How To Prepare Your Child For Their First Eye Exam

10 March 2021
 Categories: , Blog


For most adults, an appointment with the eye doctor is no big deal. You go into the office, undergo the tests, and go about your day when you leave the office. However, for children, it is a completely different story. One of the most important — and difficult for kids — parts of an eye examination is remaining still. If your child has problems staying still, keep reading to learn a few tips on how to ensure your fidgety little one stays put.

Prepare Your Child Well in Advance

Make sure that your child knows that they are going to visit the eye doctor in advance and will need to sit still while the eye doctor is checking their eyes. By providing them with some additional time to process what is going to happen, there is more of a chance that they will behave better. It will be chaos if you wait until the last minute.

Give Positive Vibes

If your child seems nervous, it is important to give off positive vibes to your child about going to the eye doctor. By remaining upbeat and positive about the visit, you can help them realize that the experience will be a good one. You may even want to consider scheduling your own eye exam appointment at the same time as your child's. This will allow your child to watch your eye exam occur before having their own, allowing them to see that it isn't so bad.

Roleplay Before the Visit

Before the day of the exam, consider simulating an eye examination. You can ask your child to read labels and signs from a short distance. You can also have them cover their right and left eyes, one at a time. You should also have your child practice sitting still in the chair. In doing these things, your child will be better prepared for the eye examination come appointment day.

Reward Your Child

Similar to the way you possibly reward your child after going to the doctor or dentist, you should think about offering a reward to your child after sitting still and behaving well at the eye doctor. Regardless of whether you choose to take your child out for ice cream, to the store to pick out a toy, or allow them to stay up an extra 30 minutes, children love to be treated.

When you are ready to see how well the aforementioned tips work, contact an eye clinic near you to schedule an eye exam appointment.


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