Does Your Child Need Eyeglasses? Choosing The Right Pair.

How To Choose The Right Eyeglasses For Your Child

Ask About The Lenses. Lenses are specific to the prescription and can have their thickest area in different locations, such as the center versus the sides. These different areas of thickness, as well as how heavy the lenses are, can mean that some frames do not work as well with certain lenses. When a prescription is written for your child, ask about what frames will be appropriate for the lenses. If your child has very thick lenses, ask about indexing in order to thin the lenses. Also opt for a scratch resistant lens to get a longer life out of the eyeglasses.

Make Them Fun. When a child is wearing eyeglasses for the first time they might feel weird about it, but if you find ones they’re excited about, they’ll want to wear them and show everyone their cool new look. Find frames in their favorite colour, with a cool design on them, or with the photochromic lenses that darken when exposed to sunlight.

Get A Good Fit. Since children’s noses are not fully developed, not all eyeglasses will fit perfectly. Consult with the optician about what options they have and get your child to try the eyeglasses on before you decide. Look to see if the eyeglasses slide down their nose at all, as this will change where they are looking through the lense. To help prevent this sliding, you’ll also want to look for frames with a good temple fit and with legs that curve behind the ear. There are also elastic straps that can go on the back of eyeglasses to help young or active children keep their eyeglasses in place.

Frame Material. Frames often come in plastic or metal. If you choose metal frames, make sure that it is a metal your child is not allergic to. Plastic frames offer a sturdy, lightweight frame option that are often more inexpensive than metal frames. Whichever one you choose, make sure that your child likes the feel of them.

Get A Spare. Children can be rough with their eyeglasses and they will be engaging in physical activity that might accidentally break the eyeglasses. Even children who are careful with their eyeglasses may fall and break them. Having a backup pair is incredibly useful, especially if your child is very vision impaired or if it is their first pair of eyeglasses and they have no older prescriptions to wear while waiting for new eyeglasses. You can also ask your optician about the warranty of the eyeglasses when you buy them so that you are prepared for any accidents.

Get Children’s Eyeglasses From Calgary Based Pediatric Optometrists

Finding eyeglasses for children can seem difficult; they have to be durable, comfortable, and stylish and your child has to want to wear them!. With the helpful and competent staff at Specs in the City, we can assist you and your little one to find the perfect pair of eyeglasses that will look and feel great and allow them to see the world as it was meant to be seen. One of our specialties is pediatric care and we know how to make a trip to the eye doctor fun for your child and informative for you. If you’re looking for a  Calgary pediatric optometrist or for a children’s eye exam, you can call us at 1-403-252-2020 or fill out the contact form. Our pediatric optometrists can’t wait for your child to see us!

FAQ

Q: When should we go for the first children’s eye exam?
A: Children should receive their first comprehensive eye exam at the age of 6 months old and then once before they enter school at the age of 3 or 4. After that, it is recommended that they visit their optometrist once every two years if they do not require vision corrections.

Q: How do I know if my child is having vision problems?
A: Call us today to schedule a visit with a pediatric optometrist if your child is doing any of the following or having any of these issues:

• Blinking excessively
• Covering one eye or squinting frequently
• Rubbing their eyes often
• Concentration issues while looking at a specific objects
• Troubles maintaining eye contact
• Keeping a book close to their face when reading
• Putting their finger underneath sentences when reading
• Dizziness or headaches
• Sudden performance problems at school
• Uncharacteristic clumsiness

Q: What if my insurance doesn’t cover optical?
A: Children’s eye exams are covered by the Alberta government, so you won’t have to pay for any pediatric eye exams. If you need frames for your young child, Specs in the City is a part of the EYE SEE… EYE LEARN program that provides kindergarten children with free eyeglasses. To take advantage of this effort to reduce the barrier of cost when it comes to vision care, simply book an appointment with our SE Calgary optometrist and let them know you would like to take part in Eye See … Eye Learn. It’s that easy!