Children and Contact Lenses: What You Need to Know

Contacts are, for many people, a much preferable alternative to wearing glasses for many reasons, among them reasons pertaining to aesthetic appeal and comfort. Whilst it’s understandable that many children don’t want to wear glasses, just how much do you know about contacts and should you buy them for your child?

Here are a few considerations to be aware of and understand before buying contacts for your child as an alternative to wearing glasses.

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When should children start wearing contact lenses?

This is one of the most commonly asked questions among parents whose children wear glasses though are considering buying contacts for them.

There’s no set-in-stone answer to this question because there’s no set-in-stone age at which children can start wearing contacts – every case is different and needs to be treated differently.

Here are a few things to consider with regard to an appropriate age to start wearing contacts.

-       Assess your ability to monitor your child’s use of contacts

If your child is under the age of ten they’re probably not ready for the responsibility of cleaning their contacts and taking note of times to take them out and/or put them back in. This means that you must be prepared to take on the responsibility.

-       Assess your child’s level of responsibility

If your child is of an age, for example in their teens, where they should (theoretically) be able to take responsibility for themselves with regard to wearing contacts, is your child really responsible enough to follow an optometrist’s exact instructions for the use and care of contacts each and every day? 

-       Assess the benefits of wearing contacts over glasses

There are often benefits associated with wearing contacts over glasses, but do these benefits pertain to your child and just as importantly, are they worthwhile enough to warrant the effort of having to monitor your child’s contact usage?

Wearing contacts could benefit your child

Your child could benefit from wearing contacts in several ways, though not all, if any, are applicable to every child.

-       Better self-esteem

This is a prominent reason amongst adults for wearing contacts and it’s just as, if not more, relevant to children as well.

You undoubtedly remember children being teased at school for wearing contacts and it’s only natural to want your child not to have to endure such torment – no child wants to be different from their peers.  

The boost in self-esteem that children often benefit from by making the switch from glasses to contacts can result in better friendships and even better grades at school.

-       Better peripheral vision

One of the most outstanding benefits of wearing contacts over glasses, and one that affects practically everyone who wears them, is better peripheral vision.

If your child enjoys exercise and sport you could consider buying contacts for them to wear when playing sports.

-       Better vision

In some cases, though not all, wearing contacts over glasses can actually improve their vision over time.

This is naturally something to speak to your child’s optometrist about, and you might like to also discuss contact lenses that can improve theirvision, of which a notable example are rigid gas permeable lenses.

Educate your child

If you’ve decided that the benefits of wearing contacts apply to your child and you’re ready to accept the responsibility of taking charge of your young child’s contact usage, or entrust the responsibility to an older child or teenager, you must educate them about the importance of adhering to the optometrist’s advice and avoiding eye infections.

Contacts for children can be a blessing or a curse – ensure it’s the former.

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How to Bring an Infant along a Long Road Trip – Ten Handy Tips

For children to really get something out of travelling experiences they generally need to be at least five or six years old, though that doesn’t mean mum and dad need to cease taking holidays until they reach that age.

Moreover, due to what’s involved, bringing an infant along on a long road trip isn’t something any parent should consider unless they’re adequately prepared.

With that in mind, here are a few considerations and tips to take note of if you’re bringing along your infant child on a long road trip.

1.   Should you be travelling at all?

If your child is under six weeks of age it’s highly advisable to wait until they’re older. Not only do most medical practitioners advise against travelling at such a tender age, but there’s a good chance that you won’t enjoy your road trip as much as you would have had you waited until they’re a little older.

2.   Plan with plenty of time to spare

To ‘be prepared for anything’ you need ample time to research your trip, plan and pack and make the necessary arrangements. Travelling with infants on the spur of the moment often proves a mistake due to inadequate time to prepare.

3.   Understand what to pack

It’s difficult to pack lightly when travelling with an infant and there are so many things you’ll need to bring on your road trip. Moreover, if you’re travelling overseas or by air to get to your starting point, you also need to understand what you can and can’t take on the plane.

4.   Know your child’s ‘sleep schedule’ and travel accordingly

The best time to travel with an infant is when they’re asleep. Whilst you naturally won’t want to limit your time on the road until the evening when they’re fast asleep, it’s advisable to get as much driving time in whilst they’re (literally) sleeping like a baby.

5.   Seating arrangements

A proper child seat is a must when travelling with infants. If you’re hiring a car or camper for your road trip enquire in advance about hiring a child seat. Some rental firms charge extortionate prices so you might want to bring your own or buy one when you arrive at your starting point.

6.   Keep baby comfortable

In addition to a good child seat, what else do you need to keep your child comfortable? Everyone’s time will be so much more enjoyable if baby’s kept comfy –and quiet!

7.   Take lots of breaks

Taking regular breaks from the road is advisable ordinarily and even more so when travelling with infants. Take regular breaks and if possible plan ahead so you can take them in pleasant surroundings.

8.   Don’t travel every day

Spending every day on the road will wear everyone out – mum, dad and bub. Plan your road trip in advance so as to spend a couple of days every week relaxing.

9.   Book accommodation in advance

By booking your accommodation in advance you can head directly to your destination and avoid spending more time on the road than you need (or want) to.

10.                Entertainment

Children need to be kept entertained when travelling – it will be quite some time before they begin deriving enjoyment from watching the world go by their window.

If you’re to enjoy the road trip you have planned as much as you’re no doubt looking forward to getting behind the wheel of a camper rental and hitting the open road, you need to understand what’s involved when travelling with an infant and therefore how to adequately plan and prepare so that everyone has a great time.

About the Author:

Apollo is a company whose fleet of quality vehicles has catered to the needs of clients in the USA, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. To know more about their camper rental services, visit their website.

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Comparison of Carpet and Rug Cleaning Methods

A good number of carpet manufacturers suggest home cleaning services opposed to “Do-It-Yourself” for various reasons. Your personal, or rental, gear might not be correctly cleaned or adjusted and could cause issues for instance the wrong amount of cleaners or detergents, which can leave remains and lead to re-soiling, over wetting, yellowing, harm to rug fibers, etc.  Several hire units do not clean effectively and might in fact harm your carpet.  The agreement of manufacturers and commercial rug carpet cleaning is that DIY techniques work finest like temporary treatments for spill or high traffic areas between specialized cleanings. Normally, there are four basic techniques for cleaning carpets:

• Carpet Shampooing
• Foam or Dry Chemical
• Bonnet or Adsorbent Pad
• Steam Cleaning or Hot Water Extraction

Which method you pick depends on aspects for instance the carpet fabric, kind of pile, tear, wear, and the level of soiling.  Several methods leave deposits, which encourage re-soiling and defeat the entire reason for cleaning. A number of methods can in fact harm the carpet fibers and cut down the life of the rug. Consult the carpet manufacturer for suggestions.

Shampoo
Detergent/wet shampoo solution is rubbed onto the rug through holes in a rotating brush, whose spinning changes the solution into froth and works it into the rug.  When dry, most residues having loose, encapsulated dirt is vacuumed to eliminate it (even though often dirt attracting deposit remains). Chemicals might be included to the shampoo solution to decrease smells, hold back soiling, brighten up colors and/or accelerate drying which might as well leave a deposit. At times, this technique is merged with Hot Water Extraction with water instead of a detergent solution to get rid of shampoo.  Even if more costly, this technique is particularly efficient for cleaning very soiled rugs, with heavy soil/oil build-up. 

Dry Methods

Dry techniques employ dry foams or dry chemicals and are normally best for high traffic or public parts where a more careful damping could be an issue and they are normally used with sporadic deep cleanings. “Dry” is regularly a misnomer because quite some wetness might be involved. The method is simple because it does not get as deeply into the rug fibers like a wet technique. You may think about hiring a commercial rug carpet cleaning vacuum if yours is not extremely powerful (not just to pre-clean, but as well to remove soil and the dried foam). If the rug is deeply soiled, you might need to employ a pre-conditioner to assist clean it.  After that, the chemicals are dusted and worked in through brushing several times in diverse directions by means of a brushing machine.  After it dries, usually after an hour, the floor surface and whole rug are vacuumed. 

Adsorbent Pad or Bonnet Method

The Absorbent Pad technique of cleaning is like the Shampoo technique. It makes use of an absorbent pad ('bonnet') fastened to the base of a rotating machine.  A detergent mixture is scattered on the carpet and the rotating pad is applied to stir up and take out the soil suspended in the mixture from the rug. Once one part of the pad is soiled, it can be overturned. And once both parts are dirty, the pad can be changed and later on cleaned. Often, his technique is employed in standard maintenance of commercial structures.

Steam Cleaning or Hot Water Extraction

As with other home cleaning services, you will get the finest results if the rug is pre-treated and carefully vacuumed before cleaning. In current years, the most efficient steam cleaning technique seems to be van-mounted units. One explanation truck mounted units work more efficiently than moveable units, is that they are motorized by the van's engine and not your home electric supply.  Other explanations are that they offer advanced spray pressures and solution temperatures in addition to additional vacuum power for complete extraction. This technique wets the carpet and you have to wait on it to dry totally before regular use.

Author Bio

Candice Hubbard has been in the carpet cleaning business for some time now and she has been specializing in home carpet cleaning services and commercial rug carpet cleaning. She has gained all the experience needed to explain in detail all the carpet and rug cleaning methods that are ideal for any home or business.

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