Every year there are children who dread going back to school due to having to wear eyeglasses, especially if they were prescribed them over the summer and it will be the first time their friends see them in glasses. Children may beg for the chance to wear contacts as opposed to glasses, and allowing them this chance may even be a great idea. Every adult can remember names like ‘four-eyes’ being thrown around to kids with glasses in grammar school, so allowing a child to wear contacts may save them a ton of heartache and improve their confidence. There are some important things to consider, however, when deciding if a child is old enough for contacts.
Wearing contacts is not really a matter of age; it is a matter of maturity. Wearing and maintaining contact lenses is a real responsibility that no parent should let their child take on lightly. Contacts must be put in and removed at certain times, they must be properly stored and cleaned and a doctor’s instructions must be stringently followed. If a child is not responsible enough to do small daily chores, there is a good chance they may not be mature enough for contacts. Some ten year olds realize the benefits of wearing contacts and treat them responsibly, while there are twenty year olds who should’ve never been put into them in the first place. In the end, it is the parent’s responsibility to choose whether or not their child is mature enough for contacts.
Parents who don’t see the benefit in contacts should also consider a few other facts. Contacts are actually much safer to wear than eyeglasses during sports. Since school is one of the few places that children don’t have the option to sit inside and play X-Box all day, contacts are ideal for the rough and tumble play they may experience at school. Contacts are also less likely than eyeglasses to be lost or misplaced. A child may have to remove their glasses for many reasons, and can misplace them if they aren’t paying attention. Contacts, on the other hand, usually have no need to be taken out except for before bedtime. There are many things a parent should consider before granting their child the chance to wear contacts, but in many cases, contacts can be a great choice.