Spring 1998 Table of Contents
Versión Español de este artículo (Spanish Version)

Your Glasses Won`t Help You If You Don`t Wear Them

by Cyral Miller, TSBVI Outreach Director

Do you have trouble getting your children to keep their glasses on? You are not alone! Here are a few ideas that might help, and you can check with your ch`s vision teacher for more. What y`ve always heard is true; your glasses (or your ch`s glasses) won`t help if you don`t wear them.

Start your child off by having him/her wear the glasses for short periods of time during highly motivating activities. Hopefully the activity is so much fun, the child will forget about them or decide it will be worth the bother of wearing glasses. For example, use the glasses as part of reward times such as when your child is watching a favorite video or playing with clay.
Make sure you know when the glasses should be worn. If the prescription is only helpful for distance viewing and you are asking your child to wear them for near vision tasks, it may be teaching the child that glasses make things more difficult to see, not easier! Check with your ophthalmologist or optometrist to be sure.
Check the fit of the glasses. Sometimes children grow so fast that the glasses can become tight and uncomfortable. On the other hand, glasses that are fitted poorly can slip and slide down rendering them virtually useless to the child. Some children may need to have special elastic bands that keep the glasses on more securely or ear pieces that curl around the ears.
When the child is adjusting to her glasses, pick activities where glasses will make the biggest difference in her ability to see clearly. It is also important to spend some time showing your child what she can see or do better while wearing glasses. Even for adults, seeing how much easier it is to read a paper or the phone book or understand road signs at night is typically a big motivation for remembering to put on their glasses.
Be matter-of-fact, not apologetic, about wearing glasses. Glasses are a marvelous technology that brings the world into focus, and not a burden to be endured. Attitudes of adults can influence children more than we know. Make glasses "cool" for your child to be wearing.
Speaking of "cool", think about decorating the frames or the case, or if at all possible, let your child pick out outrageously beautiful frames. Point out pictures of "cool" people who wear glasses or find a respected peer who can endorse their value for your child. Make sure you also are "cool" about glasses; if you need to wear them be sure you do and point that out to your child. Even wearing sun glasses can set a good example for your child.
Don`t forget to praise your child for remembering to wear his glasses when he needs them. In all things, praise works better than criticism.
If you have other tips to share on keeping glasses on your child or children you have worked with, please let us hear about them. You can send comments to Cyral Miller at TSBVI Outreach, 1100 West 45th Street, Austin, TX 78756, or phone (512) 206-9242 or E-mail to millerca@tsbvi.edu

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Last Revision: September 1, 2010