A successful visit to the eye doctor is only half the battle of
improving your child's sight. You may also have to convince
your child to wear his or her prescription glasses. Here are some
suggestions for helping your child with this adjustment.
- Make sure your child's eyeglass frames fit. Your
child's frames should fit properly, without pinching the ears
or nose, or weighing down the face. Check points of contact
periodically to make sure that there is no skin irritation.
- Make sure the prescription is correct. If your child is
looking over the glasses or complains that he or she cannot see
with them, the prescription may be incorrect. An optician or eye
doctor will be able to determine the optical accuracy of the
prescription.
- Start gradually. Start your child wearing glasses in
short periods of time, gradually increasing the length.
- Make them routine. Putting glasses on and taking them
off should be part of your child's daily routine. Encourage him or
her to put the glasses on in the morning when dressing and take
them off at night before going to bed.
- Offer positive reinforcement. Be sure to use positive
reinforcement when the child does wear the glasses.
What should I do if my child refuses to wear
glasses?
If your child refuses to wear his or her glasses,
make sure the prescription is correct. If the prescription is
correct, try using positive reinforcement and explain why it is
important to wear glasses.
What should I do when my child is playing sports?
Thousands of injuries happen to children's eyes each year
while they are playing sports. Almost all of these injuries could
be prevented if protective eye gear were worn. Protective eye gear
comes in both prescription and non-prescription lenses. Children
should wear this gear if they participate in any number of sports,
including:
- Baseball/softball
- Basketball
- Soccer
- Hockey
- Tennis
- Karate
- Racquetball
You child may at first be reluctant to wear protective gear,
especially if the rest of his or her teammates are not wearing any.
Some ways to persuade your child include allowing him or her to
choose the eyewear style or to wear protective eye gear yourself
when playing sports.