Child eye assessments: timing, length and what parents bring

Create a separate child assessment service with a slot long enough for a young child's pace, open it at times when children are rested, and tell parents in the description exactly what to bring: the referral or prescription, current glasses, and any previous reports. A child's assessment doesn't run like an adult's: there are breaks, games and sometimes a second try. A dedicated service with its own length keeps your adult appointments on time and lets parents book the right thing.

Lengths and prices are examples. On Book, a service has a name, an optional description shown on your page, and a price, and each slot belongs to one service with its own start and end. A parent who picks "Child assessment, under 6" only sees slots of that length.

A tired or hungry toddler makes an assessment harder. You know which times work best in your practice; open child slots there. A few ideas:

Create each pattern once and repeat it on the chosen weekdays until an end date. Keep adult assessments at other times, and don't open both at once: Book doesn't stop slots of different services from overlapping.

Put the checklist in the service description, where parents see it when booking:

The booking form takes one person's first name, last name, email and phone, plus an optional note. Ask parents to book in their own name and write the child's first name and age in the note, with a few practical words such as "wears glasses since last year". Keep medical details for the assessment: the note also appears in the calendar file parents receive. You receive an email for each new booking with the note.

Each child needs their own assessment and their own booking. If parents want siblings seen one after the other, they can book two consecutive slots, or you can book the second yourself when they call. One parent accompanies both; no extra place is needed for them.

Parents who know what to expect prepare their child better. In the description, explain the visit in simple words: games with pictures and lights, covering one eye at a time, no pain. Say how long it lasts and that a parent stays in the room. If you sometimes need a second visit because a young child was too tired, say so too, so nobody is surprised.

Some children need a quieter moment, a longer slot or fewer people in the waiting room: children with additional needs, very anxious children, or those who struggled at a previous visit. Rather than opening long slots online, ask parents in the description to call you, and create a longer slot at a calm time of day, such as the first appointment of the morning. Then book it yourself from your calendar, with a short practical note like "first slot, quiet waiting room".

This keeps your standard child slots predictable for everyone else, while giving these families the time they need.

If the child needs a follow-up check or a series of sessions, book the next date yourself before they leave, from your calendar, and enter the parent's email so they get a confirmation with a calendar file. Book doesn't send reminders, so a date in the parents' calendar is what brings the child back at the right interval.

If an appointment has to move, reschedule it from your bookings list and call the parents: Book doesn't email clients about changes. Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited bookings and services, no commission, no contract.