I wrote this review while participating in an Influencer campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. and received a promotional item from Mom Central to thank me for participating.
My 16 year old son came to me about two months ago stating that he was ready for contacts. He was done with the glasses. He always seemed to be bending them or knocking them around, and we were taking him to the vision center often for readjustments or to have an ear piece tightened up.
Also, he had come to that stage in his teenage years where vanity was kicking in just a bit. ;)
And I would be lying if I told you all that I wasn't able to relate. I also made the switch to contacts in my early teens because I wanted to fit in better. In the mid-90's, glasses were not cute or cool. The style and lens options that are available today simply just didn't exist back then.
But was my son ready to make the jump to contacts? I mean, he clearly couldn't take care of his glasses all that well. But in his defense, he does have three little sisters all under 4 years old who all happen to love climbing on him and wrestling with him.
The will to want to wear contacts was definitely there, but was he ready to assume the responsibility?
Unlike glasses, not taking care of contacts could have some serious repercussions for his eye health. I mean, those suckers sit right on their eyes.
Before I made that optometrist appointment, my son and I sat down to have a discussion about just how serious it is to take care of his contacts and in turn, his eyes.
- Would he remember to always wash his hands before putting in or taking out his contacts?
- If his eye suddenly became irritated, watery, and red, would he immediately take out his contacts and not allow teenage vanity to outweigh his eye health?
- Would he able to properly remove, clean, and disinfect his lenses every single day?
- And would he remember to only use contact solution and rewetting drops with this lenses? Using water and spit (eeeeewwww!) is a big no-no!
After determining that he was indeed up for the challenge and the responsibility, we finally made that appointment. Ahem, an appointment that took over two hours because someone may have got a little freaked out about touching his eye with this finger. ;) But in the end, he was able to put a contact in and take it back out and got the doc's approval to go home with his first ever pair of contacts.
We are one month in, and so far he is adhering to all the rules and guidelines of contact lens wearing... And finally got past that whole finger in the eye thing. ;)
Do you have a teenager who claims they are ready for the contact lens plunge?
How will you determine if they are really ready?
For even more contact lens tips and information from Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., please sure to visit their Healthy Vision & Contact Lenses page online.
Worried your teen won't remember to swap out their contacts for new ones when they are supposed to? Have them sign up for the ACUMINDER® Tool! It helps them keep track of their individual contact lens replacement schedule by sending an automatic reminder via email and/or cell phone text message when it's time to replace contact lenses, when they need to order new lenses, and when they should have their next eye exam scheduled. Registration is 100% free and is open to anyone wearing contact lens. :)
