How to get your child to wear glasses

By Sarah Stone

My daughter Emily (not pictured) is long-sighted and supposed to wear glasses all the time, only taking them off when she goes to bed. So imagine my surprise at a parents' evening a few years back when her teacher told me that she had no idea Emily wore glasses.

Emily must have been slipping them off the minute she got through the school gates, going through the entire day without them, then popping them back on at home time.

The little minx and I had previously agreed that she didn’t have to wear her glasses at playtime or during PE, but she had obviously decided to pull the wool over her teacher’s eyes when starting the new school year by pretending she didn’t wear them at all. Goodness only knows how she managed with her school work.

We all know that children hate anything that makes them feel different from their friends, so just how do you convince your child to keep their glasses where they belong – on their face!

Explain why they need glasses
However young your child is, try and explain to them that the reason they have to wear glasses is to help them to see as well as possible. Explain how wearing glasses now will help their vision when they grow up. At an eye test recently, the optician told Emily that not wearing glasses when she should was like watching TV with the sound turned down, which I thought was an excellent way of explaining it to a child.    

Let your child pick their glasses
Thankfully children’s glasses have progressed a lot since my childhood, when all that was available were bulky pink or brown plastic NHS frames that didn’t do anything for your playground cred. Today there's a huge range of kid-friendly frames to choose from. Let your child have fun trying on as many pairs as they want and leave the final selection to them. You might hate their choice, but your child is much more likely to wear glasses they like.

Make sure the glasses are comfortable
When the glasses are being adjusted to fit at the opticians, make sure your child is happy that they are comfortable: not so tight that they pinch, not so loose that they slide down their nose every time your child turns their head. No child wants to wear crooked glasses, so when they get bent out of shape - which they will - take them back to the opticians to be realigned (good opticians should do this for free).

Have the lenses reduced if necessary 
My daughter’s lenses’ prescription is pretty strong, so if they weren’t thinned down it would look as if she was wearing a pair of coca cola bottles. Reducing the thickness of lenses doesn’t just improve the appearance of the glasses, it also makes them lighter and therefore more comfortable to wear. Unfortunately this cost isn’t covered by the NHS, but it is money well spent if it encourages your child to keep their glasses on.

Buy a funky case
Most standard issue glasses cases are pretty boring and unappealing to kids, so it's worth looking for something a bit trendier. Your child is much more likely to want to make a show of putting their glasses on if they can carry them around in a cool case.

Resort to bribery
OK, so we don’t normally suggest inducements for small children, but if it gets your child used to the idea of wearing glasses then it might just be worth it. Offer them fun stickers if they keep their glasses on for a certain amount of time, or a DVD of their choosing if they wear their glasses all week.

Know when to push the point
Try to avoid battles of will; if your toddler takes their glasses off after wearing them for an hour, wait for a while before asking them to put them back on. If your child wants to read a book with you, insist they put on their glasses before you read it. If they want to watch their favourite television programme, don’t allow them to unless they have their glasses on.

Positive reinforcement
Remind your child that glasses make them look clever, trendy and attractive, and point out people who look cool in glasses. Johnny Depp, former Spectacles Wearer of the Year Scary Spice and, of course, Harry Potter have all added to their appeal. 

The information on this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.