If you’ve got young kids, you know that when it comes to asking them to do things for their own good, such as eat their vegetables or clean their teeth, sometimes, it can be a little tricky. Children aren’t known for their consistency or forward-thinking, so it can often be a struggle to build a routine around something that they don’t particularly care for or want to do.
If your child has recently had to start wearing glasses for the first time, you may know what I mean.
There are a number of things you can do as a parent to help your child adjust to having to wear glasses and, in this article, we’ll be looking at a few great ideas that can help your little ones learn to take care of their eyes. Let’s dive right in.
1. Let Them Pick The Frames
One of the easiest ways to build an interest in something your child may initially not want to focus on too much is to let them choose their own frames.
Getting to decide what their glasses look like could be a great way of letting your child experience the concepts of ownership, responsibility and identity as well as giving them the chance to experiment with colors and styles to see what they like.
There are also sure to be various kid-themed frames so that, if your little boy is mad about Batman, you’ll no doubt find a pair of frames adorned with the latest dark knight design.
The idea here is that by letting you child have some say in the glasses they’ll have to wear, they’ll be more inclined to actually wear them.
If your kids are as obsessed with Frozen as we are, why not check out these Disney Frozen Shimmer sunglasses
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2. Ensure They’re Comfortable
Even as an adult, having to wear glasses that are ill-fitting or uncomfortable can be a huge turn-off and some may even use that as justification not to wear them.
Kids are no different, in fact, if your child’s glasses don’t fit him or her properly or are just plain uncomfortable, then it becomes almost inevitable that they won’t want to wear them.
When choosing your child’s first pair of glasses, take the time to ensure that they aren’t too big or small and won’t become achy or uncomfortable over long periods of use.
The material the frame is made from can play a big part in how comfortable a pair of glasses are and how big they are.
Chunkier plastic frames have been known to rub and cause irritation for some users, while larger metal frames can be heavier on the ears.
3. Find Cultural Icons
When they’re younger, kids are influenced by all kinds of stuff they see and hear around them.
Trends and fads come and go and so finding out what you’re kids are currently into and finding cool role models that also wear glasses is a great way of appealing to their interests and giving them admirers to look up to.
Is your daughter a Disney princess at heart? Find a Disney princess that wears glasses!
By introducing your kids to cultural icons that also wear glasses, you play into the idea of glasses being okay and even “cool” to wear because somebody they look up to wears them.
Finding people or characters your kids can relate to can help ease the building of a routine around a new pair of glasses. We’ll go into more detail about what to do if the person they look up to is you in the last point.
These multi-colored Moshi Monsters MM108 glasses are sure to be a hit with the kids.
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4. Remind Them of the Benefits
Another great way to build your child’s confidence in wearing their new glasses is to reinforce the benefits that doing so will bring.
By explaining why they need glasses and that wearing them will help them see better, your kids can come to understand why their glasses are important.
Knowing why they are doing something will help children that have poor vision gain a greater understanding of how to look after their eyes.
It is often postulated that, once a child experiences the benefits of wearing glasses and sees the improvement in their vision for themselves, they are most likely to begin to wear them much more often.
Take the time to explain to your kids how glasses work and why their eyes need them and you may be surprised at how quickly your kids begin to wear them with increasing consistency.
5. Lead By Example
If you also need to wear glasses, one of the best ways to ensure your kids pick up good habits from you is to lead by example.
By watching you wear and take care of your glasses, your child is much more likely to do so too. Teaching your kids how to look after their glasses can be a great way to spend time bonding with them, so grab a moment every so often and teach your little ones to clean their glasses properly.
You may even be surprised to find that you yourself could do with going back to basics and start to enjoy learning about the best ways to look after your glasses with your kids.
If your child is being difficult about wearing them, calmly but firmly remind them that you too have to wear them and talk to them about ways in which you’ve dealt with your glasses in the past. You never know what little tidbits of information they’ll pick up on.
If you’re still unsure why you’re having issues with your child and their glasses, consult their opticians and see what other options are available for exploration.
So there we have it. Hopefully, you’ve come across some interesting new ideas and discovered different ways of helping your kids adjust to life with glasses. Are there any points we missed out? Have you had success with a method we’ve neglected to mention?
Let us know all your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below!
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