It’s a common frustration. Your child gets new glasses, everything looks clear again and then a year later or sometimes sooner the prescription has changed again.
It feels like the glasses didn’t work, but that’s not really what’s going on. Glasses fix blurry vision, they don’t stop the eye from changing, and in some kids, the eye keeps growing in a way that makes myopia worse over time.
Once you understand that, the whole picture makes a lot more sense.
What myopia actually is.
Myopia, or short-sightedness, is when the eye is a bit too long from front to back. That means light focuses in front of the retina instead of on it, so distance looks blurry while close-up vision stays fine.
It often shows up in school-age kids and tends to progress while their eyes are still growing.
So yes, new glasses sharpen things up but they’re correcting the blur, not changing how the eye is developing.
Why the prescription keeps changing.
There’s usually more than one factor at play.
First, age. Kids’ eyes are still growing, and for many, myopia naturally progresses during that time.
Then there’s genetics. If one or both parents are short-sighted, the chances go up.
Lifestyle matters too. Lots of close-up work like reading, homework, tablets and phones combined with not much time outdoors can increase the likelihood of myopia progressing.
Eyes like distance and daylight. When they don’t get much of either, they tend to adapt in ways that can push myopia forward.
Why glasses alone aren’t enough.
This is the key point most parents don’t get told clearly.
Standard glasses are designed to make vision clear, they don’t slow down the changes happening inside the eye. So if your child’s prescription keeps increasing, it’s not because the glasses are failing, it’s because the eye is still progressing.
That’s where myopia management comes in. Instead of just updating the prescription each year, the focus shifts to slowing down how quickly things are changing.
Why slowing myopia matters.
As myopia increases, so does the chance of eye health issues later in life, including retinal problems, glaucoma and other complications. That’s why early intervention matters. The goal isn’t just clearer vision today, it’s reducing how high the prescription might climb over time.
Regular eye checks help track this properly, not just the prescription but also how the eye itself is growing.
What myopia control actually involves.
What works depends on the child. An optometrist might suggest specially designed spectacle lenses, contact lenses or orthokeratology (overnight lenses that gently reshape the eye while sleeping). In some cases, low-dose atropine drops are used.
These are all designed to change how the eye responds to focusing, with the aim of slowing progression.
The right option depends on the child’s age, lifestyle and how quickly their myopia is changing. That’s why a proper assessment matters.
What helps at home?
Encourage time outside each day. Natural light seems to play a protective role for developing eyes.
Also, watch the close-up work. Long stretches of reading or screens without breaks can strain focusing systems. The simple 20/20/20 rule helps: every 20 minutes, look up and focus on something 20 feet away for 20 seconds .
Distance matters too. Books, tablets and phones shouldn’t be right up against the face.
One more thing, don’t wait for complaints. Kids often don’t realise their vision is changing, they just adapt.
When to get their eyes checked.
If your child is squinting, moving closer to the TV, struggling at school, getting headaches or rubbing their eyes a lot, it’s time for a check.
Even without symptoms, regular eye exams are important if there’s already myopia or a family history of it.
At Abernethy Owens, we monitor changes over time and look at the bigger picture, not just the prescription on the chart. If you’re looking for myopia treatment in Floreat, we can talk through options that suit your child specifically. Schedule an appointment online now.