As an optometrist, a large part of my job is about communication. But as a father, I’ve been reminded that one of the most powerful ways we communicate with our children is through stories. The idea for a new section on The Eye Care Advocate came to me while reading with my son, Arthur. I realised that while there are some brilliant children’s books about glasses and eye patches, many of them miss the mark.

Some instantly paint glasses as a negative thing that a child must be coaxed into wearing. This can create a problem where one doesn’t exist. Others, like the well-known “Peppa’s First Glasses,” build up to the main character getting spectacles, only for them not to need them in the end. This can be a frustrating conclusion for a child who actually does need them.

This experience highlighted a real need for a curated, trusted resource. A place where parents and eye care professionals can find honest reviews of the best books about glasses, patching, and trips to the optician. That’s why I am so excited to launch this new feature on the website. It’s a library of stories designed to empower children and support parents. It also aims to provide a valuable tool for my fellow professionals.

The Power of Finding a Hero in Books About Glasses

Think back to your own childhood. We all had a character in a book that we looked up to, a hero we wanted to be like. For me, it was Matilda, who inspired my love of reading. Later, it was Harry Potter. The fact that Harry was a hero who also wore glasses was a huge factor in me becoming more accepting of my own.

This is the magic of representation. When a child sees a character they admire wearing glasses, it normalises the experience. It transforms glasses from something that makes them different into something that a hero wears.

A storybook can be one of the most powerful tools in helping a child positively adapt to wearing glasses. It takes away the stigma and shows them that they are not alone. It certainly shows they are not defined by the fact they wear spectacles. Whether it’s a story specifically about the journey of getting glasses or one where the main character just happens to wear them, these narratives are incredibly important. They build confidence. They can even make a child excited to wear their new glasses, because it makes them more like their favourite character.

A Parent’s Guide to the First Pair of Spectacles

When I tell a parent their child needs glasses, I often see a flicker of worry. They worry if their child will be teased, if they’ll become “reliant” on them, or if they’ll even agree to wear them.

My first piece of advice is always to normalise it. If your child is excited when they collect their first pair, that’s wonderful! Keep that positive energy going and avoid making a big deal out of it.

However, if your child is a little resistant, positive books about glasses can be a great help. Stories like “The Short-Sighted Giraffe” are fantastic because they feature a character who, like many children (and my younger self!), tries to avoid wearing their glasses before discovering how much they help.

But the most important role falls to the family. I often hear well-meaning relatives make comments like, “You looked so much better without your glasses,” or “Don’t hide behind your glasses.” These subtle, negative messages can be incredibly damaging to a child’s self-esteem. Your child is wearing glasses for a vital reason – to help them see the world clearly. Please, be positive, be reassuring, and most of all, keep supporting them.

A New Tool for Professionals: Using Books About Glasses in Your Clinic

This new resource isn’t just for parents; it’s for my colleagues too. For optometrists, dispensing opticians, orthoptists, and ophthalmologists who see paediatric patients, this list of reviewed books about glasses can be a saviour. It can be a go-to guide to recommend to a parent whose child is anxious about wearing glasses or starting patching therapy.

You could use it to choose engaging and positive books for your waiting room. This will help creatine a welcoming environment from the moment a family walks in. It might even inspire you to stock a small selection of books in your practice to complement the service you provide. Ultimately, it is an additional, evidence-based resource you can share with parents, giving them another way to support their children and encourage compliance with essential treatments.

Supporting The Eye Care Advocate’s Mission

Creating this library of reviews fits perfectly with the overall mission of The Eye Care Advocate.

Firstly, it encourages children to have positive experiences with eye tests and to wear their glasses or patches. This helps to protect their vision from an early age. It also allows them to see the eye care professional as someone they can trust with their eyes.

Secondly, it demonstrates the importance of accessible resources that promote great eye care. As you know, this website is continually creating resources and this library of reviews will add to this.

Finally, it helps to support the website itself. The book links on the review page are Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a very small commission at no extra cost to you. This income is incredibly valuable. It helps to cover the significant costs of running the website. It also allows me the time away from my other roles to continue creating free, trusted content for everyone.

If you think this resource is helpful, please share this post – or the link to the library of reviews page. Word of mouth is an incredibly important way that The Eye Care Advocate gains awareness and you may just put the right resource in the right parent’s hands.