Toronto Teacher Mom: For Teens

Focus on Performance With Bausch+Lomb and Win!

Wednesday, August 28, 2013
91 Comments

Focus on Performance

As a child, I felt rather lucky that I was one of few students in my class who needed to wear glasses. I still remember being given preferred seating when I was in Grade 1 and how excited I was when my teacher suggested I get my eyes checked. I always equated wearing glasses to being intellectual and sophisticated. (Yes, my dear Watson, I was slightly delusional.) Then, once my prescription had been filled and my parents had to pay out of pocket, the excitement dwindled. They didn't have health insurance and worked laboriously to make ends meet. So when I broke my frames a few months later while I was horsing around, I was mortified and too ashamed to tell my parents. Instead, I tucked them under the TV stand and pretended that I had lost them. At least that way there was still 'hope'.


This is what I would have looked like with my first pair of glasses.

For many years, I went on with my daily activities and acted like my vision wasn't so bad. I only really needed glasses to read and watch television anyway. It wasn't until I had applied for my driving permit that I had to start wearing them again. And this time, I did not feel lucky at all. Not only was my poor vision the reason my parents had to spend money on new frames, it was also the reason my dad had to pay for car repairs. You see, while undergoing my eye exam, someone had backed their car into my dad's minivan, causing serious damage and resulting in a trip to the police station. Needless to say, this was not the most ideal way to start off my driving experience.

This is what I would have looked like with
contact lenses. And a bad perm.

In my teenage years, I really wanted to try contact lenses and there were many reasons why I longed to make the switch. On sunny days, all I wanted to do was put on a cool pair of sunglasses so I wouldn't have to squint. Summer months were particularly difficult, seeing as we would spend Sundays at the beach playing active games and sports with the family. In the back of my mind, I worried about breaking my glasses and being rendered helpless without a backup pair. Plus, my field of vision was limited to the size of my frames, making it harder to see, especially when it came to peripheral vision. To this day, I often wonder how much more enjoyable those days would have been if I had had contact lenses. And also, maybe I should have eaten more carrots when I was growing up...

As a teacher with two kids of my own, I can fully appreciate how wearing glasses can affect your performance in team sports and in the classroom as well. These days, it seems more and more students rely on corrective lenses to improve their vision. When they forget their glasses, lose them or break them, they struggle to accomplish the simplest of tasks throughout the day, such as copying the date into their notebook. As a mother, I hope that my children have inherited their father's optical genes but at the same time realize there is a chance that they could require glasses like me later on in life. In the event that they do, I will do my best to support them and will acknowledge the benefits of wearing contact lenses either as a complement to or a replacement for glasses.

Speaking of contact lenses, Olympic bronze soccer medalist, Kaylyn Kyle, has partnered with Bausch + Lomb to create a program called, 'Focus on Performance.' Dedicated to raising awareness about the impact of lenses, Kaylyn encourages parents and teens to consider using SofLens® daily disposable contact lenses during practices and games in the following video:

For more information, visit www.soflens.ca.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013
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ivivva athletica Now Open in Oakville!

Clothing

Tuesday, May 01, 2012
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Back to School with Hilroy and a Giveaway

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Monday, September 05, 2011
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New Interactive Film "Far From The Heart" Premieres in Toronto

Educational

Last night, supporters gathered in the Al Green Theatre in Toronto for the premiere of a new and innovative interactive film called Far From the Heart. Produced by Stephen Gardner and Joan Chandler under the direction of Richard B. Pierre, the film touches on difficult subject matter that affect youth such as date rape, violence, peer pressure and substance abuse. But it doesn't stop there.

Richard B. Pierre (Director), Joan Chandler (Writer/Producer), Stephen Gardner (Producer)

Myself, Richard B. Pierre, Joan Chandler, Stephen Gardner

The groundbreaking online format has been designed to reach out to young Canadians in a way that appeals to their innate desire to connect and share their thoughts and opinions as digital natives. It affords them an opportunity to revolutionize the way society deals with predominant and taboo issues by providing a forum in which they can discuss positive responses to the scenarios presented throughout the film. Stemming from the Sheatre educational project that began in 2006, Far From the Heart continues to offer a unique delivery and support model but takes it a step further by integrating an online platform for sharing original content in the form of digital video. Teens can answer the call to action by submitting an alternative ending or 'intervention' and uploading it to YouTube. Videos are screened and then posted on farfromtheheart.com where viewers can vote for their favourites.

The lovely and recently married Rachel Brittain (age 28) who plays Felicity.

After having watched Far From the Heart along with alternate endings, both my friend, a fellow teacher, and I agree that the message behind the interactive film is a powerful one. Not only will it help to deflate the proverbial elephant, it also entices social change by challenging our youth to question their morals and that which has been deemed as socially acceptable. The statistics alone are staggering enough. What is reassuring is the dedication of the cast and crew who worked together in such a short time period, with filming having begun in May of this year, in order to launch the site a month earlier than originally planned.

With the support of Paul Hartman, The Canadian Women's Foundation, The Ontario Trillium Foundation, The Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion and The Ontario Arts Council among others, Far From the Heart is a "multifaceted program based on prevention through education - in this case, a rehearsal for life." Educators can incorporate the interactive film in a classroom setting or bring the live show to their school. Current tour dates for Ontario are from October 17 to November 4, 2011 with some dates available, as well as in Northern Saskatchewan from March to Apr, 2012. A French production is currently in the works.

Disclaimer: farfromtheheart.com contains profanity and violent material which may not be suitable for all audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.

Disclosure: I was invited to attend the premiere to help facilitate this review. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.