As parents we do a lot to keep our children safe. We teach them from the time they are born, what is dangerous, what can hurt them, and how to stay protected. We follow safe sleep recommendations, we cut their food in small bites, we child-proof our homes, we make sure they wear sunscreen, we buckle them in carseats, but are we always doing everything to make sure they are protected?

I recently found a company that is doing everything in their power to protect our children in a way many of us may be forgetting about--their eyes. According to the AAP, children's eyes are at an increased risk for permanent damage from sunlight, until they are at least 10 years old.

Real Kids Shades is a company, founded in 2002, by parents who were struggling to find sunglasses for their own children. They were looking for something comfy, stylish, durable, affordable, and most importantly, provide 100%  UV protection. Most kid's sunglasses sold in stores are "toys" and do not meet the requirements for protecting children's eyes. Real Kids Shades is the leading innovator in children's 100% UV eye protection. To read more on the safety of your children's eyes, click here.

Currently, Real Kids Shades is working with Prevent Blindness America, which helps educate the public on the importance of protecting our children's eyes. They also are endorsed by the Melanoma International Foundation, have received the prestigious iParenting Media Award, are FDA approved, CPSIA compliant, and CE certified. Real Kids Shades is truly going all out to protect the eyes of our little ones and I couldn't be more impressed by them. 

I was in contact with Lori from Real Kids Shades, and she was a pleasure to work with. She let us choose what products would be best and gave her opinion as well, much appreciated when you are learning about something new. She was easy to get a hold of and kept me in the loop on when my package was shipped and arrival time frame. Lori also sent me a ton of information about Real Kids Shades, I was really impressed with all they are involved with, offer, and promote.

 Our package arrived and 2 kids could not wait to get this box open
 We could not believe how lucky we were and how generous Real Kids Shades had been to us!
 Inside the box were 2 pairs of glasses for each kiddo

Scarlett received a pair of Flex in Hot Pink

The Flex Shades are great for my on the move girl. She is quick to put them on, they are easy enough for her to do herself, and comfy enough to keep on without complaint. She can bend them, drop them, they are still in one piece.

Beckett received a pair of Glide in White

Beckett also received a pair of Xtreme Sport in Black/Silver

Xtreme Sport are available in 3-7 year old and 7-12 year old size. They retail for $19.99 and available in 9 colors.

These are reserved for playing outside and specifically sports. He can't wait for T-ball to start to utilize the sport aspect and the neoprene band to keep them on.

Real Kids Shades is doing there best to keep our children and their eyes as safe as they can. It is up to us to follow through. Not only are the products stylish and affordable, but they are safe for our kids. I know our family has been using our new Real Kids Shades as much as possible, I know they will really come in handy at Disney and our family beach trip where we will be outside most days.

S plays outside in her Flex Hot Pink Shades

 Downtown Indy at the NFL Super Bowl Village. S in her Flex/B in his Glides 

Real Kids Shades has also been nominated for a Cribsie Award and would love to have their readers and fans vote for them. Cribsie's recognizes the best products and websites for parents and kids. They are competing with some of the largest sunglass names out there and would love for you to help them. Another bonus for voting, The Honest Company will be donating one diaper to Baby2Baby for every vote that is cast. Baby2Baby provides families in need with essential baby gear and clothing for their children 0-4 years old.

Voting is open through March 16th, 2012, here are the directions to enter:

1. Register to vote

2. Cast your vote-Real Kids Shades are nominated in the Grooviest Statement Shades Category/Fashion Category (

3. Confirm your vote – This is important because your vote won’t be counted unless you confirm your vote.

Want It? Buy It!

Real Kids Shades offers My First Shades (0-5 years), Flex/Flex Duo (3-7 years), Blade (7-12 years), Fabulous (7-12 years), Glide (7-12 years), Xtreme Elements (0-7), Xtreme Sports (3-12 years), Xtreme Chill (7-12 years), and Xtreme Convertible (7-12 years). You can visit the Real Kids Shades website here, or check them out on Facebook. Real Kids Shades also has a blog, which you can find here. Real Kids Shades would like to show appreciation to their loyal customers by offering a 20% discount on orders placed now through March 20, 2012. Just visit their Facebook Fan Page to obtain a coupon code.

Want It? Win It!

One lucky MBP fan and follower will win their choice of a pair of Real Kids Shades of their own. To be eligible, you first must like them on Facebook. You must also post a comment about one of their products and thank and tag Mommy's Block Party. Just use the easy entry form below and make sure to complete all of the mandatory requirements, we will check! 

Thanks again to Lori from Real Kids Shades for being so generous to us. We love looking cool in our new shades and can't wait to share them with one of our lucky readers too!

Thanks and Good Luck!

~Steph~


Disclosure: Other than the Real Kids Shades that I was sent to review directly from this representative, I was not compensated for facilitating this review. All opinions expressed are my own. Your experience may differ.