Parents tend to have a perception of sunglasses as a “cool” accessory, vs. a means of protecting their children’s ocular health, notes Patricia Poma, O.D., of Birmingham Vision Care, in Bloomfield Township, Mich.

So, what, specifically, can optometrists say to parents to get them to understand the importance of a “good” pair of sunglasses?

• Talk about the lids. “I talk to parents about protecting the eyelids from skin cancer, as that is a benefit of sunwear that is often overlooked,” says Lori Mazza, O.D., of Family Vision Center, in Greenacres, Fla. “Even as adults, we don’t think about the skin cancer aspect of unprotected eyelids.”
• Discuss the sun’s effect on vision. When children approach age 16, Harry Landsaw, O.D., of Landsaw Eyecare, in Tavernier, Fla., says he reminds parents that about one-third of auto accidents are caused by glare.
  “I recommend that parents invest in polarized sunwear before their child gets their learner’s permit,” he explains.
• Conquer perceived cost. “A lot of parents don’t want to spend the money because sunglasses are something that get lost or broken,” points out Dr. Poma. “To overcome this, consider stocking sunwear at a variety of price points.”

Dr. Landsaw recommends getting creative with bundling:

“We have a lot of patients who wear contact lenses, so we bundle a year’s supply of lenses with free children’s sunwear at the lower end of the price range,” he says. OM