Getting glasses can be a huge milestone in a child’s life and is one that comes with adjustments. At times, the transition can be jarring. Other kids might treat them differently, they might feel awkward in their glasses, or they may not want to feel different from the other kids. However, there are ways that you, as a parent, can help your child adjust to this new stage in their life. Try these four things things parents can do to help their kids with glasses to make the transition easier on your child.
Talk about It
Don’t spring the glasses on your child without any kind of warning. You will usually have a good idea that your child needs glasses, so begin the discussion before going to the eye doctor’s office. Talk to our child about the possibility of wearing glasses and what that might look like. Answer any questions he or she may have honestly. The more he or she knows, the less of a transition it should be.
Point Them out
While older children are generally a bit more confident when it comes to glasses, it can seem like a major life-changing event for younger kids. As such, you might want to help your child take a look at all those around them who wear glasses. If you wear glasses, make it a point to talk about how they impact your life. You may also want to point out members of their peer group who already wear glasses and of whom they think highly. If all else fails, point out famous people or people whom the child admires—children are big on imitation, so this might help.
Talk about Contacts
Depending on your child’s age, it may also be a good idea to start talking about contact lenses. Depending on your child’s eyesight and reasons for needing glasses, moving over to contacts might be a good choice. It’s a process that requires more maintenance and a little more work in general, but it’s a good fit for those kids who absolutely can’t let glasses slow them down. Present the pros and cons to your child to decide if contacts would be a better fit than glasses.
Give Them Power
Finally, make sure that your child has some say in the process of wearing glasses. For most children, this generally means allowing your child to have input on his or her frames. While this might not seem like a big deal to you as a parent, being able to choose one’s glasses can seem like a huge responsibility for the child. This will allow him or her a chance to switch over to glasses and make it seem like less of an ordeal. When you give your child a choice, he or she will generally buy into the underlying premise.
Wearing glasses doesn’t have to be a big deal. Make the transition as easy on your child as possible and you shouldn’t have many problems. While it will be an adjustment, seeing is usually enough of a reward to circumvent most problems.