Helping Your Child Get Used to Glasses

Has your child just started wearing glasses for the first time? If this is the case, your child may need to work through a learning curve. Teaching your child how to properly care for their glasses is essential, but is not always easy. Children develop and mature at different speeds.  Some begin wearing glasses at an early age, long before they have fully mastered responsibility.

Read on to learn how a local Redding CA optometrist can help your youngster adjust to glasses.

Get Your Little One Prepared Ahead Of Time

There will be a waiting period between when you order your child’s glasses and when they are ready. Use that time wisely! Talk to your child about their new spectacles. You’ll want to frame this as a positive and necessary thing. 

Speaking of frames … letting your child pick out their frames will help them see this in a more positive light. 

Make It Routine Routine

Children do best when they follow a set regimen. Make wearing and caring for eyeglasses a part of your child’s daily routine, just like dressing, doing homework, and brushing their teeth. This will help your child adjust to his or her glasses and begin to see them as just another part of everyday life. 

Positive Encouragement

Some kids are hesitant to wear glasses at first. There are a few things you can do to make your youngster more comfortable and confident in their eyewear. One thing that could help? Showing your child that many popular culture figures wear glasses. You can also identify bespectacled characters in your child’s favorite books, movies, or television shows.

Also, compliment your youngster when they put on their glasses without being reminded. Sometimes a little encouragement can go a long way!

Be Prepared For Road Bumps

Unfortunately, youngsters frequently tease one another. This can be extremely harmful and disturbing for a young person. As the old saying goes, hope for the best, but prepare for the worse. Prepare a strategy in case your child encounters this. 

It’s also vital to have open conversations with your child and explain that glasses are not a punishment, but rather a tool to help them see better.

Give It Time

At the end of the day, your little one will likely learn to appreciate being able to see better. The change in vision is one factor that can help your youngster adjust to—and accept—the need for glasses. Simply give your child some time to get acclimated to wearing glasses. 

You may want to start slowly, having them wear their glasses for a few hours at a time. Of course, this would depend on the type and severity of your youngster’s vision problems. Ask your Anderson, CA optometrist for more information. 

Preventing Losses

One issue you may have is preventing your child from losing their glasses. Some children immediately learn that wearing glasses improves their vision and they become more cautious. Others are more resistant. And there are plenty of kids that are just forgetful … and will likely be just as forgetful as adults! 

Replacing glasses can be pricey. Consider implementing parameters, such as a special allowance or a sticker system.

Sometimes a tiny monetary punishment might help children develop healthy behaviors. This allows you to experiment with various strategies. When you find your child’s glasses outside of their case, charge a nominal price, such as fifty cents or a dollar. If your child receives an allowance and you need to pay for replacement glasses, consider deducting a portion of the cost from the allowance. You can also go the other way, and offer rewards when they are doing well. 

This way, you can give your child little rewards for taking excellent care of their glasses and keeping them in their case, and offer a bit of extra incentive.

Pick A Fun Case!

A fun, personalized glass case might also assist.If the glasses case appeals to your child, they may be more likely to utilize it. If your little girl enjoys unicorns, search for a case with a unicorn pattern. If your son likes comic book heroes, get him a case featuring his favorite superhero on it. Or simply look for anything in your child’s favorite color. You can also use fun stickers or even mod podge something.

Choose the Right Glasses

Children begin to develop their self-esteem at an early age. Some people feel uncomfortable about wearing glasses. One way to avoid this is to select glasses that suit your child’s appearance. If your child likes the way their glasses look, they are far more likely to wear them!

Consider Contacts (When the timing is right)

If your older child is requesting contacts, make proper glasses-care habits a requirement. It is vital for contact lens wearers to correctly care for and clean their contacts! This can also be an excellent way to determine whether your child is ready for contacts. It also isn’t going to hurt if your child realizes that when they are old and mature enough, they can wear contact lenses instead of eyeglasses.

Keep in mind that we do not normally prescribe contacts for children under the age of eight. Of course, every child is unique, and there are many different things to consider here. Contact your Redding CA optometrist for additional information.

Be Prepared For Mishaps

It can be frustrating to have to buy replacement glasses, but keep in mind that even the most mature and responsible adult can lose or damage their glasses. After all, accidents happen! If your child loses their glasses once, keep this in mind. If your child is regularly misplacing their eyewear, you may need to be more creative.

How Do You Choose Your Child’s Glasses?

There are quite a few factors to consider when selecting glasses for your youngster. Your eye doctor can certainly help you with this, but there are a few things you should keep in mind.

• Comfort is King If your child is comfortable, you will find it much simpler to encourage them to wear their glasses. Getting the right fit will go a long way here.
• Safety First It is also critical to keep safety in mind. Shatterproof lenses are the finest choice for children. Polycarbonate or Trivex will block UV rays and resist scratching. It’s also an excellent idea to choose frames that are robust and won’t break quickly.
• Consider Allergies If your child has allergies, keep this in mind. Some materials, such as nickel, can cause allergic reactions. Keep an ‘eye’ out for any redness around their face or eyes.
• Keep Up With Vision Exams Your child may not notice changes in their eyesight, therefore they may be unable to inform you if they are experiencing symptoms that suggest alterations or undetected diseases. Keep up with your child’s eye exams and contact your Palo Alto, CA  eye doctor if you have any questions.

Schedule An Appointment At Our Redding CA  Vision Care Center.

Do you know, or suspect, that your youngster needs glasses? Do you have any queries or worries about your child’s eyewear? We can help! Please call us, your local eye care clinic in Redding CA, at any time!