My Child Tilts Their Head to See: What Does This Mean?

As a parent, you’re constantly on the lookout for any warning signs in your child. You notice their runny noses or scraped knees straightaway. And that means you’re also clued into their specific behaviors. You might notice, for example, that whenever your child is trying to see something at a distance, they tilt their head to the side. 

This probably isn’t just an idiosyncrasy. In fact, it’s likely a sign your child would benefit from glasses. Fortunately, the team of pediatric eye care specialists at Benjamin Optical can help you understand what’s going on with your child’s eyes so they can see clearly. Plus, we offer this care for kids at all of our offices throughout New York City. 

Is it worth a visit to us? Let’s look more closely. 

Why kids tilt their heads to see

Most kids don’t understand their eyes well enough to know they don’t see clearly. Instead, they’ll take steps to compensate for less than 20/20 vision. They might always choose a seat close to the TV at home or close to the board in class. They might squint or, as we mentioned before, tilt their head. 

Most kids who tilt their heads to see do so because their vision is better in one eye than the other. They instinctively know that there is a misalignment in their eyes. By tilting their head, they’re trying to get their eyes to work together the way they should.

The problem, of course, is that no amount of head tilting is going to improve the vision in the less-clear eye. Fortunately, glasses — or contact lenses for older kids and teens — can correct their vision so they can see clearly without needing to tilt their heads or adopt other compensating behaviors. 

When to see an eye doctor

If you notice that your child regularly tilts their head when trying to see something far away, it’s well worth coming to our office for an eye exam. We can quickly assess their vision to see if glasses would help. 

Head tilting isn’t the only sign that it’s worth getting your child’s eye checked. According to the American Optometric Association, some other common signs of vision problems in kids include: 

• Eye rubbing
• Squinting
• Excessing blinking
• Complaining of tired eyes
• Sitting close to what they’re trying to see or holding things close to their face
• Trouble focusing
• Trouble reading
• Headaches

Clear vision can be a game-changer for a child, helping with everything from their learning to their confidence. If you suspect your child might be having trouble seeing, call any of our offices or book an appointment online.