Eyeglasses for Children

A successful eye doctor visit is only half the battle when it comes to helping your child see better. The hard part comes when you have to persuade them to wear their new glasses every day. Follow these steps to find the right specs and help them want to keep them on.

• Fit the frames. They shouldn’t pinch their ears or nose, or weigh down their face. Check the spots where they touch their face every so often to make sure their skin isn’t irritated.
• Get the prescription right. If your child looks over the tops of their glasses or complains that they can’t see with them, their prescription may be wrong. Go back to your optician or eye doctor and get it checked out.
• Start slowly. Have them wear the glasses for short periods of time while they sit down at the beginning. It’s also best to start first thing in the morning. Then slowly increase how long they keep them on.
• Set a schedule. Make their glasses part of their daily routine. Encourage them to put them on in the morning when they get dressed and take them off at night before they go to bed.
• Pile on the praise. Let them know what a good job they’re doing every time they wear their glasses.

If they just won’t do it, troubleshoot first. Is the prescription correct? If it is, explain again why they need them.