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Kids’ vision & learning

Glasses or contacts for kids?

From the doctors at Webb Eyecare

The question parents usually ask is “how old do they need to be?” The more useful question is whether the child will actually handle them properly, because that is what determines whether contacts are safe.

There is no magic age

Children as young as eight do well in contact lenses, and some teenagers are not ready. What matters is whether a child can insert and remove lenses, follow a cleaning and wearing schedule, and tell an adult when something feels wrong.

A contact lens is a medical device that sits on the eye. Handled properly, it is very safe. Handled carelessly it can cause real problems, and that is the part that depends on the child rather than their birthday.

Where each one usually wins

The reason that beats all of these

Some children wear contacts as part of a myopia management plan. If a child’s prescription has been climbing year after year, the conversation about contacts may be part of a larger conversation about progression rather than a preference about frames. More on that here.

You do not have to choose only one

Most children who wear contacts also own glasses, and that is the right setup rather than a compromise. Eyes need a break, lenses get lost, and infections mean a few days out of contacts. A child with only contacts is a child who cannot see on those days.

A contact lens fitting for a child includes teaching the handling, with the parent there. More about contact lens fittings, and our Guaranteed Contact Lens Success Program credits what you paid toward glasses if they turn out not to be for your child.