Multiple Choice
Today's kids need more than just one pair of glasses to keep up with their active lives
By Joanne F. Schell • Illustrations by Gary Locke

But kids are finicky creatures. And, if they have a pair of frames they don't like, they simply won't wear them. That's why listening to kids is the most important aspect of fitting this niche.

"I ask them if they have any colors in mind or if they see anyone at school with cool glasses that they like," says Richard Hogg, owner and manager of Super Specs for Kids, a dispensary in Closter, N.J. "Our store is kid friendly. The counters are low, and all the frames are in reach. We don't want it to be intimidating for kids, and we don't want to leave them out of the process."

SAFETY AND STYLE

Part of keeping kids in the process is explaining to them everything from frame fashion to lens technology in basic terms. "We always makes sure the child understands why we are prescribing glasses," says Wanda Dodson, licensed optician at KidSpecs in Greensboro, N.C.

When it comes to lenses, almost all ECPs consider their duty to warn patients and recommend polycarbonate materials for children ages five through 10. "We work with a lot of pediatric ophthalmologists, and they often write polycarbonate right on the prescription," says Hogg.

	There are a number of angles to consider when fitting children with frames, such as style appeal, durability, and appropriateness for the activities of the day. With all of the new materials and expanded design options, there are a multitude of solid choices for your eyewear consumers. From top to bottom: Displaying P.O.P. that speaks directly to kids can help in the frame selection process. Shown here: Hush Puppies Pups style P559 for Kenmark. Kids have to love their frames in order to wear them as much as they should. Shown here: Nintendo (l to r) style MN109, and two options for style MN108 from Lantis Eyewear. Sports frames are often positioned as a second or third-pair sell for active kids. Shown here: Hilco style Zoom. Kids want looks that reflect today's adult styles. Shown here: Ray Ban Junior style RJ 9023S from Luxottica

Trivex is also an increasingly popular material, but because of the added cost, and because it is not as well-known a material, sales are growing, but more slowly.

Many ECPs offer and suggest photochromic polycarbonate. "It's advantageous for parents to invest in because it has added convenience, and everything the child needs in one frame," says Peter Borromeo, FNAO, owner of Kids Optik in Chalfont, Pa.

"At this age, a lot of kids are going to day camp and sun and glare are a concern," says Jean Marie Poppinga, manager of New York City-based Purdy Opticians.

As with the lenses, frames need to serve multiple purposes. "The frame needs to work well and do the job, but cosmetically, it has to look good, too," says Borromeo.

Memory and flexible metal styles are popular with this age group. "The first pair I always recommend is bendable frames," says Dodson.

Flexible metals are also good for growing young faces. "Some kids barely have a bridge, and for some reason, they are the same ones who have bigger cheeks, so we try to find whatever will fit," says Daniel G. Bintz, OD, of Elk City, Ok. "And that's usually metal."

Sturdy, colorful plastics are also on the radar for fashion-minded girls on the top end of this age group. "They are cool and trendy looking, and some girls are moving in that direction," adds Dodson.

THE MOVE TO MULTIPLES

With photochromic lenses and durable frames, it's easy to overlook recommending additional frames. But there are good reasons for ECPs to champion second-pair sales.

"In our area, a lot of kids go to camp for the summer, and the camps require that you bring a back-up pair of frames," says Hogg. This is especially true for kids who can't afford to be without vision correction.

"For full-time eyeglasses, you want to stress that a second pair is important," says Borromeo. "If a child is in glasses to correct a lazy eye, you don't want them without glasses if they break or lose them."

Another arena in which ECPs are finding multiple-pair success is with sports glasses. Almost every child is involved in some kind of sport, either in or outside of school.

"We tell parents that prescription glasses are for dress eyewear—not for sport or safety," says Bintz. "We are big into sports glasses for children," adds Dodson. "The new styles look more like sunglasses and, with a photochromic lens, it makes a nice pair of glasses for kids."

Having a photochromic polycarbonate lens allows sports goggles to provide safety all year long. "Kids play indoors and outdoors," explains Borromeo. "In the fall and winter they will play basketball, and in the spring and summer it's soccer, baseball, and softball."

Kids Optik offers sports frames and lenses in specially priced packages. "We try to help out because multiple pairs are costly," he says.

Sports glasses are a strong category at Purdy Opticians. "We always ask how active the child is and we always suggest an extra pair of glasses in case they damage or lose theirs. The sports glasses are usually a third pair," says Poppinga.

MONEY MATTERS

Before parents leave the dispensary—whether it's with one pair or three for their child—many will need to have financial concerns resolved.

"A lot of parents are price conscious," reports Dodson. "We have some parents who think of glasses like clothes—that kids will grow out of them real fast, so they don't want to spend a ton of money."

A creative plan works for David Pollack of David's Opticians in Potomac, Md.—a pay-what-you-weigh program. There are three categories: Inexpensive frames with no guarantee cost the child's weight in dollars; midrange frames cost $30 above the child's weight; and the top-level frames are priced at $50 above the child's weight. If the child chooses a high-end frame not in the offer, Pollack says, his or her weight in dollars is deducted from the cost.

Other ECPs have found different ways to give parents a break. "We have close-out frames," says Hogg. "We offer one pair at full price, and on the second close-out frame, we have clients just pay for the lenses."

Pricing aside, catering to children by offering a wide selection is most important, says Poppinga. "When you have a large selection, kids become more comfortable because they won't be forced to find something."

Point of Contact

Bendable and flexible metal frames offer durability for kids who may not treat their frames gingerly. Shown here: Easytwist kids style ET706 for Aspex Eyewear When is it appropriate to start youngsters with contact lenses? It's not about the age, it's about the mindset and performance of the child and their parents. Some children must wear CLs at an early age due to conditions such as cataract, strabismus, or extreme unequal refractive error. Others wear oxygen-permeable (GP) CLs to help slow the progression of myopia. Cosmetic therapeutic lenses are often prescribed for children to help normalize eye appearance in cases of disease or injury. With today's multitude of CL materials, designs, and modalities, ECPs, parents, and kids can customize what works best—not just for vision correction, but also for everyday wear and care. For example, daily disposable soft CLs eliminate the need to care for and clean contacts. A three-month study, conducted by Ohio State University of 10 nearsighted children ages eight to 11 who wore daily disposable CLs, found that nine of the 10 children had "little to no problems with handling the lenses." The bottom line: Responsibility. If a child can take out and put in CLs on his or her own and care for them as instructed—and if parents check to make sure the right procedures are being followed—there's no reason not to try contacts with kids of any age. A little practical knowledge helps, too. Tell them: Not to wear contacts when showering or swimming (they may wash out); to stop wearing CLs if eyes are irritated or red; and to wear sunglasses outside to help protect eyes from UV and debris. — Karlen McLean, ABOC, NCLC

Computer Lenses for Kids

Computer lenses can help relieve eyestrain and other painful symptoms for children spending intense periods in front of a monitor. Shown here: PRIO's computer frames for kids style PRIO Kids 1 As our reliance on technology increases, it's only natural that our kids will be spending more and more time in front of a computer. "More schools are using computers on a regular basis, and more families have computers at home," says Magdalene Corbin, OD. At Corbin's practice in Ashland, Ohio, she has seen children suffer from excessive use of the computer. "Computer images are light images, and we were never meant to look directly at light," she explains. "It's the undue stress on the whole binocular vision that is causing problems," adds Pia Hoening, OD, chief of the Binocular Vision Clinic at University of California at Berkeley. "What we have learned from adult studies is that the critical time is about four hours in front of the computer. Most parents say, 'Surely no child sits in front of the computer that long' or 'my child doesn't do that,' but when they get really drawn into a game, they do." Ask parents about their child's computer use. If kids are spending an exorbitant amount of time in front of the monitor, or if they are complaining of eye strain, dry eyes, or brow aches, it's a good idea to recommend a near, variable-focus computer lens. If parents seem skeptical, Corbin suggests: "If you tell parents that the need for computer eyewear isn't related to age or good vision, parents are good about getting something to offer relief to their child."