Toys and Gifts This Holiday Season

As the holiday season approaches, it’s essential to keep our kids’ eyes safe while they play with all their new toys and gadgets. One particular scenario that often comes to mind is in the Christmas Story movie, where Ralphie begs for a Red Ryder air rifle and ultimately shoots his eye out after receiving it. While funny, eye injuries are not! According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission or CPSC, a quarter of a million cases of toy-related injuries that require treatment in an emergency room are reported each holiday season. This makes it more important than ever to ensure that the toys our children receive are appropriate and safe. At Wilkinson Eye Center of Pontiac and Clarkson, MI, parents can ask about eye safety for children during this holiday season.

The holiday season and eye safety recommendations for children.

Here are a few specific tips to keep in mind:

• Opt for toys with soft edges or padded materials, avoiding toys that have a projectile or sharp, protruding parts.
• Make sure any projectile toys, like Nerf guns or darts, have age-appropriate safety gear, such as goggles.
• Ensure proper supervision with children when using certain toys that could become hazardous.
• Be cautious of small parts that could potentially become choking hazards for younger children.
• Teach children about proper eye care, such as not pointing sharp objects at others’ eyes and being aware of their surroundings while playing outside or participating in sports activities.
• Check the labels of toys and products to look for age recommendations and follow them closely.
• Keep toys which are meant for older children away from younger children to reduce the risk of injury.

Make sure this holiday season is safe on the eyes!

We want our kids to have an enjoyable holiday season, but let’s also make sure we prioritize their eye safety. Happy holidays from the team at Wilkinson Eye Center! If you have any questions about eye and vision health, we encourage you to call one of our two office locations in Clarkston and Pontiac, MI, to request a consultation visit and initial eye examination if overdue.