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The Guby blog

Little eyes, explained

Calm, practical reading on screen distance and children's eye health - no scare tactics, no jargon.

A child stretching and looking out of an open kitchen window while a parent washes up at the counter, with a phone propped on a stand further back.
7 min read

The healthy-screen-habits checklist for kids

Seven small habits that protect young eyes, from arm's length to outdoor light to the screen-free wind-down before bed. A checklist you can actually keep.

children's eyes · screen time · screen distance

A child curled up on a sofa under a lamp, holding an open picture book at a comfortable distance with their elbow tucked against their side.
7 min read

Reading distance for kids: books, tablets, and homework

Holding a book too close strains young eyes the same way a phone does. A simple elbow trick keeps the right distance, no measuring tape required.

children's eyes · screen distance

A young child sitting cross-legged on a rug close to a television, with a grandmother watching fondly from an armchair behind.
7 min read

How far should a child sit from the TV?

Sitting close to the telly won't ruin your child's eyes, despite what your grandmother said. But it can quietly tell you something worth knowing.

children's eyes · screen distance · screen time

A young child and an adult's hands together setting up a new tablet on a stand at a table, with wrapping paper and an open box beside them.
8 min read

Setting up your child's first tablet, safely

Before you hand a small child their first tablet, fifteen minutes of setup saves you a hundred small arguments later. Here is the checklist, eyes first.

children's eyes · screen distance · screen time

A child asleep in bed, with a small pair of glasses and a picture book resting on the bedside table beside a softly lit lamp.
8 min read

Myopia control for children: glasses, atropine, and lifestyle

Your child needs glasses, and now you're hearing words like atropine and ortho-K. Here's what myopia control actually means, and what to ask the eye doctor.

children's eyes · myopia

A school-age child sitting at a small desk doing homework, with a tablet propped up beside an open notebook and a school bag on the floor.
8 min read

How much screen time for a 6 to 8 year old?

The toddler rule was simple: about an hour. For school-age kids the official advice quietly changes shape, and most parents never get told why.

screen time · children's eyes

Four children running with their arms outstretched across a wide open landscape, with distant hills and a far-off skyline behind them.
7 min read

Outdoor time and your child's eyesight: the two-hour rule

Of everything studied to protect a child's eyes, time outdoors is the strongest. What the two-hour rule means, and how busy families fit it in.

children's eyes · myopia

A young child sitting cross-legged on a rug covering one eye with a hand, while a parent kneels opposite holding up a card with a simple shape on it.
9 min read

A parent's guide to children's eye check-ups: when, where, what happens

When should a child's eyes be checked, and how is a real exam different from the screening at school? A plain guide to the schedule, what happens, and the signs that mean go sooner.

children's eyes · eye health

A young child sitting on a floor cushion rubbing one eye, with a tablet lying face-down beside them and a parent crouching nearby offering a glass of water.
8 min read

Eye strain in children: signs, causes, and quick fixes

The eye rubbing after a long cartoon, the 'my eyes are tired'. Here's what digital eye strain in children actually is, why it happens, and the small fixes that help.

children's eyes · eye health

A young child and a parent sitting together on the floor, looking out of a big window at a bird on a wire and trees in the distance, with a phone left propped on a stand on a low table nearby.
7 min read

The 20-20-20 rule: does it work for young children?

Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Sound advice for an adult at a desk. But can a four-year-old who cannot read a clock actually follow it?

children's eyes · eye health · screen time

A pair of round glasses resting on a wooden table in warm light, with a parent kneeling to talk to a young child in the background.
8 min read

Blue light and children's eyes: what's hype and what's real

Do blue light glasses protect your child's eyes from screens? Here's what the actual evidence says, and the few things that genuinely help.

children's eyes · eye health

A small child sitting cross-legged on a floor cushion holding a phone right up close to their face, while a parent kneels nearby and reaches out gently to move it back.
7 min read

Why does my child hold the phone so close to their face?

Short arms are only part of it. Young eyes can focus crisply at a few centimetres without any strain, so close just doesn't feel close to them yet.

children's eyes · screen distance

Two parents sitting side by side on a park bench, each holding a phone and comparing the two screens, while their children play on a slide behind them and a tablet rests propped on a stand in the foreground.
6 min read

Apple Screen Distance: the Android version for kids

iPhones can warn when a child holds the screen too close. Most Android phones can't on their own, so here's what fills the gap.

screen distance · children's eyes · Android apps

A phone propped upright on a stand at the edge of a table, with a young child sitting back comfortably on a rug and a parent walking past carrying laundry.
6 min read

A phone stand: the simplest fix for kids' screen distance

Reminding a small child to hold the phone back every two minutes never lasts. A cheap stand does the job quietly, while you get on with something else.

phone stand · screen distance · children's eyes

A parent sitting on the floor at a low table holding one phone, with two more phones lying flat on the table beside them, while a young child plays with wooden blocks on a rug nearby.
9 min read

Screen distance apps for Android kids in 2026

A few Android apps promise to stop your child holding the phone too close. Here's what each one actually does, and which one suits a young child.

screen distance · children's eyes · Android apps

A young child drawing at a table with their head tilted and bent low over the paper, while a parent watches quietly from a doorway.
8 min read

6 signs your child might need glasses (and what to do next)

Squinting, sitting too close to the TV, a constant little head tilt. Here are six everyday signs that are worth a mention to your child's eye doctor, and what each one might (and might not) mean.

children's eyes · vision · eye health · myopia

A busy kitchen in the early evening: one parent on a phone call by the counter, the other bending down to hand a phone to a small child.
8 min read

Screen time for 2 to 5 year olds: a realistic guide

The official limit is about an hour a day. Your evening rarely cooperates. Here's what the guidelines say, why real homes can't always hit them, and the small things that genuinely help.

screen time · toddlers · children's eyes

A young boy wearing round glasses standing outdoors in an open field beside a parent, looking up at a kite in the sky.
7 min read

Childhood myopia in India: what parents should know

More Indian children are getting glasses younger than ever. Here's what myopia actually is, why it's climbing, and the few things that genuinely help.

myopia · children's eyes · India

A parent and a young child sitting together on a sofa, sharing a phone held at a comfortable arm's length, with daylight coming through the window behind them.
10 min read

How far should a phone be from your child's face?

Eye doctors suggest keeping a phone at least an arm's length from a young child's face. Here's why little ones hold screens so close, what it does over time, and small fixes that actually help.

screen distance · children's eyes · myopia