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The First Pair

Child with glassesMarin Mommies presents a guest article by Marin mom and licensed optician Divina Helene Coffin.

You’ve just learned your child needs to wear glasses. You know your little one will look just adorable in a pair of glasses, but you’re not so sure how you’ll convince them of that.

The key to getting your child to embrace their new look is to find a pair of glasses that fit well, sit comfortably, and look amazing. Make the process of selecting eyewear a fun one by allowing your child to be involved (they’re the ones who’ll be wearing them after all!). Help them to understand that wearing glasses will allow them to see the world more clearly, and that it’s also just one more way to accessorize and allow their individuality to shine much like a necklace or a baseball hat!

Here are some helpful tips on preparing your child for their first pair of glasses:

  • Get them involved. Ask them about their favorite colors and styles and try to find something that meets their preferences. Don’t worry if the color is completely outrageous or won’t flatter their skin tone (slime green anyone?); there’s always a way to work it into things (think case, cleaning cloth, or sport band).
  • Show them pictures of their favorite actors, actresses, bands or artists wearing glasses (… Justin Bieber sure knows how to rock a pair!)
  • If you wear glasses, start talking about it. Tell them how you felt when you first learned you needed them and how much you enjoy shopping for and wearing glasses because they help you see better and help you do the things you love to do like read, cycle, or go to the movies. Children will feel much more comfortable with the whole thing if they can relate to someone close to them.
  • Tell them that their glasses are very special and that they need to treat them well. Kids like responsibility. Show them how to take them on and off with two hands, how to clean them properly, and how put them away in their case at night.

Help ensure the frame is a good fit—all while keeping them involved in the process—by asking them if the frame feels too loose, too tight, or if it hurts the sides of their head. Remember that while most frames can be adjusted by an optician to feel a little better and sit straight, the general size will never change, so you don’t want to select something too narrow or too loose.

The bridge should fit nicely on the nose with no gaps on the top, which means the bridge is too small, or the sides, which means the bridge is too big. The frame width should not exceed the cheekbones, and the temples, or the arms, should go straight back and rest over and around the ears nicely. If the temples are pressed too firmly against the head, the frame is too narrow, and your child may experience tension headaches. Lastly, those beautiful eyes should be centered in the lens to allow for optimum visual acuity.

The truth of the matter is, some people just need to wear glasses, and that’s okay. Some won’t need them until they are much, much older, and then there are others who need them soon after birth. If anything, children fortunate enough to have their vision problems diagnosed and treated should be considered lucky, not un-lucky. I think anyone would argue that it’s better to see the world perfectly clearly through a pair of glasses than to not see it at all.

Divina Helene Coffin is a licensed optician having gained much of her expertise working in her family-owned Rims & Goggles of San Francisco Optical Boutiques. She is the owner of the newly launched web boutique Children’s Eyeworks, www.childrenseyeworks.com, which features some of the newest and most innovative eyewear for infants and children. She resides in Marin County with her husband and 13-month old son.