Many Children Want To Replace Glasses With Contact Lenses
A recent survey, commissioned by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, has revealed that many children would like to replace their glasses with contact lenses. However, many parents express concerns when it comes to their children wearing contacts, though there may not be any reason for them to worry.
The survey was conducted by UK online parenting community Mumsnet, which polled parents and visually impaired children between the age of ten and 17. The results showed that 44% of children have asked their parents’ permission to get contact lenses. Among those, 38% were told glasses were suitable enough, 35% were refused permission with the argument they were too young, and 33% got “no” for an answer because their parents did not consider them responsible enough to take care of contact lenses.
After interviewing the mothers, 42% said that it wasn’t the actual contact lenses they were worried about. 53% were actually worried about the inability of their children to maintain proper contact lens hygiene, while 50% of mums said they were concerned about their children having problems putting the lenses in and taking them out.
However, 47% of the children polled said they felt responsible enough to handle contact lenses. In addition, 86% declared that contact lenses would improve their confidence, with 85% admitting they would feel more attractive if they replaced their glasses with contacts. The children also drew attention to the fact that contact lenses were a much better alternative for participating in physical activities.
According to psychologist Emma Kenny, it can be extremely difficult for parents to let their children make decisions about something as important as vision correction options. However, there is a growing pile of evidence suggesting that children as young as eight can be responsible contact lens wearers, especially if they wear soft lenses. With contacts, children can enjoy benefits that include improved self-esteem, social acceptance, and sports participation, Kenny added.