Dear Mom and Dad

In a bit of an ECP twist, we thought it might be nice to write a message from the perspective of a child to his or her parents to help them make a better choice of eyewear. Maybe you could copy it, laminate it, and place it in your waiting room…just a thought. By the way, it might also serve as a friendly reminder to all of us eye care professionals as well, in terms of what we should think about in the sales and dispensing process to help kids and their parents make better eyewear choices. Hey Mom and Dad: I know I’ve been giving you a hard time about going to get my eyes checked and getting new eyeglasses, but really I’m kind of looking forward to it. After all, the only thing worse than getting teased by my so-called friends about wearing glasses, is getting teased because they’re taped in the middle. Nerd city! So thanks. I know you work hard for your money, but if you want me to wear them all the time, maybe there are some things you ought to think about – five things actually (I’ve been doing a lot of research on the Internet). Here they are:

1. Look, if you want me to wear them, there are three things you have to think about: thickness, fashion, and something I’ve learned about called AR – I think that stands for anti-reflection. Anyway, as far as the thickness thing, there are some lenses out there called high index or polycarbonate lenses. In some cases these lenses can help me see the same as the thicker ones, but they can be only half the thickness of my old lenses. And as nearsighted as I am, that could make a huge difference in how they look. Oh, and check this out: They’re safer too! I mean like when I’m playing hockey. If I had gotten smacked with a puck while wearing these old plastic lenses last year, they could have shattered and injured my eye. Guess what? Not these poly-whatever lenses. They could stop a bullet! As far as fashion is concerned, I would like to get the kind of lenses that get dark when you go outside. They are a little more expensive than clear lenses, but I wouldn’t mind kicking in a few bucks from my allowance for a few months to help pay for them. Just consider it. Now about this AR thing: Not only will it make my lenses appear even thinner, there are studies that show it improves contrast in my vision by letting in the most light possible – which will make my eyes less strained when I work on the computer. And in a couple of years when I get my learner’s permit to drive, they also help to improve vision and reaction time when driving at night. That’s a fact!
   

2. Now that we’ve settled on some thin, lightweight, safe and comfortable lenses, we have to talk about the frames. I know you’ve always insisted I get these plastic frames because you think they’re sturdier, but that’s just not true anymore. Most all of the cool, metal frames are just as strong, and they all come with springy hinges like my old ones. There are some that are made of titanium that are so strong and flexible that I saw a video on YouTube that showed a guy wrapping the sidepiece right around his finger. I sent you a link to your iPhone so you could watch it. It’s unbelievable! But I wouldn’t need one like that – maybe they are too expensive. But now that I’m older, I would take care of a frame a little better than I have in the past – just think about it. Okay?
   

3. Now Mom and Dad, this one’s a little tricky, but hear me out. That optician we’ve been going to for the last few years is a real loser, I don’t know how else to say it. I was talking to Johnny about getting glasses, and he was telling me that when he goes to pick them up the eye guy actually like adjusts them and sort of custom-fits them for his face. Our guy just kind of hands you the glasses and asks if they’re okay. I always say they are, but they’re not! The side things are too long so the hurt behind my ears. The part on my nose never seems to fit right – they pinch. And they’re always slipping down. For all the service they give us at the place we’ve been going, we might as well buy my glasses over the Internet – and I know how you guys feel about that. Can we at least try Johnny’s guy this time? I’ve already checked and they take our insurance plan – so there’s no extra cost there.
   

4. Guess what? Remember last year when my frame broke the first time and it cost almost $100 to replace it? I was reading that the warranties on this stuff can be way different from place to place. That is one thing that parents don’t think much about – that they ought to factor in future replacements due to breakages. So I made some calls and found out that at the place Johnny goes to, they have a one-year, unconditional warranty on their frames! That means if something like that happens again (breaking them, I mean) it wouldn’t cost a thing to repair or replace it for a whole year! That’s got to be worth something. And if we do get those AR or Transitions lenses…they’re even guaranteed against scratching. About the only thing that would cost anything is if I out and out lost them…and that’s never happened…yet.
   

5. I left this one until last Mom and Dad, because I know it would be something we’ve never done before, but I think it’s important. It doesn’t have to be just like the first pair…it can be something less cool…anything…but I think I need to have a spare pair. When the last pair broke and I had to wait a few days to get a replacement frame, I went three days at school and I couldn’t see a thing past two feet in front of me. I don’t think you really get how I see without my glasses, but trust me, it isn’t great! Johnny said that his eye doctor actually showed his dad how he sees without glasses and that gave his dad a better understanding of what we go through when we don’t have them. I think you’d be surprised.

Anyway, I just wanted to talk to you about all this before we go to the optical shop, not in front of everybody there. Thanks for listening.