Should You Let Your Child Wear Contact Lenses?

A good number of people battling with vision problems tend to gravitate toward contact lenses over spectacles for the enhanced convenience that they offer. Thus, it is not surprising that if you have a bespectacled child, they may show some interest in switching to contact lenses too. Nevertheless, how do you know if your child is ready for contacts? Most people tend to assume that contacts are better for adults and that younger eyes will not be able to adapt to them. The following article elucidates on whether or not you should allow your child to wear contact lenses. 

Are contact lenses suitable for children?

The primary question parents will have if their child requests for contact lenses is whether their young eyes would be ready for this form of eye care. The question that you should be asking yourself is whether your child is prepared to be entrusted with the responsibility of caring for their contact lenses. Contacts are not designed based on age. Therefore, there can be worn by anyone who needs corrective eye care.

Nonetheless, contacts can be quite burdensome to care for. You have to remember to take them out before you sleep, ensure they are stored in the proper solution, and other maintenance measures. It would be best to have a consult with your child and optometrist to determine whether your child is at an age that would be ripe enough to be a suitable candidate for this corrective treatment.

What advantages would contact lenses provide?

If your child has requested to wear contact lenses, it would be advisable to know how these prescription lenses would be beneficial to them before you shut them down. For starters, contact lenses will enable your child to receive corrective eye treatment discreetly. If they are in their adolescent years, chances are they will be highly sensitive about their appearance around their peers. Perhaps your child would not want to draw attention to themselves when they are in school, and they find that contact lenses would meet this need. As a result, your child's confidence gets a boost since their physical appearance does not have to change.

Another advantage that contact lenses could provide for your child is the ability to take part in recreational activities without the risk of breaking their glasses. Whether your child is in dance class, football, rugby and so on, physical activities would not pose the risk of harm to their contact lenses as much as they would to eyeglasses. Speak to an optometrist if you are still unsure about allowing your child to wear contacts.


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