By Jagrut Lallu — BOptom (Hons), MSc Specialty Lenses (Hons), FIAOMC. Therapeutic Optometrist & Contact Lens Specialist. Founder, New Zealand Eye Research Centre; Partner, Rose Optometry; WCO Asia-Pacific Myopia Ambassador; International Myopia Institute NZ Ambassador.
Getting glasses onto a child — and keeping them on — is a different job from fitting an adult. The frame has to survive playgrounds, fit a face that is still growing, and be liked enough to actually be worn. And sometimes the prescription itself is telling you something bigger. Here is what we walk parents through in practice.
Fit comes first, and kids' faces are not small adult faces
Children's bridges are flatter and their ears sit differently, so an adult frame scaled down usually slides. Purpose-made kids' frames — we stock ranges including Anne et Valentin Superkids and other dedicated children's designs — are built for growing faces: sprung or flexible temples, secure bridges, and materials that bend rather than snap.
What we check at fitting: the frame sits level without sliding, the eyes are centred in the lenses, the temples do not press, and there is room to adjust as the face grows. A frame that fits badly gets pushed up, looked over, or left in the bag — and then the prescription does nothing.
Lenses for children
- Impact-resistant materials as standard — children's lenses should survive childhood.
- Anti-scratch coatings earn their keep on kids' lenses more than anyone's.
- UV protection matters more for children — young crystalline lenses transmit more UV to the retina than adult eyes, and NZ sun is unforgiving.
If your child's prescription is minus (short-sighted): read this part
A new or increasing minus prescription in a school-age child is often the start of progressive myopia — and this is the area where practice has genuinely changed. Evidence-based options including specific myopia-control spectacle lens designs, orthokeratology (overnight lenses) and particular soft contact lenses have been shown in clinical trials to slow myopia progression in many children — slowing progression matters because higher myopia increases lifetime risk of retinal problems. The earlier this conversation happens, the more there is to gain.
This is a particular clinical focus of ours through the New Zealand Eye Research Centre. If your child's glasses keep getting stronger, book a free myopia chat → — no obligation, just an honest run-through of whether myopia management makes sense for your child.
Practical answers to the questions parents ask
How often should children have eye exams? If everything is normal, around every two years through school age — sooner if the school notices squinting, they sit very close to screens, get headaches, or a parent is short-sighted. Book a children's eye exam →
Will my child actually wear them? Involvement is most of the battle — a child who chose their own frame wears it. Bring them in; choosing is the fun part.
What happens when they break? Kids' frames from us are adjusted and repaired in practice — bent temples and lost screws are usually a five-minute fix, free. That, honestly, is the biggest practical difference from buying online.
Sports? For regular sport — especially anything with balls or contact — ask us about sports eyewear; ordinary frames are not protective equipment.
The short version
A child's glasses need to fit properly, survive real life, and be liked enough to wear — and if the prescription is creeping up year on year, ask about myopia management sooner rather than later. Both conversations happen in one visit.
Book a children's eye exam in Hamilton → · Free myopia chat →