August 19-23 is Contact Lens Health Week! One concern you may have regarding contact lenses is knowing when it is safe for your child to ditch their glasses and begin wearing contacts. There is no perfect age when it comes to your child being contact ready; it is more a matter of maturity. Even babies can wear contacts for certain conditions such as cataracts. If your child is begging to give contacts a try, here are five signs he may be ready.
She brought the idea up
This may seem like an obvious reason for readiness. However, a child who asks to get contacts should be more motivated to take care of them himself than a child who did not have the idea until it was mentioned.
He plays sports
Contact lenses are a great option for children who participate in sports. Good vision is especially important during sports and children have more options for protective eyewear than with glasses. Additionally, they don’t have to worry about their glasses slipping due to sweat or getting broken glass in their face by accidental impact.
She is hygienic and clean
If your child has a love for getting dirty, this is ok. However, it may not be the right time to begin wearing contacts. Unclean contacts add risk for eye infections.
He does chores without constant reminders
No one wants to nag their children to do chores. If you constantly must remind your child to do things, taking proper care of their contacts will be one more thing on this list. If they’re simply not mature enough, contacts can be a great accomplishment in years to come. Contacts may also be a great incentive to mature in the coming months if they’re not acting mature as you know they could.
She takes good care of her glasses
Don’t assume a child that takes poor care of his glasses will take better care of his contacts. Although there are more opportunities to misplace glasses throughout the day, improper contact care has added health concerns.
One consideration to make is how much easier it is now to take care of contact lenses with daily disposables. Disposables allow you to put in a fresh pair of contacts every day without the need for cleaning regimens or contact solutions.
Have questions about contacts for your child? Find a CCMH Physician by visiting our provider directory.
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