Finding out your toddler needs glasses can be heartbreaking, well it was for me. As a parent, you try so hard to dot every “i” and cross every “t”, but some things are inevitably out of your control. I found out my 3-year-old at the time needed glasses through seeing a pediatric ophthalmologist for an eye drift I had been noticing. I went to the doctor for one concern and came out with a prescription for glasses! I don’t know why it was such a shock to me seeing that my whole family uses some sort of method to correct their vision whether it be glasses, contacts, or Lasik. Not to mention, his dad also wears corrective lenses. But I guess it’s just different when it’s your “baby”.
As a parent, you want life to go as smoothly as possible for your child.My major concern was that I didn’t want him to look different from his peers and to get made fun of because of it. At the same time, I felt like I was losing a part of him because he wasn’t going to look like the boy I had been seeing every day for the past 3 years. I guess I don’t do well with change. He just seemed too young to already be experiencing these types of issues so soon in life, but I was wrong.
I had no idea my son should/could have been getting vision screenings from the very beginning! I was literally clueless.At the time, I thought he was too young to have his vision tested. In fact, I opted out of putting him on my vision insurance due to this misconception (yikes!). That mistake led me to have to postpone getting him his glasses until I could have him added to my insurance the next year.
When Should Your Child Have a Vision Screen?
The American Academy of Ophthalmology and American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus recommend vision screening starting at the newborn stage, continuing through the school-aged years. You can read more about it here.
My son is now 4 years old and on this past visit to his pediatrician they actually offered a vision assessment. This is something new they have started and many other pediatric offices are starting to get on board because of the lack of education that parents, like me, had/have about the necessity of eye exams on young children. The test allows for eye deformities to be discovered earlier in life since normally parents take their child to their doctor pretty regularly. The exam is called photoscreening. According to the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, photoscreening is a form of pediatric vision screening that uses a special-purpose camera to determine how well a child can see. This device is normally used for young children who cannot yet communicate or for other reasons cannot use a standard eye chart.
When my son had his photoscreening done, they had my son stare at the face on the device and it took a detailed picture of his eyes and gave information on different parameters of his vision for the doctor to assess. When the doctor reviewed the results, he told me that my son was nearsighted and recommended for us to see an ophthalmologist (which we had already done a couple months prior). Even though we had already received a prescription for glasses the last time we saw the ophthalmologist, I decided to do the vision screening anyway just as a confirmation for myself. He truly did need glasses and I am happy the vision screen was able to assess that. Having this screen performed can give parents a good idea of how their child’s vision is functioning and can aid parents in getting their child the help they need.
Finding The Right Glasses
So now that I know my son definitely needs glasses, we have started the very frustrating journey of finding the right frames for him. If you are buying glasses for your child for the first time, prepare for a lot of trial and error. You will find that most places you go to for glasses for toddlers have a very limited selection. I have yet to find any glasses in store that are the right size for him that complement his face. It doesn’t help either that the opticians haven’t really been helpful in finding the right size for his face either. There’s not set size that corresponds with the age of your child and the size you need can vary based on the size and shape of your child’s face, the brand of frame, and the style of the frame.
The best strategy that I have learned so far is to try on glasses in person to get a better idea of the size that fits your child best, and then go online to look for the style you like. A pediatric ophthalmologist clinic may be a good place to start before you take to your online search. There is usually a lot more to choose from online than in person. Before searching online you will need to know your child’s pupillary distance, or PD. This is the the distance between each of your child’s pupils, typically measured in millimeters. You will need this number in order to place your order online and to help see if certain glasses are appropriate for your child’s face. The PD may not be on your child’s prescription, but your optometrist or optician should be able to measure it for you.
Some popular brands for children’s glasses are Miraflex, Tomatoes, and Dilli Dalli to name a few. I am still in the process of finding the perfect glasses for my son, but a Facebook group I joined called “For Little Eyes” has been a tremendous help as I continue my search. This are very knowledgeable group and there are lots of helpful members that will be supportive to you on your journey as well, should you choose to join. I recommend you join this group or a group similar to this one that will help you sort out the information that I’m sure you’ve been overloaded with since discovering your child needs glasses.
I hope this post of our journey to glasses has been insightful and will help you in some fashion if you are on the same journey. I hope to be updating this post soon after we have found the perfect pair of glasses for my son. Until then, good luck to you and yours as you make the transition as well.
***Update***
We FINALLY found the perfect pair of glasses! Ya’ay! We ended up getting Tomatoes glasses and he and I both love them! They fit him so well and we get lots of compliments wherever we go. I cannot be happier about the choice I made in glasses. This journey has been very insightful to say the least, but finding the perfect pair of glasses has definitely made it all worth it!
If you have any tips or advice you’d like to share about having a toddler in glasses, please leave them in the comment section. “See” you in the next post 😊.