Don’t worry about the cost—the NHS will cover the expenses for children under 16 and those under 19 in full-time education.
As a parent, it’s a given that you’d go to great lengths to give your kids resources that will help their future, especially as they enter school. You’ll choose their school carefully, selecting one that can nurture your child’s capabilities and bring out exemplary performance and behaviour.
You’ll see to it that the teachers treat them responsibly and with kindness. You may even prep them for their first few lessons to make sure that they excel in their class.
However, none of these arrangements will be helpful if your child can’t see correctly. According to Mini First Aid, around 20% of school-aged children have an undiagnosed vision problem. If you notice your child often rubbing their eyes, having frequent headaches, and sitting too close to screens or books, it may be time to find them the right prescription glasses. Here’s how.
Be guided by your child’s visual needs
Your awareness of the need for prescription glasses was probably first sparked by your child exhibiting symptoms or even outright telling you they can’t see well. Your first step, then, is to head to the clinic for an eye exam.
Don’t worry about the cost—the NHS will cover the expenses for children under 16 and those under 19 in full-time education. Your optometrist will be able to tell you your child’s prescription as well as any other eye conditions they might have, like astigmatism or amblyopia.
They can also explain how this may affect learning. Knowing all these factors can then aid you in making educated decisions moving forward.
Ensure durability
Now that you know your child’s vision needs, you need to find the right glasses that are not just functional but also durable. The truth is that children can be careless, no matter how well-behaved they are. After all, kids in school partake in sports, playtime, and other activities that may damage their specs. You’ll, therefore, want their prescription glasses to be extra durable.
To do that, examine the material of their eyeglass frames. You’ll want to look at frames that are light but capable of dealing with daily wear and tear. Some you might want to consider are titanium, which is sturdy, lightweight, and corrosion-resistant, or flexon, a flexible alloy that can return to its original shape even after being twisted and bent.
You can also think about purchasing extra shielding for your child’s lenses, like a scratch-resistant coating or a hydrophobic coating, to maintain the lenses’ integrity better.
Optimise for comfort and fit
Given that your child will wear their glasses all throughout the school day, you’ll want to give them specs that are comfortable. The best way to do so is to get them to test the specs out.
You can do this in a physical store—but if you want to take advantage of the cost-saving benefits and wider selection buying prescription glasses online, you can also leverage features that allow you to try on glasses at home. With these, your child can try on up to four frames to determine the weight and size that they need within a week-long trial window.
During this time, you can both look at factors like whether the nose pads fit comfortably and if the arms are just the right length. Being able to take your time figuring out if a pair of glasses fits right is hugely beneficial as this lets your child experience how it will be to wear them long-term.
Honour your child’s style
Finally, don’t forget to consult your child on the design of their specs. Today, glasses are no longer just for vision correction but also for self-expression. This has added weight during the first critical weeks of the school year, when children want to feel secure in their appearance to make a good expression.
It’s best not to determine their looks completely for them. Like as not, your tastes won’t match theirs—according to research cited by the online magazine The Lady, 4 in 10 children believe their parents don’t have fashion sense. In order for your kids to feel encouraged to wear their specs regularly, it’s important they see their glasses as beautiful accessories rather than cumbersome tools.
To ease the discomfort, allow them to choose the shape and colour of their frames. Let them be happy with their overall aesthetic before making the final purchase, so they can greet their new classmates and teachers with the confidence of someone who knows they’re well-styled.
Choosing the right prescription glasses is essential to caring for your child’s eye health and helping them succeed. Use the above tips to pick the best ones for your kid.
