How to Teach Kids to Take Care of Eyeglasses

When you buy eyeglasses for kids in Brookhaven, GA, the next step is teaching kids how to take care of them. Since kids can be tough on their things, it’s important to be proactive from day one. Here are some tips for parents.

Choose the Right Material

For kids, plastic frames are a better choice than metal frames. Plastic frames tend to be sturdier, and a few scratches on the frames won’t make much difference.

For lenses, parents should consider options such as scratch-resistant coatings. If the child plays sports, be sure to mention this to your Brookhaven, GA eye doctor, since special sports eyeglasses might be something to consider.

Look For Accessories

Consider purchasing some accessories such as straps that can help the child keep the eyeglasses secure if they need to rub their eyes or take off the glasses for a few minutes.

Purchase several eyeglass cases so there’s one everyplace the child frequents, such as the classroom, locker room, bedroom, living room, etc. It’s unlikely that a child will go looking for their eyeglasses case in a separate room just to make sure they go back in the case.

Let the Child Make Choices

As much as possible, let your child have a say in which pair of eyeglasses you buy for them. You could say that “anything on this wall” is available to them. Let them choose their own eyeglass case. Consider buying stickers they can decorate their eyeglass cases with.

Talk About Care Instructions

Sit down with your child and teach them how to clean their eyeglasses with micro-fiber cloth. You may have to demonstrate the technique several times.

Over time, your kids will learn to care for their eyeglasses just as they care for their toys. To browse available eyeglasses, please visit our office.

How Often Should My Child See the Eye Doctor?

Many parents assume they only need to take their child to the eye doctor if their child shows signs that they are struggling with their vision. While it is true that your child should definitely see an eye doctor if they’re struggling to see, many children don’t know if they have vision problems, because they don’t have enough perspective to know what is acceptable vision and what is not. Taking your child to the eye doctor on a regular basis can help catch vision problems early.

First and Second Eye Exam

Take your child to the eye doctor for the first time when they’re six months old. The eye doctor will examine your child, talk about their visual habits, check their ability to track objects with their eyes, and so on. The eye examination will be short, sweet, and hopefully, everything will come up normal during the examination.

The next eye exam should happen when your child is three. At this age, they’ll be better able to communicate with the doctor about what they can and can’t see, so this examination will be a little more in-depth, and may be more revealing.

Back to School Eye Exams

Once your child is ready to go to school, take them to see the eye doctor every year before school begins. Good vision is critical for success in school – students need good vision to see the board, read books and follow lessons. Don’t skip the annual back-to-school exams!

See the Eye Doctor Right Away If Something Seems Wrong

Finally, take your child to the eye doctor if they squint to see clearly, if they need to sit at the front of the room to follow lessons in school, or if they sit too close to the television in order to see. Call Brookleigh Family Eye Care to make your child’s first appointment.

How to Get Your Child to Wear Their Glasses

Children may be a bit fussy when it comes to getting them to wear glasses. However, if this is the only way to help improve their sight, parents and other caretakers should develop different techniques to encourage them to do so. Fortunately, there are a few tricks that can come in handy, as described below.

Allow then To Pick the Frames

When you want your child to be comfortable wearing glasses, allow them to pick the ones they love. This way, they feel like they are part of the process and are likely to embrace the glasses even more. Let them choose the colors and style they like even if it’s not something that you would choose.

Give it Time

Kids can also get overwhelmed with the feeling of wearing glasses all day long. Exercise patience when dealing with them because it will certainly take some getting used to before they settle for the idea of wearing glasses. Let them wear the gasses for a few minutes, and every time they feel comfortable in them, increase the time up until they will be ready to have the glasses on all day long.

Support Their Efforts

Be the parent that cheers his or her kids on. Remind them how beneficial the glasses are for their personal goals such as getting better at a certain sport or mastering a school subject. Discuss their fears and challenges, but also hold them accountable. You need to talk to the teacher to ensure that your child has their glasses all day long. This may be hard at first, but it gets easier with time.

Use Role Models

You can do this by pointing out their favorite role models in glasses. Point out when cartoon characters like Arthur or sports figures or celebrities like Colin Firth turn up in public wearing glasses.

Kids need guidance, encouragement, and direction when it comes to wearing glasses. The more you can get them to wear their glasses, the better off they’ll be.