Brought to you by Jonas Paul Eyewear.

Jonas Paul Eyewear makes the most darling spectacles and shades for children and we’ll be giving away a frame of your choice to TWO winners! But first, we couldn’t share Jonas Paul’s story without sharing a little bit about the company’s namesake, little Jonas himself:

Story Behind Jonas Paul Eyewear from sprout: visual storytelling on Vimeo.

These specs are stylish and sturdy and the passion and heart behind the company, two parents, is what made us fall in love with these little frames.  Since our boys don’t wear glasses (yet!) we wanted to call on you readers that have traversed this experience before with your kids. Here’s what you all had to say:

What were some clues that your child might need glasses?

Camille – “At the grocery store or Target I could not put Mason (16 months) down on the ground. He would scream and almost have a panic attack. He either had to be held or put straight into the cart. Come to find out, he couldn’t see and the shiny floors and the reflection of the lights scared him, he couldn’t tell if it was water or slippery… The most obvious sign came a little later when we noticed his eyes crossing.”

Paige – Ethan (9 years old) was sitting really close to the TV, asking what time it was from the back seat, and squinting his eyes.

Linda – Both my husband and I wear glasses so we were always on high alert, turns out ALL seven of our kids wear glasses! For us, just like the dentist, we take our kids to the eye doctor at age three. Most of our kids didn’t get glasses until age 5 or 6. Headaches are always a good sign of problems, so look out for that!

Julie - Our situation is unique because Amelia’s (age 4) vision was fine! But she had an eye muscle issue. Her eyes would turn outward when she was tired or trying to relax, causing her distress and aggravation especially watching TV or movies. It’s important for parents to know that passing a vision screen is not a guarantee that there are no issues. If you suspect anything is “off”, see a pediatric ophthalmologist!

Lauren – Jack (5 years old) was having trouble focusing at school, his handwriting was hard to read, and his eyes were always wandering.

How did you prepare them for getting glasses?

Camille – Mason wore an eye patch to correct a lazy eye situation, we let him pick his stickers to decorate it and he felt special and unique. By the time he got glasses he was so excited he could finally see he never took them off!

Paige – We always presented it as a cool and positive thing. Letting him pick out his glasses, no matter what he chose helped get him excited. He was actually sad that it would take a week to get them in the mail. Now Ethan isn’t Ethan without his glasses, it’s become a part of him!

Linda – Since all their siblings had glasses the younger ones were usually jealous they didn’t get glasses too! I would always say “Don’t worry, your day will come!” We had little reward systems in place so if they were caught without the glasses they put a quarter in the jar, and then when they had quarters they could buy an ice cream from the ice cream truck. Worked like a charm! Like the other mothers, I always let my kids choose their glasses!

Julie – I talked to her about glasses and how they will help her eye to “stay still”. It helped tremendously that I wear glasses. And now I refuse to wear contacts at any time, because I don’t want to send her the message that I look better without the glasses. I recommend parents in glasses to help their children through the change. My daughter is ok with her glasses because I am ok with mine.

Lauren – I pointed out all the cool people he loves that have glasses, grandpa, uncles, other friends. I brought his glasses to school the first time, brought them to him and asked the other kids in the class “Doesn’t he looks so cool?” Most agreed and now he loves them!

 What do you wish you would’ve known before this experience?

Camille

•  If your child is young take them to a specialist, get them on the right track right off the bat!
• Be diligent about what the doctor tells you to do. If he says patch, PATCH! The discomfort is worth it in the end.
• Buy the glasses you like, but then get their glasses professionally fitted and buy a warranty and even a back up pair. Getting scratched, dropped, lost, will all happen to your kid.

Julie – I would have gotten anti glare lenses for her. Also, back up pair! Also, LittleFourEyes.com! Amazing resource with a Facebook group of over 2,000 parents of children in glasses. The group is invaluable for anyone just starting on the glasses adventure.

Lauren – Take your prescriptions to Costco! The doctors office is so expensive.

Thank you to all of the mothers who participated in this post! How cute are their little bespectacled darlings?

Ethan // Amelia // Jack // Mason

Now for the GIVEAWAY! Two winners will get to pick their favorite frames either in optical or sunglass form, and there are two ways to enter to win!

First, all you have to do is leave a comment letting us know why you’d like to win! We will pick the first winner from this post’s comments.

For a second chance to win, all you need to do is share this post on Facebook and we’ll pick a second winner from those who have shared the post.

Easy enough right? You have until Thursday April 24th to enter, and we’ll notify each winner then! Good luck!

All photos except directly above are by Jylare Smith Photography!