First glasses
Kids' eye health & their first glasses
New terms, a prescription slip full of numbers, and a kid who isn't sure about any of it. This hub walks you through eye health and those crucial first weeks.
Step 1
Does my child need glasses?
7 signs your child needs glasses
Squinting, headaches, sitting close to screens, and more — plus what to do next.
Optometrist, ophthalmologist or optician?
Which of the three to book, why an optometrist is the right first call for most children, and the red flags that need a paediatric ophthalmologist today.
What happens at the first eye exam
When to book, and exactly what to expect in the room — no letters required.
Your baby's first eye exam is free
InfantSEE gives every baby a no-cost comprehensive eye exam between 6 and 12 months — regardless of income or insurance.
Your child failed the school screening
A referral is not a diagnosis — most are false alarms. What to do this week, what to ask for at the exam, and what Medicaid already covers.
What a school screening misses
And why passing one isn't the clean bill of health it feels like.
Acuity is one skill. Eye teaming, focusing, and tracking are three more a chart never checks.
Why is my child's eyesight getting worse?
A calm guide to childhood myopia — why it progresses, what the research says helps, and when to ask about management.
One of the most common reasons kids need glasses — what it is, the signs to spot, and how glasses correct it.
Glasses vs. contacts: when can kids wear contacts?
There's no set age — how the two compare, and why glasses stay the easy everyday pick.
Decorative lenses are FDA-regulated medical devices that need an exam and a prescription. What the CDC reports show and safer Halloween looks.
Lazy eye (amblyopia): signs, causes, treatment
Why most kids with it show no visible signs, and how glasses alone resolve a surprising share of cases.
Strabismus: what crossed or wandering eyes mean
Esotropia vs. exotropia, what causes it, and when glasses alone straighten the eyes versus when surgery comes in.
A white pupil in a photo: what it means
Usually a healthy optic nerve caught off-axis — occasionally something that needs an exam this week. How to tell the difference, and why the school screening won't catch it.
Step 2
Understanding the prescription
What SPH, CYL, axis, and PD actually mean.
What they do if they're part of your child's prescription.
Is vision insurance for kids worth it?
Many health plans already cover children's vision. The break-even maths for a separate plan.
Free and low-cost glasses for kids
Medicaid, school programmes, New Eyes and local clubs: what each covers, who qualifies, and the catches.
Step 3
The first few weeks
Getting used to a new prescription
How long adjustment takes, and when to check back in.
Will glasses make their eyes worse?
No. Why the prescription often rises after the first pair anyway, and why weaker glasses backfired in a trial.
A balanced look at whether kids need screen glasses.
Photochromic lenses: dark in seconds, clear in minutes
What the makers and the AAO say about clearing time, cars, heat, cold and UV, and what to ask the optician.
Photochromic lenses: what the evidence supports
Four reasons parents choose them, rated by how well each is backed: convenience, UV, glare comfort and light sensitivity.
Sports eye injuries & protective eyewear
Everyday glasses aren't safety gear. What actually protects young eyes on the field — and why 90% of serious injuries are preventable.
Buddy-picked
Great first frames
Make the first pair a win
Lightweight, flexible frames kids actually want to keep on.
Shop kids' glasses