Have you considered letting your child make the switch from glasses to contacts? In the past, optometrists and parents have waited until children were 12-14 years old to prescribe contacts, but others have had great success prescribing contacts to younger children.
Many eye doctors are letting children who are 8 and older try contacts, and some children who are younger than 8 can still successfully make the switch. So if there is no longer a certain age that determines when your child should try contacts, how do you decide when to transition? Ask the following questions to determine what is right for your child:
Have you considered the benefits of switching to contacts?
There are many benefits associated with wearing contacts instead of glasses. Some major benefits include:
Sports Safety
If your kids have poor eyesight, some correction will be necessary if they want to successfully play sports. However, wearing eyeglasses while playing a sport could result in serious injury. If your child is hit in the head by a fast -moving ball or knocked to the ground by another player, their glasses could break. Hopefully this would only mean you needed to purchase a new pair, but there is a possibility that the broken glass or frames could cut their face or damage their eyes.
Higher Self-Esteem
The negative social stigma associated with wearing glasses has lessened in recent years, but many kids and teens still feel self-conscious about the way they look when they wear glasses. Damage to your child’s self -esteem while they are young can have lasting consequences, so do what you can to keep them happy and confident as they learn and grow.
Better Vision
Some contacts have better optics than glasses and most contacts provide better peripheral vision. Good vision is useful when your kid is playing sports and essential when your teen starts driving.
Is your child is ready for the responsibility?
Wearing contacts requires more responsibility than glasses. Your child will need to be able to put them in and take them out on his/her own. They will also need to keep them clean, remember to take them out before sleeping, and put them in before they go to school.
To make sure they are ready for the responsibility, evaluate their ability to manage other responsibilities and routines. Do they manage their personal hygiene well? Do they feed the pets when assigned? Do you have to nag them to do their homework? If your child is handling other responsibilities well, they may be ready for contacts. Maturity is important, but sometimes it is easier to establish habits when children are young, so decide what is best for your child’s needs and abilities.
What style of contacts suits your needs and lifestyle?
Once you’ve decided to get your child contact lenses, you’ll need to decide what style is best. Decide whether you want the traditional soft lenses, or the rigid gas-permeable lenses. According to Eyeconx, with vision care in Calgary, you can also choose from daily disposable lenses, lenses that need to be replaced every two weeks, and lenses that need to be replaced once a month. Daily disposable lenses are a little more expensive than other lenses, but they are a common successful solution for young children who need contacts.
Ultimately deciding whether to make the switch is up to you, your child, and your optometrist. Ask yourself the questions listed above and decide if your child is ready to transition to contacts.
