If your child just came home with a prescription from the eye doctor, you know you have some decisions to make. It’s up to you and your child to choose glasses that he or she will take care of and wear regularly.

Start by talking with your child about glasses. Get your child excited to choose a pair, and make sure you schedule a time to shop for them when your child is well-rested and able to focus.

Finding the Right Fit and Accessories

Most eyeglass purveyors have kids’ glasses arranged by age, which is a good place to start in determining the size you need. You can also measure the frame width of a pair of sunglasses that fits your child well.

Keep in mind that kids’ noses are often too undeveloped to form a bridge, so glasses can slip down their noses easily. Glasses with nose pads or a universal bridge fit will help keep them in place.

Some other solutions designed to keep glasses in place are straps that wrap around the head and temple tips, which slip over the arms of the glasses to provide a custom fit behind the ears and help avoid pinching. Cable temples are a similar option, but they extend beyond the end of the glasses in a half circle and fit around the ears.

Finding the Right Frame Material

Frames come in metal and plastic, and there are benefits to each. Metal is lightweight and often comes with nose pads, while plastic affords more color options and patterns kids tend to enjoy. Keep in mind that if your child has skin sensitivities, you might need to choose a hypoallergenic material like acetate or stainless steel.

Choosing a Style

This is the fun part of choosing glasses. We recommend you get your child as involved as possible in the process. After all, if they get to choose the glasses they wear, they’re more likely to take care of them and wear them regularly.

It’s a good idea to narrow down the field by selecting one or two favorite colors for the frames. From there, you can look at your child’s face shape and determine which shapes will flatter him or her the most.

Choosing a Durable Lens

Regardless of the prescription, it’s important to choose a durable lens. We recommend the impact-resistant lens called polycarbonate. This type of lens not only filters ultraviolet rays, which is important, but will be the best choice to protect lenses from shattering or breaking if dropped.

UV and Blue Light Protection

We’ve already mentioned ultraviolet light protection, which is a must, but you should also consider lenses that filter out blue light from computer screens, phones and other electronics. Payne Glasses lenses are all available with these options.

Seek Backup: Shop Payne Glasses

We recommend choosing a second pair of glasses as backup. You might even allow your child to choose a different color or shape to create a different look. With Payne Glasses, this is an entirely affordable option, as we have a great selection of competitively priced glasses for kids. Check out a few of our bestsellers for kids.

We hope you’ll shop Payne Glasses for all your eyeglasses needs, including glasses for toddlers, children ages 5 to 8 and children ages 9 to 12.

Feel free to contact us anytime with questions!