October 1, 2025
By Grant Miller, OD
Photo Credit: Getty Images
For more than 700 years, glasses have been known as the solution for blurry vision. But only in the past decade has the conversation shifted from correction to prevention. It’s no wonder that many parents respond to the topic of myopia in children with, “I’ve never heard of myopia management.”
And that’s the challenge eye care providers face every day: asking families to rethink generations of ingrained habits shaped by a reactive approach to vision care.
Vision plans, big box stores and online retailers still approach myopia transactionally: test, prescribe, repeat. Rarely does the conversation extend to short or long-term eye health. The result? Parents are left in the dark about what myopia truly means and what can be done differently beyond prescribing stronger glasses every year.
Changing the Conversation Starts with Us
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will global awareness of the myopia epidemic. But every sign in your office, every social post, every handout and every exam room conversation is a building block. Each one is a chance to move families from reacting to myopia progression toward preventing it.
So how do we begin reframing the conversation with parents?
1. Communicate Simply and Clearly
When parents ask, “What is myopia management?” don’t overwhelm them with technical jargon. Keep it real and relatable to their own personal experiences.
Instead of diving right into axial length progression or disease risk statistics, use real-life comparisons parents are more likely to understand, like braces for teeth. Braces aren’t just about how teeth look today, they’re about long-term health and function.
Yes, parents need to understand that myopia is more than blurry vision or stronger glasses. The eye is growing too long, too quickly and getting weaker. While this does increase the risk of serious eye diseases later in life, the focus should be on the here and now: how it’s affecting their child’s vision today, their ability to read, learn and participate in everyday activities, and what steps we can take right now to slow progression and protect their eyes.
2. Make It Emotional
Facts inform, but emotions inspire action. Listing risks and percentages won’t always move parents but asking the right questions can:
- “Would you want to reduce your child’s risk of developing eye disease?”
- “If there was a way to help preserve your child’s vision for life, would you want to know more?”
- “I’m concerned about your child’s vision. Does this concern you, too?”
When the conversation emphasizes protection and concern, parents begin to see the exam as a critical step in preventing future vision problems, not just checking for glasses.
3. Give Them a Reason to Care
People don’t buy what they don’t understand, but people don’t act on what feels irrelevant. To make it personal, ask questions that connect to lived experiences to make it feel all the more real:
- “How would it feel if your child’s prescription kept doubling every year?”
- “Did you know there are ways to slow that progression down?”
- “If there was a way to help your child avoid stronger glasses every year, would you want to try it?”
- “How would you feel if your child’s vision limited what they could do in the future?”
- “If you could give your child healthier eyes for life, would that be important to you?”
Linking the science to their child’s real-world challenges gives an opportunity to turn confusion into clarity, and concern into action.
4. Continue the Conversation
Even with the perfect explanation, you’ll still hear “no.” That’s not failure, it’s planting a seed.
On average, a consumer may need to hear a message five times before considering action. Parents are conditioned to believe eye exams are only about checking if glasses are needed. Breaking that mindset takes patience and persistence.
Every visit is another opportunity:
- “I’m concerned about how quickly Johnny’s prescription is changing, so I’d like to recheck him in 3 months.”
- “Let’s schedule a consult to go over your questions in more detail.”
- “After checkout, you’ll receive videos and resources to explain what we discussed today.”
The key is consistency. We should expect most parents to be unfamiliar with myopia management, which is why our mission is to weave small, clear touchpoints into every step of their journey in the office. Each time they hear the word myopia, their awareness grows and their understanding deepens. Keep the message simple, make it emotional, and give them a reason to care. If they say no, don’t stop. Every follow-up, every reminder, every conversation moves the needle forward.
The Bottom Line
Every parent who says, “I’ve never heard of this,” is an opportunity. An opportunity to educate, to advocate, and to help give a child better vision for life.
Accept the challenge. Be persistent. Because the more we bring myopia management into everyday conversations, the faster we move towards “I’ve been waiting for this.”
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Dr. Grant Miller owns and practices at Grand Eye Care in River Grove, Illinois. After launching a dedicated myopia management center in the office, he appeared on WGN Daytime Chicago’s national television broadcast to educate viewers and parents on orthokeratology and the rising myopia concerns. Dr. Miller is committed to changing the conversation about childhood myopia through a one-of-a-kind myopia management experience. |
