How to help your child feel good about their glasses
Learning your child needs glasses can spark a variety of emotions. You may worry that your child will feel embarrassed or ashamed about needing vision correction. But they are far from alone: One in every four kids aged 2 to 17 wears glasses or contacts.
In addition to reminding them that needing corrective eyewear is perfectly normal, there are some things you can do to ease their anxiety about getting new glasses.
5 ways to build your child’s confidence in wearing glasses
Below are five tips for encouraging your child in their glasses journey, helping to build their confidence when picking out their new specs.
1. Prepare them beforehand
Before your child’s eye exam, talk to them about what will happen during the appointment. Explain that they will answer questions about what they see, get eye drops that may sting a little, and have their eyes examined by the doctor. If they want, they can take their favorite stuffed animal to have their eyes checked first.
If the doctor determines that glasses will help your child see better, they’ll get to shop for and try on frames as well. This could be the most exciting part of the appointment. But it probably won’t beat the next visit, when they get to put on their very own glasses for the first time.
It’s important to use positive language when discussing eye exams and wearing glasses. Hyping up the glasses-selection experience will help your child go into it with a positive mindset.
SEE RELATED: Signs that may show your child has a vision problem
2. Make getting glasses a fun experience
Give your child enough time to try on as many pairs of kids' frames as they want. Encourage your child to narrow down their preferred styles until they ultimately pick their favorite frames.
Allowing this time will help them feel more confident when their new glasses are ready to wear. Rushing your child during this process can actually leave them feeling bitter about their selection.
Many opticians have kids wear the demo frames they like for 20 to 30 minutes before checking them for pressure marks and signs of discomfort. This helps ensure a proper fit. Adjustments can take a bit longer with young children who aren’t able to verbalize exactly what may be bothering them.
When your child’s new prescription glasses are completed and ready for pickup, the optician will check the fit of the frames again. They’ll make necessary adjustments to ensure your child’s glasses fit comfortably with no pressure or pinching.
SEE RELATED: Will my child’s eyesight worsen if they don’t wear prescription glasses?
3. Praise your child's new look
Once your kiddo has picked a favorite style and had it adjusted to fit properly, tell them how great they look in their chosen frame!
Even if the frames they picked aren’t quite the look you expected (or something you would have chosen for them), celebrate! Tell your child how the glasses make them look even cooler, smarter and more stylish than before.
If your child feels hesitant about wearing glasses in public, offer to wear your glasses too in solidarity. You may have to positively reinforce your child's wearing of glasses for a while. Talk with them about how glasses are now a part of their everyday life and how that’s a good thing.
4. Show your child that they aren’t alone
It can be difficult to help kids feel included when they need glasses at a young age. To a child, there may be no greater impact than to see other kids wearing glasses too.
Many kids take comfort in reading children’s books about wearing glasses. Seeing specs on beloved characters from books and movies elevates their eyewear to a special status. Some bespectacled fan favorites include Arthur the aardvark, Harry Potter and Mirabel from Encanto.
There’s also Truffles the glasses-wearing cat, who shows children that wearing glasses is cool, even for a cat. Truffles has videos on her social media pages that can be used as a resource for helping your child feel less alone in needing vision correction.
Other online communities are dedicated to supporting families of children who need vision correction. One example is For Little Eyes, where parents can share advice, stories and resources as they navigate the kids-in-glasses journey.
5. Celebrate your child's new ability to see clearly
It’s possible once your child realizes how much better they can see with their glasses, they’ll never want to take them off. Whether or not that happens in their case, it’s important to treat the day they get glasses as a celebration. It will help them feel better about wearing their new specs.
Now that they’re able to see clearly, they can learn and interact more effectively. It’s very possible that their engagement in school, sports and social activities will improve because of this increased clarity.
If you notice any hesitation, remind your child how much better they can see with their new glasses. Doing so will help them place value on the glasses and develop a desire to wear them more often.
Practice these tips to help get your kid ready for glasses. Then stand by as the new specs make your child’s vision clear and boost their self-esteem to new heights.
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