October is Children’s Health Month! So in honor of the health of our children, we are going to discuss a few different aspects to health. Also being recognized this month is eye injury prevention month, national bullying prevention month and world mental health day. These are the topics that we will be briefly touching on throughout this post, all of which relate to your child’s physical, emotional or mental health.

Eye Injury Prevention Month

Did you know that about 6 out of 7 US teens with contact lenses are using them improperly? Incorrect use of a contact lens ups your chances for contracting a serious eye infect. Different incorrect uses of contact lenses include:

Sleeping, napping or swimming with lenses in

Reusing solution

Rinsing lenses in tap water

Not replacing lenses and storage cases as recommended

This month, encourage your children good hygiene when it comes to their eyes. Clean contacts properly and give your eyes a break when you sleep! Who needs to see in the dark, anyway?

National Bullying Prevention Month

More than 1 out of every 5 students report being bullied. That is over 20% of our children that are experiencing bullying in some capacity. National Bullying Prevent Month is a national initiative to educate and raise awareness of bullying prevention. Effectively ending bullying is a community effort. Keep the dialogue with your children open and let them know that you are supportive of any feelings that they are having. There are different dates throughout the month that you can wear different colors to show your support of the cause, but take this time to speak with your child about bullying.

World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day is October 10. World Mental Health Day is a day that emphasizes the important of mental health education and strives to rid the social stigma surrounding mental illness. This Day is aimed to raise awareness of the impact that mental illness can have on someone’s life. Knowledge of mental illness and how to properly handle a child that you think might be suffering from it, are essential skills for parents to have. Mental Illness is not the end of someone’s life, but the proper tools for handling it are necessary. Similar to speaking to your children about bullying, having an open dialog about mental illness with your child can be helpful, so in the future they feel comfortable approaching you.