How to motivate your child to wear glasses

When any parent finds out their child needs to wear glasses they start to worry about how they are going to convince them to wear them. Many kids don’t want to wear their glasses and are far from excited about the prospect of having to wear them. It may seem daunting but there are several things you can do to help inspire your children to wear them.

Start slow

Wearing glasses is a big adjustment for a kid even if they are older. If they don’t like them or find them uncomfortable then have them ease into it. Have them wear them for small increments that build up to the whole day.

Eyes often need time to adjust to new glasses and it can be awkward to look through them at first. If their eyes are sore let them take a break or take them off.

Be a role model

If you have glasses make sure to have them on. The actions you take are far more meaningful than what you say. If your kids notice that you don’t wear your glasses they’ll think it’s okay not to wear theirs. If you have reading glasses or computer glasses mention how important it is to wear them when you put them on.

Compliment them

When they are wearing their glasses offer them praise and compliments. Remind them of how good they look and how stylish the frames are.

Find people and characters they look up to with glasses

They may feel uncool or dorky wearing glasses. Go through their favourite books, movies, cartoons, tv shows and celebrities to find role models and heroes who wear glasses. If Harry Potter or Arthur wears glasses then maybe it’s okay for them too. Point out other people wearing glasses. This is also a reminder that this happens for lots of other people and is perfectly normal.

Remind them of how important it is to be able to see properly

When your child is wearing their glasses remark on how nice it is to be able to see clearly. If they’re not wearing them and are struggling point this out and suggest they get their glasses.

Let them pick the glasses

It is important that your child like the glasses they are going to be wearing. If they think they look cool in them or they’re their favourite colour then they’re far more likely to want to have them on their face. You should supervise the decision making process but let them be involved and have their opinion count. You also need to make sure the glasses feel good and are comfortable. Have them try them on and ask if they’d be okay with wearing them all the time.

It may not be easy to convince your child to wear glasses but with time, the right strategies and encouragement they’ll get used to it.