The biggest concern parents have about contact lenses for their kids is, "Is my child old enough to wear contact lenses?"

In reality, there's no one answer. Physically the eyes can tolerate contact lenses at a very young age. Some babies are fitted with contact lenses due to eye conditions present at birth. What parents are really asking is, "Is my child mature enough to wear contact lenses?" eye care practitioners can offer guidelines and recommendations, but only parents can answer that question.

If you're considering contact lenses for your child, take a look at how your child handles other responsibility. Does he take out the trash, care for the dog or follow through with school or other projects? If your child needs frequent reminders for everyday chores, he may not be ready for the responsibility of wearing and caring for contact lenses. But if he handles such duties well, he may be an excellent candidate for contact lenses.

Children are naturally great contact lens wearers if they accept the responsibility for them. They adapt well to wearing the lenses due to their flexible personalities. Kids also develop fewer complications than adults. Younger people usually heal faster and have stronger immune systems. Plus, children tend to follow instructions better than adults, so they have fewer problems with overwearing the lenses or not using the correct care solutions.

Great for Sports

Sports and contact lenses are a great combination for all athletes, including smaller athletes. Contact lenses may be a safer vision option than glasses for recreation use. Polycarbonate lenses are a must, but frames are more vulnerable to breakage. Many contact lenses, especially rigid gas permeable lenses, offer better optics than eyeglasses. This leads to clearer vision and better sports performance. A baseball player might see the ball a few milliseconds sooner with crisp vision from contact lenses. Better peripheral vision also comes from contact lenses, which leads to a superior performance.

It's much easier to play sports with contacts than with glasses.

Controlling Nearsightedness

Myopia control is another great reason for children to wear contact lenses. If your child is nearsighted, consider fitting him with rigid contact lenses to slow the progression of myopia. Although the concept is controversial, many eye care practitioners believe that rigid contact lenses may prevent your child from reaching the full amount of nearsightedness wearing glasses or soft contact lenses would bring.

Building Self-Esteem

Contact lenses can do wonders for your child's self-esteem. Many kids would opt for contact lenses over glasses, mainly for cosmetic reasons. They don't like the way they look while wearing glasses. Physical appearance can be dramatically altered by switching from glasses to contact lenses. In many cases, this physical change prompts a self-confidence and self-esteem surge in the child. School performance and participation may also increase after switching to contact lenses. Amazingly, two thin pieces of plastic may breathe new life into a previously reserved child.

Keep in mind that switching your child from glasses to contact lenses does not have to be a permanent decision. If your child does not adapt well, or is not up to the responsibility of wearing and caring for contact lenses, your eye care practitioner will not hesitate to recommend glasses as a safer means for vision correction. You may speak to the eye care practitioner as well if you feel your child is not handling the switch well. Contact lenses can always be tried again at a later date.

By Gretchyn Bailey.