Back to school with… new glasses

A new pencil case, a cool backpack, a hip lunch box and hard-inflated bicycle tires. Your child will soon be ready for school! But are the glasses still up-to-date? Have a professional eye test done!

With these four tips, your child will start the school year with happy eyes!

1. Go for glasses that suit your child

Perhaps needless to say, but still the most important tip: choose glasses that really suit your child. The glasses should not only suit your child's face, but also his/her character. Does your son prefer to play football all day or does your little princess loves to climb a tree and to fall out head first? Choose a pair of glasses that can take a beating for your little rebel! Does your child spend a lot of time behind a screen at school and/or at home? Then consider glasses with a blue light filter for your little gamer.

2. Let your child choose the glasses themselves

Your child must wear the glasses, so he/she must be completely satisfied with the look of it. If your child is not completely happy with the eyewear, it will be more difficult to get him/her to wear it. You really don't want to fight that battle. As parents, you can indicate what price is acceptable to you and what the minimum requirements for the glasses must be. You can let young children choose from pre-selected glasses. And yes, sometimes parents have to get used to the choice of their daughter/son…

3. Have you thought about sunglasses?

UV radiation can cause permanent damage to the eyes and children's eyes are much more sensitive to UV radiation than adult eyes! They have less protective pigment in their lens and their pupil is larger. Children are also much more often and longer outside than most adults. Before they reach the age of eighteen, children are already exposed to 80% of the UV radiation of their entire life (source: Eye Fund / World Health Organization). Due to an accumulation of UV damage over the years, cataracts can eventually develop. Good prescription sunglasses are therefore absolutely not an unnecessary luxury!

4. Keep the glasses tidy

Children often touch the lenses of their glasses with their fingers. So greasy stains are an everyday occurrence! Food scraps and indefinable stains also regularly 'decorate' the glasses. Keep the glasses tidy by wiping them daily with a cloth and a special lens spray from the optician. Use a microfiber cloth or a hydrophilic cloth. Never use paper, this will scratch the glasses!