When it comes to children’s eyeglasses it is important not only to select frames that are safe but to select frames that your child will want to wear. With children sturdy eyeglasses are essential to withstand childhood play. The first sign that your child needs glasses could be school vision problems or the appearance of a lazy eye.
Consult with a children’s eye doctor or children’s optometrist to determine your child’s needs. Depending on the age of the child, glasses can be easily accepted or rebelled against. The idea is to choose wearing eyeglasses fun, colorful and something that doesn’t hinder them.
Little children under 5 are easy to get to wear glasses on one hand and tougher on the other. While they are not worried about the social ramifications, they tend to pull them off until they get used to them. The frames that work best for a young child are the kind that have curved frame ends to hook around the ears and a thin, light framing. If the glasses are comfortable, do not keep sliding and are light, the child will forget that they are even on.
For older children, especially girls, eyeglasses can be upsetting as they may feel ostracized at school. A lot of that is changing since we were young, but it does still exist. The idea with older children and with teens eyeglasses, is to let them be part of the selection process. Let them choose something that shows their personality and to make a statement. The more they like the look of the glasses the more they will wear them. Allow them to try on different frame shapes in different colors. The more choices they have and the more they try on to see how great they look, the less push back there will be.
Eye health is important, especially in children. Children’s eye exams should be more frequent than a year as their eyes can change quickly. Most times they may change three to four times quickly and then settle down for a long while. If your child has astigmatism, it may either get worse or better over time. Choosing eyeglasses that your child likes is key.