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Contact Lenses for Kids: Four Things Parents Should Know
hen should children start wearing contact lenses? As a parent, this is a common question to have when your child is begging you to make the switch from glasses to contacts. However, there are many factors to take into consideration when deciding whether your child is ready for contacts.
1. Kids don’t have to be a certain age to start wearing contacts.
Children’s eyes can start tolerating contacts at a very young age. In fact, contact lenses can technically fit on a baby’s eye.
Most children begin wearing contacts between ages 10 and 12, but when kids should start wearing contacts has very little to do with age and everything to do with maturity.
If you’re thinking about letting your child make the switch to contacts, consider how responsible your son or daughter is. For example, if your child needs frequent reminders for good hygiene practices, he or she probably isn’t ready for contacts.
Wearing contacts comes with responsibilities—such as properly cleaning the lenses—and if these responsibilities aren’t taken seriously, your child’s vision can be harmed.
However, children ages 10-12, tend to be responsible enough to put their contacts in and out without having assistance from their parents.
If you aren’t sure if your child is ready for contacts, an optometrist
can likely help you decide.
2. Contact lenses are more convenient for sports.
Glasses aren’t ideal for sports. For example, kids who wear glasses during sports have to worry about their glasses falling off, their frames breaking, and their lenses fogging up. These issues can make it hard to focus on the game, which can put your child in danger depending on the sport.
If your child plays sports, contact lenses can be especially helpful. Contacts will give your child better peripheral vision, allowing him/her to react faster to other players and objects during the game, match, meet, etc.
3. Contact lenses can slow the progression of nearsightedness.
Contact lenses are a great option for children who suffer from myopia/nearsightedness (trouble seeing objects that are far away).
In some cases, contact lenses can control the progression for nearsightedness. For example, specially designed contact lenses, such as gas permeable and multifocal soft contacts, can reduce nearsightedness in children.
By slowing the progression of myopia at a young age, you may be helping your child avoid severe nearsightedness that requires thick glasses or vision corrective surgery or results with cataracts at a young age.
4. Contact lenses can build self-esteem.
For kids, self-esteem is closely related to their appearance. Today, there isn’t a stigma around glasses, but wearing glasses can make children feel self-conscious about the way they look. If this is the case with your child, then contact lenses may increase your child’s self-esteem.
As a parent, you want the best for your children and their health. If you have questions about contacts, talk to an optometrist. If your child is mature enough to take care of contacts, there are several benefits to letting your son or daughter make the switch.
Dr. Steven C. Mather 1401 Union Street Lafayette, Indiana 47904 765.742.1955 Dear Esteemed Patients, After 43 years of dedicated service, it is with mixed emotions that I announce my retirement from my medical practice as of March 9th. It has been an incredible journey, one that I have cherished every moment of, and I am looking forward to spending more time on my new title of Grandpa. Our practice has rich history that dates back to 1946 with Dr. Peterson and in 1959 my uncle, Dr. Robert Mather, succeeded him. I was overjoyed to continue his legacy when I took over the practice in 1989. Over the years, we have built strong relations with our patients, and for that, we are profoundly grateful. Your loyalty and trust have been the driving force behind our success, and we cannot thank you enough for allowing us to be part of your lives for the past 78 years. I am thrilled to inform you that I have chosen to entrust the future of our practice to our friends at Norman and Miller Eyecare. They bring with them a wealth of knowledge, skill, and compassion, ensuring that you will continue to receive the highest quality of care. As I embark on this new chapter of my life, I do so with deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for each and every one of you. While I will miss seeing your familiar faces in the office, I am confident that you will be in excellent hands with Norman and Miller Eyecare. Please join me in welcoming them to our practice and continuing to entrust them with your healthcare needs. They share our commitment to providing personalized, compassionate care, and I am confident that they will uphold the legacy that we have worked so hard to build. They will continue to serve you at our 1401 Union Street location, however, if there is a location more convenient to you, your records will be available at all Norman and Miller Eyecare locations. Thank you once again for your trust and support over the years. It has been an honor and privilege to serve you, and I look forward to watching our practice flourish under the new leadership. With Warm Regards,
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Getting kids to wear glasses can be difficult, but our quick tips make it easier. From making sure their glasses fit to finding cool frames, we can help!