How to ensure children wear their glasses

Post on 3rd January 2017

Parenting is a joy but teaching children to do the right thing and learn life lessons ‘for their own good’ can be challenging.

Ensuring children with glasses wear them is a case in point. Simply just telling them to do something, especially if they may not be too keen in the first place, requires a considered approach.

It will help if your child is allowed to have a say in their choice of glasses. They need to be suitable, not too expensive and robust of course, but if they choose frames they think are ‘cool’, they are more likely to wear them.

The frames need to fit correctly; if they are too loose they will slide off a child’s nose or will not stay on their ears. As children’s noses are not fully developed, it’s advisable to opt for metal frames with adjustable nose pads or plastic frames with a small enough bridge to stay in place.

Choosing glasses with spring hinges on the temples will allow them to flex outward without breaking, letting the frames flex to fit the child’s head and be more comfortable to wear.

It’s important to choose the right lenses too, so they are durable for the needs of lively children at school or at play. Look for scratch-resistant and impact-resistant lenses.

Your children who need glasses may not understand why they have to wear them when other youngsters do not. Parents should support the view that wearing glasses is a positive and a ‘normal’ thing to do.

Children may also need to be reminded by their parents to keep their glasses on. It pays to be consistent in this message and not to be discouraged if children initially reject their glasses.

With children being children it’s also a good idea to buy a back-up pair of glasses as chances are there could be the odd breakage or damage along the way.

Good luck, your children will appreciate your efforts in the long run!

And if you need any advice on choosing frames and lenses for children, please call in at your local Scrivens branch.