Is patch time a daily battle for your family? Do you dread the meltdowns and struggle to keep that eye patch on? You're not alone! Many parents face challenges when starting their child's amblyopia treatment. But here's the good news: you can make patching easier.

Speckles' founder, Maddy, an Orthoptist with over 10 years of experience, is here to help with her ultimate guide to conquering eye patch resistance, filled with proven strategies to help your child (and you!) succeed.

Why Children Resist Eye Patching: Understanding the Reasons

Understanding why your child resists wearing an eye patch is the first step to finding solutions. Common reasons include:

1. Discomfort: As you put the patch on the eye with clearer vision, a child may feel discomfort when they first start trying to see through the other eye. This is normal, and with time, as the visual pathway strengthens, they will feel more comfortable wearing their eye patch. Learn more about this in our blog post ‘Why Do We Patch the Eye’.
2. Lack of Understanding: Young children may not grasp why they need to wear a patch, leading to confusion and frustration with the process.
3. Feeling Different: Kids want to fit in. Wearing an eye patch can make them feel self-conscious about their vision.

The Essential Do's and Don'ts of Eye Patching

To lay the foundation for successful patching, follow these key dos and don'ts:

Things to DO:

• Choose the right time: Patch when your child is in a good mood and well-rested. 
• Establish a routine: Patch at the same time every day so they come to expect the process.
• Lead by example: Put a patch on yourself first to show them it's not scary.
• Make it fun: Patch while doing enjoyable activities that stimulate vision, like playing with vibrant toys or reading a book (screen time is okay in moderation).
• Use visual aids: If prescribed, ensure your child wears their glasses or contacts with the patch.
• Prioritise "Green Time": Encourage outdoor play and activities over screen time to help prevent the occurrence of myopia.
• Offer choices: Let your child select from fun patch designs (like our Disney & Marvel range!) to give them a sense of control.
• Celebrate progress: Use a reward system to celebrate every time they work on strengthening their eye. We include a reward chart in every Speckles patch pack to help with this!
• Use positive language: Refer to the eye being treated as their "curious eye" so they don’t feel self-conscious about its strength and ability.

And now our DON’TS:

• Force it: If you’re child is irritable, tired or upset, try patching later in the day. Making a child wear their patch when they really don’t want to can create negative associations.
• Overtreat: Follow your eye care professional's instructions on patching duration. Do not patch for more than 2 hours if vision is 6/12 or less.*
• Patch during sleep: Patching is only effective when the child is awake and using their eyes.
• Patch the wrong eye: Double-check with their eye care team which eye needs patching— it should be the eye with clearer vision.
• Overwhelm them: In the beginning, avoid patching in busy, crowded environments. Remember, you’re covering the eye they see best with, so their vision may be less than they’re used to when they first start patching.

And most importantly...

Don't forget to breathe! You are doing an amazing job ensuring your little one has the best chance possible of seeing a brighter future. This will have a huge impact on their quality of life in the future, and it’s all because of you and your amazing support 💜

What if I told you that motivating your child to WANT to wear their eye patch is possible? Here are a few tips and tricks our patching families have had success with…

• Explain the why! Help them understand the patching process by saying something like, “We need to cover this eye for a little while so your curious eye has a chance to develop (grow) and become an equal team player with your other eye” 
• Make it a game. Turn choosing which patch to wear each day into a fun game they look forward to. We’ve even seen kids get their dog to pick their patch! You can also create a game with fun prizes using the reward chart that comes with every pack of our patches. For example, putting 10 patches on the chart gets them an ice cream and finishing the chart means a trip to the movies.
• Show them other patching kids just like them. This is why we love sharing the stories of our Speckles superstars! You can find these on our Instagram, Facebook and TikTok profiles and at the eyeHUB 

Read our blog post How to Motivate Kids to Wear an Eye Patch for more helpful tips and tricks.

Tips for Our Littlest Patchers

Patching a child who is too young to understand the why can be especially challenging. Here are some tips to help ease the process and prevent them from pulling their eye patch off:

1. Keep their hands busy with vibrant toys, their favourite food, or an activity.
2. Pop them in a sleep sack or put socks on their hands while they adjust to wearing the eye patch. Remember, as you're covering the eye they see best with, the patch may feel uncomfortable at first. This is normal, and with time, the eye will strengthen, making patch time easier.
3. Give them lots of positive reinforcement and cuddles so they know just how amazing they're doing.

You can find more helpful advice on patching little ones in our Survival Guide for Patching Babies

We also have a great range of videos on our YouTube channel that show you tips and tricks on applying our eye patches and common vision conditions that affect kids. Check out the highlights below or subscribe to our channel. 

*PEDIG study shows it is as effective as 6 hours patching and is much easier for your child to tolerate. This can also reduce the risk of the good eye from developing secondary amblyopia.