6 tips for helping your child adjust to their new glasses

With school in full swing, it may lead some parents to realize one dreaded occurrence—your child can’t see the board or is having trouble reading their textbook. It turns out your kid needs glasses , but now what? How do you get them excited about this new life change?

For some, your child might be the first in their group of friends to need prescription eyewear. While it might seem like a shock at first with swirling thoughts around the change of their appearance, the impact of this lifelong change and changes to your daily routine, wearing glasses is nothing to be ashamed of.

So mama, take a deep breath and relax knowing everything will be okay. Once you’re ready to embark on this new vision journey , consider some of these tips when it comes time to talk to your child about their new specs:

1. Encourage them to have a say.

Allow your child to be involved in what frames they choose. While you might want to nudge them in a certain direction or even away from certain frames or colors, keep an open mind to their preferences in color and style. Remember, they are going to be the ones who have to wear the glasses each day.

2. Make the process fun.

Let your child walk the runway in various frame styles or try on their favorite frames with their favorite outfit. There are various sites that allow you to try on frames from the comfort of your own home, such as Warby Parker , felix + iris and Jonas Paul Eyewear . This way you don’t have to haul your family around town to multiple stores and have strangers that your child might not be comfortable with touching their face.

3. Remind them they’re not alone.

Some of the coolest people also wear glasses. Talk to your child about others who wear awesome specs, not only mom or dad and other friends or family, but also Harry Potter, the fun-loving Minions and even Superman.

4. Compliment the new look.

Just like adults, kids want to hear that they look good , especially when wearing something new. Help your child feel confident in their new frames by complimenting them once they have their new glasses and even as they are trying them on. Kids trust their parent’s opinions so be an encouragement to them during this new process.

5. Tell them about their new superpower.

Explain the benefits of glasses and how it’s going to help them see things so much clearer and crisper. Once they have their new prescription in hand, they will immediately notice a difference and better understand what all of this was about.

6. Find what works.

For some, the fact that they can use their glasses as a new fashion accessory may be one way to increase the excitement about daily wear. Maybe others are more nurturing, and they would find excitement in having an item to care for each day. Let them pick a cute carrying case and equip them with the necessary cleaning tools so they can lead the charge with care.

As you go through this process remember that while it’s new and may be uncomfortable at times, wearing glasses will greatly improve your child’s overall health and happiness. After all, who wouldn’t want to see clearly? Allow them to ease into daily wear, but make sure to encourage them to stay with it even in the beginning when it is new and somewhat awkward to get used to. Eventually, their glasses will become a regular part of their day so trust the process and enjoy this new journey.

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