Disclosure: Dude 3 is an ambassador for Libery Sport. We receive compensation and eye wear as part of our partnership with their brand.
I remember the day Dude 3 failed his eye exam and the pediatrician like it was yesterday.
He was five years old and it is burned into my mind, probably because he failed his hearing exam on the same day.
Two deficits that turned out to be totally unrelated, the dual diagnoses were also entirely overwhelming to receive on the same day.
While the hearing loss seems to be a more difficult problem to treat, there was only one thing to be done about his eyesight: glasses!
He got his first pair of glasses the day before he started kindergarten.
We learned that he needed to wear his glasses at all times to prevent single eye blindness and future patch wearing. Prescription in hand, I immediately drove him to the local glasses shop and picked him a pair of big plastic frames remarkably similar to my own (we totally looked like twins).
And, can I just say he was SO freaking adorable…
His little face wedged behind these big plastic frames was the cutest thing of all time.
And he hated them.
Passionately.
Because they slipped off when he got sweaty and got knocked off when he played during recess or P.E. And, there are few things more painful than getting hit in the face with a basketball while wearing glasses. The bridge of your nose is not built for that level of pain! Especially not when you’re five.
He would take them off daily for recess and forget to put them on again until he got off the bus and my face reminded him of his error. Because FIVE.
We needed a solution and we found it in Liberty Sport.
They make the RecSpecs that have become part of Dude 3’s signature look.
Designed as protective eye wear to ensure safety while engaging in sports, Dude 3 found that they met all of his daily needs as well –he never had to worry about them slipping off or getting knocked off because of the strap, and getting hit in the face, while never an awesome experience, didn’t make tears spring to his eyes.
Plus, they look as good as they feel!
With awesome colors, cool designs, and the ability to personalize the frames, he fell hard for his RecSpecs and we have been hard pressed to get him out of them.
Which is cool because he’s still quite cute…
If you are getting your child’s first pair of glasses, here are some things to help make the experience positive.
Your Child’s First Glasses: How to Choose a Pair of Glasses for Your Child
Make sure the prescription is right.
When it comes to little people, it can be challenging to ensure that your child’s first glasses prescription is just right. It is normal for your child to have an adjustment period when they first begin wearing their glasses, but if you notice they are still struggling to see, looking over their glasses often, or complaining of headaches, you may want to get back for a check to make sure the prescription is exactly what they need.
Get the right fit.
Getting the right fit with your child’s first glasses is going to be almost as important to how well your child can see as getting the right prescription. Glasses have three places of measure for fit: the bridge width (across the nose), the lens width (the glass part), and the arm length (the part that goes over the ear). You want to make sure that your child’s glasses fit well in all of these locations. For some guidance, the nose pads on your child’s glasses should fit snugly, but comfortably, their eyes should be in the center of the lens, and the arms should not be touching the face until it reaches the ear. The end should also not extend too far past the ear in back. You can check out this post for reference: Fitting Your Child’s Glasses
Think about your child’s lifestyle, not your own.
Mistake number one that I made was getting Dude 3 glasses just like mine. I am a mid late-30s mom of 3 with a relatively sedentary life. If I get hit in the face with a basketball it’s because I wasn’t paying attention while sitting on the sidelines at one of their games. He is nothing like me! He runs, jumps, or slides from place to place. He rarely sits down for more than 10 minuets (at 5 it was even worse –he even stood up while he ate) and he is always about to engage in a sport, engaging in a sport, or just finishing up engaging in a sport. He needed a pair of eye wear to match HIS lifestyle, not mine.
We recently got the Z8 frames from Liberty Sport to try out. They are the perfect option for active kids when they aren’t actually hitting the court or the field for a game –they’re comfortable, they’re stylish, and they are virtually indestructible.
Make safety a priority.
We often see children playing sports with regular glasses and we all cringe as they drop to the floor waiting for them to get stepped on. When it comes to wearing glasses to play sports, it’s not just a matter of breaking them, it’s a matter of safety!
Let your child be involved.
Everyone likes to choose the things they wear, especially when it’s front and center on your face! Let your kids have a little fun with their glasses –maybe get a fun color or a cool design. We love the frames from Liberty Sport because they have so many different options and bright, funky colors and designs, that Dude 3 gets to pick pairs that truly let him express his personality.
Learn more about Rec Specs for Kids before you buy your first pair.