Humans are fortunate that many vision problems can be easily fixed with glasses, but getting your children to appreciate their luck can be difficult. If your child is struggling with adjusting to wearing glasses, here are some tips you can use to help make them more comfortable:
Let Your Child Have a Say
Children like to feel they have control and that their opinions are listened to and feelings respected. Your child is less likely to fight against wearing glasses if they feel they have a say in the situation. So let your child choose the frames, even if it’s only picking between two or three that you have pre-selected in consultation with your optician.
Check the Fit
If your child keeps taking the glasses off or expresses discomfort wearing them, it may be possible that they are ill-fit. Trust an experienced optician to find the right fit for your child so that they do not constantly shift, fall out of place, or irritate the bridge of the nose or ears. If your child’s glasses are properly fitted and comfortable, the adjustment period will be far easier.
Associate with Fun Activities
Once you’ve worn glasses for an extended period of time, you no longer notice that they are there. You can help your child get over the adjustment period and forget about them by associating glasses with fun activities that will distract their attention from the new glasses. Watching TV, drawing, playing video games, or reading are all great options. Your child will appreciate the clarity of vision provided by the glasses, yet will quickly forget they are even there.
Be Firm but Gentle
If your child constantly removes the glasses or refuses to wear them, it is important to be firm but gentle. If you nag, show frustration, or threaten punishments, glasses will gain a negative association and the problem will only grow. Use positive reinforcement and be consistent, and the adjustment period will be over before you know it.
Point Out Idols Who Wear Glasses
Your child may feel like they don’t fit it or stand out in the wrong way if they wear glasses. Talk with your child and remind them of their heroes who wear glasses – everyone from Clark Kent and Peter Parker to Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift can be seen wearing glasses. Some of the coolest people out there, real and fictional alike, wear glasses, and your child is now in that category too.
Ask Your Optometrist & Optician
Don’t forget that your optometrist and optician have helped hundreds of children adjust to wearing glasses. You can ask them for tips and advice on how to help get your child used to wearing glasses. Your optometrist would be happy to talk to your child, and hearing it from a respected adult professional might be all the motivation your child needs.
Follow these recommendations, and your child can adjust to their new life with glasses in no time.