Are children teased about wearing glasses today?

I guess I had an inkling that perhaps something might be up with my little girl’s vision. At three years old, in some cases it was sharp as anything but other times I just couldn’t understand why she struggled to see other things. But I left it until one day, she said she wanted to get her eyes tested one day. So we made an appointment with the local optometrist and found our her eyes had been straining because of astigmatism which she had inherited from both daddy and I.

As the words “prescription for glasses” tumbled from the optometrists mouth, I have to admit I had a mild internal panic about whether children still got teased about wearing glasses, especially with her starting at the school nursery looming near. Don’t get me wrong…I love glasses, and wear them myself…but we all know what kids can be like…and I felt there could be a strong possibility that she could be bullied for wearing glasses.

So do kids get teased about wearing glasses? I reached out to fellow parent bloggers who had already been there and done that…and thank goodness the answers were really encouraging. Let’s take a look…

What other parents say

“My son wears glasses and has done since he was four months old. From what I know, he’s never been bullied for wearing glasses, in fact his school friends love his glasses as he’s always had character/designer ones.” Jada – Unique Young Mum

“My daughter is 7 and is desperate for glasses. She tells us daily that she needs to go to the optician again to have her eyes double checked!” Nicola – Global Mouse Travels 

“My 10 and 6 year olds both wear glasses. Neither have been bullied in fact their 8 year old sister was jealous that she didn’t need glasses herself.”  Chantelle –  Mama Mummy Mum 

“My son had to wear a patch then glasses. He had nothing but positivity – even jealousy as he had cool Lego glasses! However this was in nursery and reception. I hope that the older they get it doesn’t bring negativity.” Beth –  Twinderelmo

“My oldest son is 7 and has been wearing glasses for 2 years now. He loves his glasses and has never been bullied. In fact, other kids are always saying how much they would like a pair too as we buy them from Specsavers and they’re always character ones. They are also very nice looking ones that are on offer now.” Michaela – Adventures of a Yorkshire Mum

“My daughter and son were both over the moon to get glasses, and still love wearing them now, months later. Their friends asked all about them when they first got them, and wanted to see what colour they were, what cases they had and what they looked like on. They seem to be the new cool thing to have!” Kate – My Family Fever 

“I literally picked up my son’s first pair today! He is a tiny bit short sighted at age 10. Quite a few of his friends wear them already and he was actually keen to have his own pair. My daughter is also slightly short sighted and wears glasses for reading the board etc. She has never been picked on because of it.” Emma – The Mini Mes And Me

“My daughter has had glasses since she was 2. Before that she had a double squint so looked cross eyed all the time. She adores her glasses, but it has made me a bit over-sensitive. She can’t catch a ball and still walks into things sometimes. I do worry that the combination of things will lead to bullying. But at just turned 4 she can swim a width and ride a bike so she has her own little skills that have built her confidence.” Natalie – Plutonium Sox 

“My 5 year old thinks glasses are cool! She is so desperate to have glasses she told her teacher that her vision was blurry one day and her teacher was really worried about her! Sadly for her she has perfect vision. I think glasses are definitely cool to kids when they are little.” Alina – We Made This Life

So from the answers above, I guess it would turn out that kids for the most part don’t get teased for wearing glasses anymore and in fact they have become…kinda cool! I hope this helps to settle any concerns for parents who were venturing into the same thread of thought as me…I’m certainly feeling a lot more relaxed about the whole thing!

If your child IS teased about wearing glasses

While it is important to note that many children who wear glasses experience do not experience teasing, and that many people are supportive and understanding, sometimes teasing can still occur. This can have a negative impact on their self esteem.

If a child is being teased about their glasses, it is important for parents, teachers, and caregivers to offer support and encouragement. This can include helping the child develop coping strategies, such as ignoring the teasing or using humor to diffuse the situation, and reinforcing the child’s positive qualities and strengths.

It may also be helpful to talk to the child’s school or community about the importance of promoting kindness and inclusiveness, and to take steps to raise awareness about the negative impact of teasing. With the right support and encouragement, children who wear glasses can learn to feel confident and proud of their unique qualities.

Do you have any positive (or negative!) experiences of your little ones wearing glasses? Do leave a comment and share below…

17 comments

  1. My youngest wears glasses and has done since she was in Reception. She is now in Year 6 and has never been bullied for wearing her glasses. She looks super cute with them as well 🙂

  2. I agree with Lyndsey, I think it’s more cooler as they are so much more stylish and trendy than before!!

  3. I think it looks pretty cool to wear glasses these days and they have such a great range to choose from! My little boy would love to have glasses, he was very disappointed when he didn’t need them at his last eye test – he had spotted Star Wars glasses on the shelves.

  4. Thanks for all the comments everyone – it does seem like it’s all eased up a bit now and I am so relieved at knowing this as my little one started at nursery school today proudly wearing her glasses and all! x

  5. Talya, great post. I love the stories about kids wanting glasses even though they don’t need prescription glasses. Sorry, but I don’t have any cool stories to share.

  6. Wow- I dont know what world you all live in. My daughter was instantaneously made fun of the minute she put them on. She is 11 and in 5th grade. I came here looking for how to handle it. I hate other children. I was mercilously bullied in school and my daughter is fairing the same. Makes me so angry.

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