Wearing glasses can be a big adjustment for kids when they’re just starting out.
The temptation can sometimes be to leave the glasses at home instead of wearing them, even though that means going through a day of fuzzy vistas and squinting. That’s why today’s post is all about helping parents help their kids see the best advantages of wearing their glasses.
You’ll Get Better Results With Age-Appropriate, Fitted Glasses
It’s one thing for a child to put on their parent or grandparent’s glasses for a few minutes out of curiosity, but their own glasses ought to be the right size for their face. As fast as kids grow, they’re probably going to need new glasses much more frequently than adults because they keep outgrowing them. Kids will be much more likely to wear glasses that don’t look too young or small for them, so make sure to keep up with their growth when replacing glasses.
Make Small Goals for Glasses-Wearing
Going from not wearing glasses to wearing them all day can be quite the adjustment for a child. If they’re struggling, it’s okay to ease them into it step by step. Maybe start out by asking them to wear their glasses for just a half-hour each day. Gradually add time until they’re wearing them from morning until bedtime, and consider incentivizing progress with small prizes.
Provide Good Role Models of Glasses-Wearing
A lot of kids think it’s embarrassing or uncool to wear glasses, so make sure to remind them of some of the great glasses-wearing role models out there. Maybe they’ll be inspired by older family members in glasses, or maybe they’ll love it that some of their favorite fictional characters wear glasses, from Harry Potter to Superman and Supergirl while they’re in their secret identities. Even Tony Stark wears glasses sometimes outside of the Iron Man suit.
Be Firm and Bring in Reinforcements
Rules and goals for glasses-wearing aren’t worth much if they aren’t enforced, but you can’t always be around to make sure your child is wearing their glasses for the agreed-upon length of time. Let your child’s teachers, babysitters, and other adults in their lives know about this so that they can help too!
Let Your Child Choose Their Glasses
The best way to help your child love their new glasses is to let them pick them out (provided they choose frames that fit them). They’ll love having this new way to express their personal sense of style. Don’t worry about them choosing bright or clashing colors. Even if they don’t choose a pair that you like much, the goal is for them to actually wear the glasses.
The Optometrist Is a Great Resource
If you need more tips for encouraging your child to wear their glasses, we’re always here. Call us up or bring your child in to get our advice in person We know better than anyone how cool glasses are.
We love helping patients young or old love their glasses! Call/text us at 407-292-9812 to schedule your child’s back to school eye exam!
Top image used under CC0 Public Domain license. Image cropped and modified from original.
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
