{"id":2644,"date":"2024-10-30T11:27:39","date_gmt":"2024-10-30T15:27:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.warbyparker.com\/learn\/?p=2644"},"modified":"2026-04-02T03:12:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T07:12:41","slug":"signs-your-child-needs-glasses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/signs-your-child-needs-glasses","title":{"rendered":"10 Signs Your Child Needs Glasses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Signs that a child needs glasses<\/a> cover a wide range of symptoms and behaviors, from headaches to head tilting to academic issues. It\u2019s important to know what to look for, not only for a child\u2019s vision and eye health<\/a> but also for their overall development. Uncorrected vision problems<\/a> can get in the way of a kid\u2019s ability to learn about the world around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we\u2019ll discuss 10 common cues that a child might need eyeglasses. We\u2019ll also go over what to do if you suspect your child has a vision issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does My Child Really Need Glasses? 10 Symptoms To Watch For<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Children in glasses are a common sight. In fact, by the time they reach school, roughly one out of four kids wears corrective lenses<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take a look at 10 telltale signs your child might have a vision issue and may need glasses. If your child exhibits any symptoms of poor eyesight, see an eye care practitioner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Complaining About Vision<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This might seem obvious, but if a child complains that they can\u2019t see clearly, take them seriously. Kids who complain of blurry vision (whether it\u2019s seeing up close or far away) could need corrective lenses to help them see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be doubly aware: Double vision can also be a symptom of a more serious condition. So, if a child complains about seeing double, take them to an eye care practitioner immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting Close to Books or Screens<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Trying to see things by getting closer to them or by moving them closer to the eyes might indicate myopia (nearsightedness)<\/a>. For instance, a kid might sit abnormally close to the TV or bring a mobile phone or book within a few inches of their face to read. Gravitating toward books with larger print versus smaller print may also signal that a child needs vision correction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Squinting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Squinting can temporarily improve focus. So, if a child squints, they may be trying to see something more clearly. This could mean they have a refractive error like myopia, hyperopia (farsightedness)<\/a>, or astigmatism<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closing One Eye or Tilting Head<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, kids close one eye to help them focus better. Or they tilt or turn their head to adjust the angle of vision. Both actions could indicate an eye misalignment, like strabismus (also called crossed eyes), or a condition that impairs visual development in one eye, resulting in amblyopia (lazy eye)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crossed or Drifting Eyes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve noticed your child\u2019s eyes seem not to work together, strabismus or amblyopia could be the cause. For instance, the eyes might not look in the same direction, or one eye may seem to wander around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Excessive Eye Rubbing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you notice your child frequently rubbing their eyes, first of all, teach them to avoid excessive eye rubbing\u2014it is thought to be associated with certain ocular conditions. Besides that, excessive eye rubbing can be a sign of eye strain<\/a> (also known as eye fatigue). This could mean the child is exerting a lot of effort to see clearly. They might need corrective eyewear to ease their eye strain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Headaches or Eye Pain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Frequent headaches and eye pain<\/a> can also indicate eye strain, especially at the end of the day. Daily symptoms could mean your child is feeling the effects of straining to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clumsiness or Poor Hand-Eye Coordination<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Frequently bumping into things or tripping are common signs of eye problems in children. Likewise, if a child has problems with hand-eye coordination\u2014think activities like catching a ball or getting it into a low basket (slam dunking optional)\u2014this can indicate reduced or poor vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Academic Issues<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, difficulty with school work, including problems concentrating, can point to a need for glasses. Switching focus from close-up work (like writing) to far-away work (like looking at the whiteboard) can tire out school-aged children with vision issues. Kids who are having trouble reading may actually be having trouble seeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, if your child has been diagnosed with attention deficits, it\u2019s recommended to get them an eye exam<\/a>. Eye issues such as refractive errors or conditions like juvenile cataracts<\/a> could make it difficult for them to focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asymmetric Red Reflex<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The red reflex is a visual phenomenon of light reflecting off the retina, which creates a reddish glow. Flash photos of a person that show only one red eye or white spots in one or both eyes could indicate an asymmetric red reflex. This can signal a range of kids\u2019 eyesight or eye issues, from high refractive errors like myopia and hyperopia to serious conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because asymmetric red reflex\u2013especially the absence of red reflex in one eye\u2013can be a symptom of a major health concern, it\u2019s crucial to get your child\u2019s eyes examined right away if you notice it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kids\u2019 Vision: Keep an Eye on It<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a good idea to book an appointment with an eye care practitioner if your child shows any of the common symptoms mentioned above. Getting eyeglasses to solve one of these problems will help your child see better and help them learn and grow, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if your child is asymptomatic, it is a good idea to have their eyes checked before starting school. An optometrist or ophthalmologist<\/a> can check for underlying conditions that could cause vision problems and can otherwise be difficult to detect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\"Think\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Think your child can\u2019t see clearly?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t

Kids ages 4 and up can get eye exams from a friendly eye doctor at Warby Parker.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\tBook an appointment <\/svg>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n
\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Signs that a child needs glasses cover a wide range of symptoms and behaviors, from headaches to head tilting to academic issues. It\u2019s important to know what to look for, not only for a child\u2019s vision and eye health but also for their overall development. Uncorrected vision problems can get in the way of a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":2645,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eyewear"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n10 Signs Your Child Needs Glasses | Warby Parker<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Clear vision is important for a child\u2019s development. Learn 10 common signs your child needs glasses.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/signs-your-child-needs-glasses\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"10 Signs Your Child Needs Glasses | Warby Parker\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Clear vision is important for a child\u2019s development. Learn 10 common signs your child needs glasses.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/signs-your-child-needs-glasses\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Warby Parker\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-10-30T15:27:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-02T07:12:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/stack_of_childrens_glasses_books_objects.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"583\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"583\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dr. Nehal Verma\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dr. Nehal Verma\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"10 Signs Your Child Needs Glasses | Warby Parker","description":"Clear vision is important for a child\u2019s development. Learn 10 common signs your child needs glasses.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/signs-your-child-needs-glasses","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"10 Signs Your Child Needs Glasses | Warby Parker","og_description":"Clear vision is important for a child\u2019s development. Learn 10 common signs your child needs glasses.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/signs-your-child-needs-glasses","og_site_name":"Warby Parker","article_published_time":"2024-10-30T15:27:39+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-02T07:12:41+00:00","og_image":[{"width":583,"height":583,"url":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/stack_of_childrens_glasses_books_objects.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Dr. Nehal Verma","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Dr. Nehal Verma","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/signs-your-child-needs-glasses#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/signs-your-child-needs-glasses"},"author":{"name":"Dr. Nehal Verma","@id":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/#\/schema\/person\/89a7913f084045fed8b7d2abef39846a"},"headline":"10 Signs Your Child Needs Glasses","datePublished":"2024-10-30T15:27:39+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-02T07:12:41+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/signs-your-child-needs-glasses"},"wordCount":899,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/signs-your-child-needs-glasses#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/stack_of_childrens_glasses_books_objects.jpg","articleSection":["All About Eyewear"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/signs-your-child-needs-glasses","url":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/signs-your-child-needs-glasses","name":"10 Signs Your Child Needs Glasses | Warby Parker","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/signs-your-child-needs-glasses#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/signs-your-child-needs-glasses#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/stack_of_childrens_glasses_books_objects.jpg","datePublished":"2024-10-30T15:27:39+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-02T07:12:41+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/#\/schema\/person\/89a7913f084045fed8b7d2abef39846a"},"description":"Clear vision is important for a child\u2019s development. Learn 10 common signs your child needs glasses.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/signs-your-child-needs-glasses#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/signs-your-child-needs-glasses"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/signs-your-child-needs-glasses#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/stack_of_childrens_glasses_books_objects.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/stack_of_childrens_glasses_books_objects.jpg","width":583,"height":583,"caption":"Stack of children's books, glasses and objects."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/signs-your-child-needs-glasses#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Eyewear A to Z","item":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"All About Eyewear","item":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/eyewear"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"10 Signs Your Child Needs Glasses"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/","name":"Warby Parker","description":"Eyewear A to Z: Our Guide to Your Eyes","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/#\/schema\/person\/89a7913f084045fed8b7d2abef39846a","name":"Dr. Nehal Verma","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/cropped-Nehal_Verma-96x96.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/cropped-Nehal_Verma-96x96.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/cropped-Nehal_Verma-96x96.jpeg","caption":"Dr. Nehal Verma"},"url":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/medical-reviewers\/nehal-verma"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2644","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2644"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2644\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2645"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2644"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2644"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2644"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}