Your child’s first eye test can be a monumental event in their life. Children can react strangely to medical situations, as they are unfamiliar to them. The clinical atmosphere, the machines, the close proximity of someone that they don’t know and a general lack of understanding of what is happening to them can all result in distress if the situation is not dealt with before.

If you are taking your child to the eye doctor for the first time, you and the child might have a few concerns. An eye test is relatively simple. A family doctor or a paediatrician usually gives the test. You can let some of your fear go because family doctors and paediatricians know how to talk to children and keep them comfortable. With this being said, there are still some things that you need to be aware of. The test will check for farsightedness, astigmatism, near-sightedness, and amblyopia. The test will also check for eye movement ability and how the eyes react to changes in light.

Before you go to have the test done, you should sit your child down and explain what is going to happen during the eye exam. Make sure that your child knows what is expected of them. Tell them that they will be looking at different objects and letters and that they should tell the truth about what they see. Your child should know that if they can’t see the object it is okay. Assure your child that a lot of children have glasses and frames. Also tell your child that they will need to have eye drops put into their eyes and it may stink a little bit.

If your child fails the eye tests, your family doctor or paediatrician might recommend a paediatric ophthalmologist. After an exam with this doctor, glasses or frames might be recommended. Dealing with the fact that your child needs glasses is something that parents go through all the time. In the event that your child does need glasses and frames, you should always allow the child to pick out their own glasses. Never push a pair of glasses on your child. The child should do this so they are comfortable with the glasses. Always remember that you cannot see through their eyes.

Having a child with glasses is something that millions of parents deal with everyday. Preparing your child for their first eye exam is not, however, difficult. Making sure that they know it is okay to tell the truth is essential to getting through the exam with the best results. Never push a pair of glasses on your child. Allow them to pick out the kind of glasses and frames that they like. Glasses can be a personal touch for a child. This can give them a sense of self. Help your child get through their first eye exam by following these guidelines and you will see an improvement in their self-esteem and confidence if the time comes when they need glasses.

Francesca writes regularly on eye health and eye wear related topics such as glasses and frames.

Francesca writes regularly on eye health and eye wear related topics such as glasses and frames: http://www.glassesdirect.co.uk/

Author Bio: Francesca writes regularly on eye health and eye wear related topics such as glasses and frames.

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