How Can I Get My 9 Year Old to Wear Glasses?

I didn't like my glasses at first when I was a kid but my vision got so bad so quickly (I rapidly became very near sighted) that like it or not - if I was going to do anything the only way I wasn't going to be functionally blind was to use the glasses.
I got contacts in 8th grade (this was the 70's and it was unusual back then for a kid to use contacts that young) and wore those until I had Lasik in 1999.

As a parent of a 9 yr old - you tell her "use your glasses" when ever you see her squinting and repeat ad nauseam until she has the habit of using them without thinking about it.
She's a child - she doesn't have a choice.
Don't give her a choice when it comes to health decisions.
In 9 short years she'll be in charge of herself.
Until then - you steer.

My 13 year old got glasses for full-time wear 3 years ago. For the first year, he pretty much didn't wear them. We fought about it, but then I was just like "whatever, you're the one who can't see." Towards the end of that year, he just suddenly decided that he liked being able to see and was tired of having headaches, so he put them on and wore them daily (and more than once said "I can't believe I chose to not wear these, how dumb was that?"). After a year of diligent wear, he complained that he couldn't see and it was time for a new prescription, so we ended up getting contacts and he can't live without them.

If your kid isn't stubborn by nature, then give her gentle but consistent reminders. If she's a kid who thrives on conflict, like my son, then eventually she'll get tired of not seeing and will put them on.

I guess since I'm the mom, my kids are going to pretty much do what I say at 9 yrs old, especially when it comes to health/safety issues like wearing glasses. Tie a consequence to it and voila, problem solved.

Her vision will get to the point that she will have to/want to wear them.

I had my son's vision checked every year, as usual, and the doctor told me his vision was 20/30. I headed him over to the optical department, and he literally ran out of it. There are some hills to die on and some hills not to, and I decided this was one of those hills not to die on. He was a swimmer, so he didn't need to see well for his sport. I asked his teachers to put him in the front of the classroom.

It was when his vision got bad enough that he ASKED me for glasses that we got them. And then they were important to him. He wore them and took care of them.

I recommend that you hold on to these glasses so that they aren't lost or broken. Offer them to her if she appears to be having problems. If she's near-sighted, her eyes will change pretty quickly. Far-sightedness might be easier for her to deal with. If she complains of headaches, say to her "Well, you wouldn't have headaches if you wore your glasses" so that she will understand that there is a connection.