Specsavers Connswater is helping local parents to take the fear out of eye health appointments for their little ones this National Eye Health Week.
The team is championing a new, free online tool featuring fun, friendly characters to help families in Connswater think about their child’s eye health, and encouraging them to visit the store for further advice from local experts.
New research from Specsavers has revealed that over half (57%) of young children in Northern Ireland don’t like medical or health appointments, and 32% of children were worried before their first eye test.
A survey of 1,000 parents found that concerns included fears it might hurt (14%), uncertainty about what would happen during the appointment (57%), and nervousness about meeting the optician (14%).
The research comes during National Eye Health Week and also highlights that over half of parents in Northern Ireland (54%) report symptoms in young children that could indicate eyesight-related issues.
These include sitting very close to screens (33%), rubbing their eyes frequently (13%), experiencing headaches (23%) and squinting (15%).
Among parents who have taken their child for an eye test, 29% promised a reward or treat afterwards to help ease nerves, while 57% explained what the eye test would involve.
Paula Cunningham, ophthalmic director from Specsavers Connswater says: ‘We know that anxiety around health appointments is a real concern for many parents, and eye tests are often viewed as daunting. But early eye tests can help identify issues that might otherwise go unnoticed and impact a child’s learning and development, and they’re NHS funded for under 16s**. We hope our Optomonsters characters and interactive online eye prompt will help children feel more comfortable and confident about attending their appointment.’
Specsavers has partnered with leading child psychologist Professor Sam Wass, an expert on early years development, to help alleviate appointment anxieties and encourage more eye tests in young children.
Sam has revealed that children are often nervous during new health scenarios because young brains are wired to be cautious of unfamiliar situations.
‘It’s completely normal for children to feel nervous about healthcare appointments, especially when they’re doing something for the first time,’ said Professor Wass. ‘But these check-ups play a crucial role in supporting healthy development. Correcting vision early can improve learning outcomes and have a real impact on education, confidence and wellbeing.’
Specsavers’ new initiative ‘No Scaries in Sight’ gives parents and kids access to a free, interactive online activity. The “sight prompt” activity is fronted by some friendly, reassuring “Optomonsters” and aims to get families thinking about how their child is seeing the world, whilst making the first appointment feel like a familiar step rather than an unknown one.
Professor Wass has partnered with Specsavers during National Eye Health Week (21 – 27 September 2026) to reveal his top tips for helping children stay calm during potentially daunting health appointments:
1. Rehearse it before you go — let them be the expert
Young brains work by predicting what happens next, then updating when reality differs. A child with no prior experience of an eye test has nothing to predict from, so everything is a surprise – and surprise is what the brain treats as threat. Playing optician at home, taking turns in the chair, gives them a rough script to run. By the time they arrive, the room has stopped being unknown and started being recognisable.
2. Tell them what it will feel like, not just what will happen
Most parents describe the sequence of events and stop there. But children’s own accounts of what they want to know are strikingly consistent: will it hurt, will I feel scared, and what can I do to stay calm. Sensory information – the chin rest is cool, the room goes dim – prevents the unexpected sensation that turns a manageable moment into a frightening one.
3. Give them real choice
One thing that drives anxiety – in children as well as grown-ups – is not feeling in control[1]. Letting a child make choices about small details – which chair, which order, whether you hold their hand or they hold yours – can shift an experience from feeling like something is being done to them to feeling like something they are doing. Keep the choices real and narrow; a choice you’ll overrule is worse than none.
4. Give them a job
Distraction has the strongest evidence base of any psychological technique for children’s medical procedures – but it works best with a goal attached [2]. Give the job before the anxiety starts rather than after, and make it specific enough to have an answer.
5. Reassurance can backfire
This is the most counterintuitive finding in the field – and the most useful. When parents repeat “it’s okay, don’t worry,” children rate their parents as more frightened than when parents distract them[3]. Heavy reassurance can signal that there is something here worth being reassured about. Say less, and say it lightly.
6. Think about sensory load in the waiting room
Waiting areas can be the hardest part: bright lighting, echo, screens, strangers, no clear sense of timing. You can’t redesign the waiting room, but you can arrive close to the appointment time rather than early, sit somewhere quieter, make sure the child knows what time it is, and how long you will have to wait.
7. Time the preparation to the child
More warning is not always better. Tell a three-year-old a week ahead and they’ll probably forget. For preschoolers, the day before or the morning of is usually right; older children can do better with more notice. Match the amount of detail to how much they are actually asking for.
Parents can visit www.specsavers.co.uk/kidstests to book a free eye test and help ensure their child is ready to see, learn and thrive.
