My business partner and I run an optics store. It really chaps my ass when parents have a negative attitude about glasses, and then pass that attitude on to their children.
This morning, I did an eye exam on a 7-year-old, who was a real sweetheart. It turns out that she is nearsighted and needs glasses in order to see the chalkboard or whiteboard in the classroom. She doesn't even need the glasses the rest of the day; it's only helpful when she is in school.
Well, you would have thought that this child was given a death sentence, the way the mom reacted.
"Oh, I feel so terrible! She inherited her bad eyes from me. Now she will have to wear glasses for life! I hate that I put that burden on her. I hated having glasses as a child! She will be handicapped for life."
Time out, lady. She is somewhat nearsighted and needs glasses for the classroom only. She is not about to go blind, she is not suffering from an incurable disease, and does not even have to wear glasses all day. In the big picture, she is doing quite well. Just because you didn't like wearing glasses as a child doesn't mean that she will have the same experience. It's your craptastic attitude that has made her resistant to wearing glasses in the first place.
This morning, I did an eye exam on a 7-year-old, who was a real sweetheart. It turns out that she is nearsighted and needs glasses in order to see the chalkboard or whiteboard in the classroom. She doesn't even need the glasses the rest of the day; it's only helpful when she is in school.
Well, you would have thought that this child was given a death sentence, the way the mom reacted.
"Oh, I feel so terrible! She inherited her bad eyes from me. Now she will have to wear glasses for life! I hate that I put that burden on her. I hated having glasses as a child! She will be handicapped for life."
Time out, lady. She is somewhat nearsighted and needs glasses for the classroom only. She is not about to go blind, she is not suffering from an incurable disease, and does not even have to wear glasses all day. In the big picture, she is doing quite well. Just because you didn't like wearing glasses as a child doesn't mean that she will have the same experience. It's your craptastic attitude that has made her resistant to wearing glasses in the first place.
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