Brand Spotlight | Roald Dahl frames from International Eyewear
Searching for some phizz-whizzing, scrumdiddlyumptious specs for your child? Look no further than this amazing range inspired by the work of Roald Dahl.
With World Book Day taking place this month, (4 March) we thought it was high time to take a closer look at this fantastic selection of frames.
From Matilda to The BFG and Fantastic Mr Fox to Charlie and the Chocolate factory, – it’s no wonder Roald Dahl’s stories are treasured by children and adults all over the globe.
International Eyewear has taken inspiration from some of these titles to create an array of bold, bright frames which are sure to make children keen to wear their specs.
Designs feature original Quentin Blake illustrations and quotes from the novels. Each pair is accompanied by a rather special branded case and lens cloth.
So, without further ado let’s take a look at our top five picks from this absolutely squiffling range!
The Enormous Crocodile
Inspired by The Enormous Crocodile, these feature the book’s central character along both of the sides. Dark green and chunky, these glasses are sure to be a firm favourite with children.
Matlida
This deep blue frame takes inspiration from Matilda, the story of a brilliant young girl who discovers she has the power to move things with her mind. We love this pair because the rich colouring makes them striking in their own right, while illustrations from the book on the sides are the icing on the cake.
James and the Giant Peach
Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker would hate these glasses – which makes us love them all the more! Inspired by the best-selling James and the Giant Peach, they feature James’ new, strangely loveable, giant insect friends along the sides.
Fantastic Mr Fox
Fantastic Mr Fox is the inspiration for this stylish pair of specs. The warm brown frames give a nod to the book’s central character with the little ear detail on the front.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Wow – these glasses are beautiful. Taking inspiration from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory they look almost good enough to eat! The blue metal frame around the lenses is coupled with striking plastic sides, spiked with colour. The perfect finishing touch is the golden ticket which links the two materials.
You can take a look at all of the Roald Dahl frames we have in stock – alongside our other superb specs – on our website. Although we don’t have all frames available in all of our stores, we are always happy to help, so if there’s a particular style you’re interested in, just let us know.
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Top tips to encourage children to wear their specs
As any parent knows getting your child to do what’s good for them isn’t always easy.
Being told your child needs to wear glasses is a case in point. Despite there being very real advantages to the child in terms of improved vision, getting them to actually wear their specs may be a little trickier than it sounds.
So, we have come up with a few handy tips to help make your life easier.
Explain the benefits
Many parents will have already talked to their child about why they should have their eyes checked regularly before they first come in for an eye test. Once the need for glasses has been identified, it’s even more important for your child to understand how to look after their eyes and why wearing specs will improve their vision. Don’t underestimate their capacity to take on board this information. For children who are short-sighted, once they try their glasses on they immediately experience for themselves how much better they can see which may in itself be enough to convince them. Long-sighted children often have a little more difficulty as the benefits are more subtle and take a little more time to ‘feel’, however they are no less life changing and important.
Choose frames they love
Choosing a pair of frames your child loves will go a long way to making sure they want to wear them.
Children’s glasses frames have come on leaps and bounds in recent years. Forget the dull standard issue frames of the past and think bright, fun and comfy glasses to match your child’s personality and style.
At Patrick & Menzies we have a great variety of children’s frames so there is sure to be a style that they will love.
Comfort and fit is key
These are so important to making sure people of all ages – especially children – wear their glasses when they need them. If your specs don’t fit properly, they will more than likely spend much of their time in the case. At Patrick & Menzies we take the time to make sure all our frames are fitted with the care and attention needed to ensure they are comfy to wear.
Find good influences
Depending on the age of your child, there are plenty of famous faces who show it’s easy to look great in glasses – from Harry Potter to Clark Kent and Katy Perry in her stylish cat eye specs.
For younger children it may prove useful to watch the episode of CBeebies’ favourites Topsy and Tim where Tim gets his first pair of glasses [BBC iPlayer – Topsy and Tim – Series 3: 8. New Glasses]. There are lots of great story books about wearing glasses, too such as Charlie and Lola’s I Really Absolutely Must Have Glasses or Douglas, You Need Glasses by Ged Adamson.
And of course, there may be other glasses wearers in your family who act as real-life role models.
Talk to the teachers
If your child is of school age, have a chat to their teacher when they are first prescribed glasses to let them know when your child is meant to be wearing their specs. It’s quite normal for your child to simply forget about their glasses when they are brand new, so having someone around who can remind them can prove invaluable.
To book an eye test for your child, contact your nearest branch of Patrick & Menzies today.
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Lens Treatments | Options and Benefits
When you buy a new pair of glasses it’s not just the frames that come in a myriad of options – these days your lenses can be ‘upgraded’ with various tints, coatings and treatments. But there are so many it can all be a bit confusing – let us break down the most common options and the benefits they bring:
Anti-Reflective
Anti-reflective coating (also called AR or anti-glare) is perhaps the most commonly offered lens treatment, and with good reason: AR coatings not only benefit vision and reduce eye strain, but they can also improve your communication skills! That’s because they make the lenses in your glasses look nearly invisible, so people can see your eyes and expressions more clearly, and you can make better eye contact with them.
An AR coating virtually eliminates reflections from the front and back surfaces of your lenses, meaning more light passes through, allowing your eye to receive a higher percentage of the actual light available – up to 99.5 percent. This means less glare, sharper vision and greater comfort. AR coatings are also a good idea for sunglasses, because they eliminate glare from sunlight reflecting into your eyes from the back surface of tinted lenses when the sun is behind you.
As an additional benefit, most anti-reflective treatments have a special layer that prevents spots and makes them easier to clean, although any scratches do tend to be more obvious on AR coated lenses, so be sure to only use products and cleaning methods we would recommend!
Photochromic
Photochromic lenses automatically darken in bright sunlight (triggered by ultraviolet radiation) to make your eyes more comfortable. Because UV rays penetrate clouds, photochromic lenses may darken on grey days as well as when it’s sunny and they will not darken inside a vehicle because the windscreen glass blocks most UV rays. However, some newer types of photochromic lens activate with both UV and visible light.
An added benefit of photochromic lenses is that they shield your eyes from 100 percent of the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays and because exposure to sunlight and UV radiation has been associated with cataracts later in life, it’s a good idea to consider photochromic lenses for children’s eye wear as well as for the spectacles of outdoor-loving adults.
Polarized
Polarized lenses are anti-glare and virtually eliminate bright light from reflective surfaces and so are especially popular with fishermen and sailors.
Scratch-Resistant
Untreated lenses are surprisingly fragile, and it’s very easy to scratch them by storing them incorrectly, placing them down hastily or even cleaning them with some kitchen roll rather than the proper cloth! Luckily, lenses that are treated front and back with a clear, scratch-resistant coating have a much harder surface that is more resistant to scratching and more durable. It’s worth asking about this, because scratches are not only unsightly but can also seriously compromise the clarity of your vision. Nowadays some lenses have a built-in scratch-resistant coating, but double check that this is the case with your prescription.
Lots of options, then! Pop in a have a chat with us to choose that which best suits your lifestyle.
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Back to School | Why Eye Examinations Are Important for Your Child
A survey last year by the Association of Optometrists showed a quarter of school-age children had not been taken for a sight test by their parents. But why is it so important?
Why do I need to get my child’s eyes examined?
Your child’s eye health is, of course, an important indicator of their overall health, but even if there are no concerns, regular eye examinations ensure your child has no vision problems that could affect their school performance and enjoyment of life. Early eye tests are important for several reasons: Not only because we need to ensure the visual skills that are essential for optimal learning are in place – a child who is unable to see what’s on the whiteboard can become easily frustrated – but also because children’s eyes are fully developed by the time they are 8 years old, so any problems must be detected before then. By demonstrating the importance of looking after one’s eyes we also help to create healthy habits that will hopefully mean your child continues to have their eyes tested regularly right through adulthood.
My child can’t read yet – how can you check their eyesight?
You don’t have to wait for your child to be able to read to bring them in for an examination – at Patrick and Menzies we have ways of testing that can be used with preschool children who cannot read, but even if you have no real concerns, we usually advise to bring them in for a full eye test before they start school just to make sure there aren’t any issues with their vision that could affect their early learning.
What should I be concerned about?
Once children start school it can be easier to spot the signs of a possible eye problem. If you notice any of the following, pop in and schedule an examination with us:
- squinting
- complaining of headaches or sore or achy eyes
- hold books close to their face or sitting too close to the TV
- problems with hand-eye coordination – being unusually clumsy
- regularly rubbing their eyes
- complaining that they can’t see the board at school
What can I expect at the appointment?
We’ll be able to work best with your child when they’re happy and alert – so for younger children an appointment straight after school when they’re tired and hungry may not work best, but generally an eye examination can actually be quite fun and interesting for a child. We have lots of different ways to check how well your child sees at different distances, but we’ll also check their eye movement, the back of the eye and how well they respond to light, amongst other things – our optometrists are experienced in making it a pleasant experience for your child and make sure your mind is at rest too.
Should your child need glasses we have an excellent range and are sure to have a style that will appeal, so do give us a ring or pop in to book your child’s appointment – that’s another thing you can tick off the ‘back to school’ to-do list!
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