New · First edition
What Your Child Won't Tell You
Growing up with strabismus. A former patient's guide for parents.
If your child has strabismus, there is a lot they are not telling you. I know, because I was that child. My parents never heard about the bullying, the mirror, or the tricks I used to hide my eye. This book tells you what I never told them, and what you can do about it.
$7.99 USD · one-time payment · taxes included
Instant download · PDF and EPUB · 99 pages · 14-day refund, no questions asked
Why I wrote it
If you did not live it, you cannot really know what your child feels
That is not a criticism of you. It is the reason this book exists. A rock hit my eye when I was seven or eight. Around twelve, the eye started to drift outward, at exactly the age when how you look starts to matter for everything. Friends made jokes. A stranger called me "the crossed eye" in front of my sister. I laughed along, said nothing at home, and once, only once, asked my mother for surgery. She told me I was fine. She said it out of love and fear, and I never asked again.
I had the surgery as an adult, in 2025. It fixed my eye. It did not delete the memories. That is the argument of this book: if something can be done for your child, do it while the list of those memories is still short.
It is my story, checked against published research, and turned into practical steps for parents. I am not a doctor, and the book says so on every page where it matters.
Inside the book
What you will learn
- Why a child with strabismus almost never tells you about the teasing, and the calculation behind that silence
- The small habits that give it away: photos, eye contact, head turns, gestures
- What one careless sentence from a parent can do, and what to say instead
- How to react if your child does tell you, so that there is a second time
- What to answer when your child asks for treatment
- What studies actually show about bullying, teachers, mental health, and adult life
- Glasses, patching, exercises, botox, surgery: what the evidence supports and where it is thin
- The real risk numbers for strabismus surgery, so fear can be weighed against facts
18 chapters in four parts
How the book is built
Part I
What I lived
The injury, the mirror at thirteen, the word I could not say, why I never told my parents about the bullying, the day I asked for surgery and heard "you are fine", and what it cost me as an adult.
Part II
It is not only my story
What published research says about these kids, why strabismus is not "just cosmetic", and the treatment options with honest numbers: success, reoperation, and real complication rates. 52 cited sources.
Part III
What to do
Why you should assume it is happening, what to say and what never to say in eight real situations, and the questions to take to the pediatric ophthalmologist.
Part IV
After
My surgery as an adult, done alone without telling my family, what changed, what did not, and why that is the whole argument for acting early.
Plus a one-page summary for a parent in a hurry, and a full list of references.
Read it tonight for $7.99
You can read it in one or two evenings. If it changes one conversation with your child, it did its job.
Secure checkout by Creem. You get the PDF and the EPUB right after payment. If it is not for you, email me within 14 days for a full refund.
Tell me what you think
This is the first edition, and I want to make it better. If something helped, if something is missing, or if you disagree with me, write to me. I read every message, and your feedback will shape the next edition.
If the book helped you, the best thing you can do is share this page with another parent who needs it.
Questions about the book
How do I get the book?
Click the button on this page and pay securely through Creem, my payment provider. It is a one-time payment of $7.99 (taxes included). Right after payment, Creem gives you the download for both the PDF and the EPUB and emails you a receipt.
What if I do not like it?
Email me within 14 days and I will refund you in full, no questions asked. The details are in the terms of use.
Who is this book for?
Parents, and anyone raising or teaching a child with strabismus (crossed eyes, a squint, an eye that drifts). It is also for adults who grew up with strabismus and want the people around them to understand what it was like.
Are you a doctor?
No. I am a former patient. I lived with strabismus from childhood and had surgery as an adult in 2025. The book is personal experience plus published research with every source named. It is not medical advice, and treatment decisions belong with a pediatric ophthalmologist who has examined your child.
Does the book tell me my child needs surgery?
No. It tells you to get your child properly examined early and to follow through on what the specialist advises, which may be glasses, patching, observation, or surgery. The research chapters are honest that some types of strabismus stay stable and that not every child needs an operation.
My child seems fine and never complains. Is this still relevant?
That is exactly the situation the book was written for. I seemed fine too, and my parents never knew about any of it. The first chapters explain why children hide it and what you can notice without asking.
What formats are available?
PDF (99 pages, good for computers, tablets, and printing) and EPUB (for Apple Books, Kobo, and most e-readers). For Kindle, use the EPUB with Send to Kindle.
Want to know who is behind it? Read my story, browse the blog, or book a free call with me.