Eye Exams
First things first…before your child gets glasses, you need to find out if he/she even needs them! Your child should have their eyes checked every year by an optometrist. It’s good to get into a routine for this. Your child may be experiencing vision problems, but may not be able to articulate that to you.
At your child’s eye exam, our optometrists will:
• See if your child needs glasses.
• Check to make sure that your child’s eyes are developing normally.
• Ensure your child’s eyes are healthy.
• Address any other concerns regarding your child’s eyes and vision.
In Alberta, eye exams are covered for children up until their 19th birthday. This means that you can bring your child for their annual eye exam at no cost to you.
Both Dr. Ford and Dr. Champion are accepting new patients, and both doctors see child patients regularly.
Both Dr. Ford and Dr. Champion make eye exams a fun, stress free experience! Additionally, the support staff at Lendrum Eyecare are all very patient and are used to seeing a lot of pediatric patients.
So…Your Child Needs Glasses
Glasses are a good thing on so many levels!
Glasses will allow your child to see the world clearly!
Try to imagine this: for a person with glasses, these two images are examples of what their world looks like with and without glasses on.
The image on the left is clear, corrected vision – what a person see with their glasses on. The image on the left is an example of what that same image looks like without glasses on. Pretty amazing, right?!
Don’t take the chance that your child may be seeing the world as fuzzy and blurry. A quick and free eye exam will determine your child’s vision!
Glasses can help your child perform better in school!
Glasses may be the missing link to success in school that your child needs! Studies have shown that providing glasses to children who need them substantially improves academic performance. Read more by clicking here.
Glasses are COOL!
No longer are glasses cumbersome, boring, uncomfortable, and “nerdy”. Medical necessity aside, societal opinion on glasses has completely changed. We see many children who come in and are upset that they don’t need glasses!
Nowadays, there are so many options for size, colour, material, fit, and more. As a local independent optical store, we are able to bring in different sizes and colours to help find the perfect pair of glasses for your child.
However, no matter what we tell you, much of what your child thinks of glasses comes from you as the parent. You must project a positive attitude about glasses and encourage your child to wear their glasses.
Picking the Perfect Pair of Glasses!
Trying to pick glasses for your child can be an overwhelming experience. At Lendrum Eyecare, we specialize in taking the time to help you and your child find frames that are safe, comfortable, and look great!
There are two components to a pair of glasses: lenses and frames. The lenses are the customised refractive plastic or poly carbonate that allow for vision correction. The frames are what hold the lenses.
Lenses vary widely depending on the required prescription and a child’s specific needs. We will discuss the best lens option with you when you are in. We carry Hoya and Essilor lenses, as well as many other brands.
As for frames, there are two main types: plastic and metal.
Here is an example of a plastic frame:
Plastic frames are usually made out of acetate. They are not able to be adjusted on the nose, so they must be a perfect fit on your child’s nose bridge. They can be adjusted behind the ears. They may come with or without spring hinges.
Spring hinges means that there is a spring in the hinge of the glasses. It allows the arm or temple of the glasses to bend out, like this:
Here is an example of a metal frame:
Metal frames are usually made out of mixed metals. They are able to be adjusted on the nose, so they can be more customised to fit on your child’s nose bridge. They can be adjusted behind the ears. They may come with or without spring hinges.
Many name brand glasses, such as Ray Ban, Nike, Etnia, Disney, Humphrey’s, and Marchon Kids, come in both plastic and metal options.
At Lendrum Eyecare, we also carry specialty frames for kids. These include Miraflex frames and Tomato frames.
Miraflex frames are ultra flexible, hypoallergenic,and contain no metal parts.
Tomato frames are robust, lightweight, and have special nose pads made for children’s nose bridges.
How To Help Your Child Care For Their Glasses
Kids are rough on things…unless you have bought them Miraflex or Tomato glasses, they need to learn to be very gentle with their glasses! Here are some basics:
• Children should be taught to how to put their glasses down in any way that isn’t on the lenses! Putting glasses down onto the lenses will reduce their lifespan and cause scratches on the lenses.
• Glasses should be taken off with both hands, as opposed to pulled off with one hand.
• Glasses should be cleaned (ideally) on a daily basis. Here’s our best cleaning practice:
1] Spray down the lenses on both sides with an anti-reflective cleaning spray.
2] Use something cotton to wipe the lenses down while the spray is still on them.
3] Immediately buff with a microfiber cloth to get sparkling clean lenses!
Free Glasses, Lens Packages, and Lens Coupons – We Have a Soft Spot For Kids!
We are always wanting to help kids out as best we can – glasses are so important for children (if they need them)! We have all kinds of great pricing deals exclusive to kids.
Free Glasses
Through the Eye-See-Eye-Learn program, kindergarten-age children are eligible for a free pair of glasses!
It’s really easy – bring your kindergarten-age child in for an eye exam, and should they require glasses, we’ll help you pick from a selection to get them their free glasses!
$100 Kids Packages
We also offer $100 kid’s glasses packages. $100 gets you their frame and their lenses! We’ll help you pick from a selection of frames. You can’t beat a deal like that.
However, restrictions apply based on the prescription! Talk to us in store for details.
Lens Coupons
We offer a lens coupon program all year round for kids. Here’s how it works:
• Buy your first set of lenses at regular price.
• Receive a coupon for a 2nd set of lenses totally free to be used within 16 months!
This program is great on so many levels. Use the coupon right away for a 2nd pair of glasses for your child, use it in the event of losing the glasses (oops!) or breaking the glasses (double oops!), or hang on to it and use it next year when and if your child’s prescription changes.
Paying For Those Glasses…
Did we mention we direct bill most insurance companies? We’ll take it right off your hands!
Just show us your card! Companies we direct bill include:
• Alberta Blue Cross
• Sunlife
• Manulife
• Great West Life
• Industrial Alliance
• Chambers of Commerce
• Standard Life
• Quik Card
• Electrical Industry Insurance Benefit Trust Fund
• Local 92 Union Insurance through FAS
• Greenshield
• SSQ
