Help Your Kids See Better

By Author: Christopher Markert
Total Articles: 4
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Teachers often observe that their pupils can see the blackboard quite well at the beginning of the term, - but their vision deteriorates as weeks go by. Most school children before school age have good vision. But ten years later most of them have vision problems and have to wear glasses or lenses.

Is it normal for human beings to wear visual crutches? Native people living in the wild are known for their keen eyesight. But when their children become ‘civilized' and attend schools, they usually develop poor vision and have to wear glasses.

Is poor vision the price we have to pay for being civilized and educated? Are glasses a badge of intelligence and learning? Or are we ruining the eyes (and minds) of our children by educating them in the wrong way?

An American eye doctor, William Bates, proved that children can retain their good vision if they are taught to use their eyes in the right way. His method is simple, and the exercises in the classroom only take a few minutes a day. He tested it in school systems in New York and other States, and it always succeeded in saving or improving children's vision. ...
... In other schools most children tended to become myopic around the age of 10 or 12, or they developed other vision problems.

Dr. Bates first explained the process of vision to the teachers. The teachers then showed the students how to rest and improve their eyes with the help of a standard test card placed permanently on the wall. Through simple exercises lasting only a few minutes each day, the children learned to use their eyes in a natural and relaxed way. As a result they also felt better, they found learning easier and they got better grades.

But soon the school authorities claimed that the program interfered with the teaching routine, and opticians claimed that it was unscientific, useless and harmful. The programs were discontinued in spite of their success.

Today, most people in the industrial countries have visual defects. Only one country has an official policy of letting school children do daily eye exercises: China. As a result, the younger generation of Chinese now enjoys much better vision than their parents.

Visual defects are not only a nuisance. They make people nervous, accident-prone and susceptible to many other illnesses. People who wear glasses or lenses are less able to handle stress and hectic environments. Their ability to concentrate and remember things is reduced. Most of this can be avoided, and you can help your kids to see better.