Is your third-grader constantly “forgetting” her glasses at home? Does your little boy come up with all kinds of excuses not to wear his?
Here are some tips for keeping those glasses on!
Their Glasses Should Be Their Own
Glasses don’t carry quite the same stigma they used to, but the fear of facing mockery from peers is still one of the main reasons many children don’t like wearing their specs. The best way to help your child feel confident wearing glasses is to let them pick the frames they like. Forget about color coordination and fashion—kids have their own idea of what looks cool, and nothing else will make them feel awesome in glasses quite like wearing the coolest frames they can find.
It’s also important to make sure you’re getting frames that match your child’s age. Toddlers shouldn’t wear glasses for older children, and older children will be embarrassed if they’re still wearing toddler-style glasses when they’re keen to show off what big boys and girls they are.
Find The Right Fit
Even if they look cool, frames that don’t fit right will have your child tugging their glasses off and leaving them behind at every available opportunity. We have special tools at our practice to adjust the fit of glasses so that they stay in place while still being comfortable.
For a few more tips about finding the right frames for your child, check out this video:
Have Good Glasses Role Models
Some kids worry that they’ll stand out in all the wrong ways when they wear glasses, so you might want to help them make a collage of awesome people who wear glasses. Are they Harry Potter fans? Harry has glasses! Do they know that the actor who plays Iron Man wears glasses when he’s not filming? And Superman and Supergirl wear glasses as part of their secret identities! Help your child feel more confident about their glasses by giving them reminders of these awesome role models.
Glasses-Wearing Practice And Goal-Setting
The easiest way for your child to get used to glasses—once you’re sure they actually fit and look cool—is by wearing them, but if they’re not willing to wear them full-time right from the start, a gradual adjustment period could help. Start out by expecting them to wear their glasses for half an hour, then move up to an hour, then two, and ultimately they’ll be wearing them full-time. You could even discuss glasses goals with your child and offer rewards for meeting them.
Supervision Can Help
Another way you can make sure your kids are wearing their glasses is to enlist the help of other adults, like their teachers. However, this won’t do you much good if you’re not being a stickler about the glasses yourself! Hold them to their goals for wearing them and be supportive in talking through any problems they’re having.
We’re Here For Your Whole Family!
Don’t forget that we’re always here to help if your child is having problems with new glasses. If they say the glasses are uncomfortable, bring them in so we can check the fit! We’re committed to be partners in your child’s lifelong vision health.
