All young children are different, some kids take to wearing sunglasses very easily. Majority of children though will fight the process of wearing sunglasses. The good news is if you follow a few key tips, in a short amount of time any child can consistently wear sunglasses.
How to keep sunglasses on an infant/toddler?
Begin with starting them at a young age, ensure the sunglasses are the right fit, create a routine, set an example, put sunglasses on at the optimal time, only allow them to be worn outside,ensure the lenses are clean, and select a pair with a removable strap.
Our daughter put up quite the fight when it came to wearing her sunglasses but thankfully after a few short days we successfully got her to wear her sunglasses outside. Continue to read to find out exactly how we achieved this feat.
Start at Young Age
Our daughter was four months when we began putting sunglasses on her. At first she hated it and threw a fit, but infants at this age adjust to new things very quickly and within about two days she was wearing sunglasses without a fuss. This is why starting them young is key. When children are older it can become much more of a fight and can take up to months to get them to consistently wear sunglasses. Four to six months is the optimal time for infants to begin wearing sunglasses.
Create a Realistic Routine
Create a routine with your little one to get them to continually wear their sunglasses. At first we made sure our daughter wore her sunglasses at least three times a week. Enough that if we put them back on her that she hadn’t forgotten the last time she wore them. Once the infant or toddler is used to wearing his or her sunglasses then it’s time to get rid of the routine and to simply wear the sunglasses whenever in the sun.
Ensure A Proper Fit
Sunglasses must be comfortable, if they are too tight they will be uncomfortable and will cause children to be fussy and dread having the sunglasses put on. If too loose they will not properly stay on making it difficult for any child to keep them on their face. The sunglasses will cause an indentation around the nose area if too tight, check for this if your unsure if they are fitting properly. The sunglasses are too loose if they continually fall off and do not sit straight on your child’s face.
Set The Example
The easiest way to get a child to wear their sunglasses is to see their parent or guardians consistently wearing them. It’s the monkey see, monkey do concept and it works like a charm. This concept works best for toddlers around one to two years of age. At this time most children are learning from simply copying the people they are around the most. If the tool is incorporated at the right time it could be the only step you need to use to get your toddler to wear their sunglasses consistently.
Timing
Sunglasses should never be put on a fussy baby or child, doing so is a sure way to get them to immediately rip them off their face. This can also result in negative feeling towards sunglasses since they were put on when they were upset. Children can associate the sunglasses with being upset, so it’s never a good idea to put them on during a time like this. Sunglasses should be put on when the child is in a good mood. Also, only put the sunglasses on the little one when outside. The lenses are dark, if they are put on indoors it can be too dark for kids to see well,which will encourage them to take the sunglasses off.
Clean Lenses
The lenses on the sunglasses should always be clean. Dirty sunglasses are difficult to see through and if they child cannot see like they would normally then the logical thing to do will be to take them off. Before each wear the sunglasses should be cleaned. If you plan to be outside all day bring the cleaner with you. Infants and toddlers will more than likely have there fingers all over the glasses during the day, they likely will need to be cleaned several times to ensure that they can be seen through.
Removable Strap
For those of you starting little one’s off at a young age i recommend a strap on the sunglasses. Infants accidentally will knock the sunglasses off frequently if they are not properly secured to their head. The only way to secure them is with a strap. Once your infant is old enough to be more aware the strap can be removed. Our daughter no longer needed the strap at about 18 months.
When purchasing sunglasses with a strap be sure the strap is adjustable so it can fit from infancy through toddlerhood. Also be sure the strap can be removed so you can maximize the use of the sunglasses when the strap is no longer needed.
For those of you with rambunctious children, sunglasses for older children can still come with a strap to ensure they stay on well while the kids are playing around. Now that our daughter is about to be two years old we got her a pair of sunglasses with a strap that i keep with me in my bag, that way if we are just out and about casually she can wear the sunglasses without the strap, and if she ends up wanting to play outside i can easily whip the strap out and put it on the glasses.
These Cocosand baby sunglasses are our favorite for 0-24 months. For children ages 2-10 years old these Bib-On sunglasses are our favorite.
Related Questions
How much of ultraviolet rays should be blocked by childrens sunglasses?
Prevent Blindness America states “ Children’s sunglasses should block 99 to 100 percent of both types of ultraviolet rays. UVA and UVB.”
Do kids need to wear sunglasses when cloudy?
Yes, UV radiation penetrates clouds. Encourage your kids to wear sunglasses even on overcast days.
Should babies and children wear polarized sunglasses?
Yes, polarized sunglasses will reduce glare off of surfaces and reduce eyestrain. Polarized sunglasses can also enhance vision with crisper images.
