Cool to be kind – helping children who don't want glasses

Many children welcome the news that they need to wear glasses. A cool new accessory or something to make them look grown up. However a small number are devastated by the news. It was quite an eye opener last week to hear a mum say her son went home in tears at the news that they needed glasses. Why? Because he knew when he made it into school in his new frames – even the stylish Nike frames he picked- that a string of name-calling would follow. How sad.

This particular child is short-sighted, meaning wearing special myopia management glasses will slow the deterioration of their vision and reduce the chance of him developing serious eye conditions in later life. He needs to wear them. They are a medical device. Thankfully for this particular child, contact lenses are also an option so it may be we go down that route, but it just highlights the impact that that age-old ‘speccy four-eyes’ comment can have on a child’s future eye health. So, we end with a small plea to grownups, please help us educate children that glasses are a necessity for many and should not be a source of ridicule. After all, it’s cool to be kind.

Please let us know if your child is struggling to adapt to their new glasses, for whatever reason. We will do our very best to assist. And if you'd like to chat about options for contact lenses, just drop us an email vision@cameronoptom.com or give us a call 0131 225 2235.