Wearing glasses can be a big change for kids when they’re just starting out. The temptation to sometimes leave the glasses at home instead of wearing them, even though that means going through a day of blurry vision and squinting. That’s why today’s post is all about helping parents help their kids see the best advantages of wearing their glasses.
You’ll Get Better Results With Age-Appropriate, Fitted Glasses
It’s one thing for a child to put on someone else’s glasses for a few minutes out of curiosity, but their own glasses ought to be the right size for their face. As fast as kids grow, they’re probably going to need new glasses much more frequently than adults because they will keep outgrowing them. Children are more likely to wear glasses that don’t look too young or small for them, so make sure to keep up with their growth when replacing glasses.
Make Small Goals for Wearing Glasses
Going from not wearing glasses to wearing them all day can be quite the adjustment for a child. If they’re struggling, it’s okay to ease them into it step by step. Maybe start out by asking them to wear their glasses for just 30 minutes daily, Gradually add time until they’re wearing them from morning until bedtime, and consider rewarding progress with small prizes.
Provide Good Role Models of Glasses-Wearers
Some children may think it’s embarrassing to wear glasses, so make sure you remind them of some of the great glasses-wearing role models out there. Maybe they’ll be inspired by older family members in glasses, or maybe they’ll love it that some of their favorite fictional characters wear glasses.
Be Firm and Bring in Reinforcements
Rules and goals for glasses-wearing aren’t worth much unless they are enforced, but you can’t always be around to make sure your child is wearing their glasses for the agreed-upon length of time. Let your child’s teachers, babysitters, and other adults in their lives know about this so that they can help too!
Let Your Child Choose Their Glasses
The best way to help your child love their new glasses is to let them *choose their frames* (provided they choose frames that fit them). They’ll love having this new way to express their personal sense of style. Don’t worry about them choosing bright or clashing colors. Even if they don’t choose a pair that you like much, the goal is for them to actually wear the glasses. From my experience, that’s the surest way to get them wear their glasses consistently.