Specsavers Penge and Beckenham are helping local parents to take the fear out of eye health appointments for their little ones this National Eye Health Week.

The teams are championing a new, free online tool featuring fun, friendly characters to help families in Southeast London think about their child’s eye health and encouraging them to visit the store for further advice from local experts.

New research from Specsavers has revealed that 51% of young children in London don’t like medical or health appointments, and 26% of children were worried before their first eye test.

A survey of 1,000 parents found that concerns included fears it might hurt (37%) uncertainty about what would happen during the appointment (39%) and nervousness about meeting the optician (39%).

The research comes during National Eye Health Week and also highlights that 89% of parents in London believe eye health has an impact on the educational development of their child.

The following symptoms are reported by parents of young children that could indicate eyesight related issues. These include sitting very close to screens (26%) rubbing their eyes frequently (28%) experiencing headaches (17%) and squinting (16%).

Among parents who have taken their child for an eye test, 39% promised a reward or treat afterwards to help ease nerves, while 42% explained what the eye test would involve.

Premal Patel, Ophthalmic Director at Specsavers Penge, says: ‘We know that anxiety around health appointments is a real concern for many parents, and eye tests are often viewed as daunting. But early eye tests can help identify issues that might otherwise go unnoticed and impact a child’s learning and development, and they’re NHS funded for under 16s**. We hope our Optomonsters characters and interactive online eye prompt will help children feel more comfortable and confident about attending their appointment.’

Specsavers has partnered with leading child psychologist Professor Sam Wass, an expert on early years development, to help alleviate appointment anxieties and encourage more eye tests in young children.

Sam has revealed that children are often nervous during new health scenarios because young brains are wired to be cautious of unfamiliar situations.

‘It’s completely normal for children to feel nervous about healthcare appointments, especially when they’re doing something for the first time,’ said Professor Wass. ‘But these check-ups play a crucial role in supporting healthy development. Correcting vision early can improve learning outcomes and have a real impact on education, confidence and wellbeing.’

Specsavers’ new initiative ‘No Scaries in Sight’ gives parents and kids access to a free, interactive online activity. The “sight prompt” activity is fronted by some friendly, reassuring “Optomonsters” and aims to get families thinking about how their child is seeing the world, whilst making the first appointment feel like a familiar step rather than an unknown one.