For kids, the last 15 months have been, to say the least, challenging.
On the academic front, our 11-year-old daughter has ping-ponged from fully remote online learning to blended learning (two days a week in school) and back to fully remote then to almost-full-time learning four days a week in school to quarantined for a positive case in her cohort (with negative rapid and PCR tests) and then back in school with rapid tests administered weekly for the entire school population. All while wearing a mask all day in school and socially distancing from friends and teachers. Healthy, community-minded, lifesaving measures but incredibly challenging on today’s kids nonetheless.
I am eternally grateful to our teachers, who buckled down and stepped up in ways previously unthinkable to deliver a solid year of education and growth. And, to our daughter, who dug deep—like millions of other children across the country—to navigate change, challenge, and uncertainty.
Grit: noun courage and resolve; strength of character.
For kids, the pandemic has ushered in skyrocketing screen time (and resulting myopia), before-unseen isolation, and even mental health issues. According to the CDC, mental health-related pediatric emergency room visits increased 24% for kids aged 5-11 and 31% for those 12-17 during the pandemic. As the pandemic begins to retreat in the U.S., and kids 12-plus now have access to vaccination, the dawn breaks with hope on the horizon for children. In this issue, we celebrate their pure bravery, grit, and perseverance with a roundup of kid-focused, strategies-packed content.
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Turn to page 40 for The Return. of. Joy. kids eyewear fashion feature where we herald a return to joy with eight happy, colorful eyewear trends.
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Head to page 54 for our Kaboom! feature where we explore the explosive growth of myopia management products, programs, and patients.
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And, don’t miss our Got the Blues? kids’ plano blue light eyewear roundup on page 32. Fact: 70% of eyecare providers report increased blue light glasses sales over the past year.
There is so much more, too, in our pages to follow—we hope you enjoy the issue!
![Pandemic puppies and ponies helped my daughternavigate her way. Photo: Darren Croke](https://res.cloudinary.com/broadcastmed/image/fetch/q_auto,f_auto/dpr_auto/https://eyecarebusiness.com/media/dwupc4sb/eb_jun_1402.jpg)
![In this issue: EB June is brimming with kid-focused intel. Frame: Superflex Kids SFK-242 from WestGroupe Photo: David Kressler](https://res.cloudinary.com/broadcastmed/image/fetch/q_auto,f_auto/dpr_auto/https://eyecarebusiness.com/media/3juhcxge/eb_jun_1401.jpg)
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Curious what’s in store in this issue of EB? Join editor Erinn Morgan by clicking play in EB’s digital edition for quick highlights + insider info.
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Erinn Morgan,
Editor-in-Chief + Editorial Director
Director of Social Media, PentaVision