Anyone's DC wear glasses?

[MamaLema]

Found out recently that DS6 needs glasses. He is extremely upset by this. To tell you the truth I feel a little sad too, only because I know kids can be so mean at school, although I would die before I let him know that.

If your DC wears glasses, how did you find out they needed them? (routine eye exam or you just KNEW it?)

Are they near/far sighted?

I guess I just need reassurace it's going to be OK

 

[experiment626mom]

I've worn glasses since I was his age. never had a problem with kids teasing me. Just don't get him "weird" glasses and it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[jennyl772003]

My son has been wearing glasses since he was 3. He is now 8. He has never been teased. So many kids wear them that it is pretty much a non issue.

I knew my son would probably need glasses because both me and his bio dad wear glasses. DS is visually impaired, so it was at a routine eye exam that they noticed he was a bit nearsighted as well.

I myself got my first glasses in first grade. The only problems I had were my own sensitivity and self esteme. I was never teased.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

My DS (now) 8 got them the summer before first grade. My whole side of the family is seriously nearsighted, so I was looking for signs--he sat very close to the TV. At his routine physical, they did a quickie check and he failed miserably. His eyes have been getting worse every year. Now his older sister (10) has glasses also. For better or worse, they both need them bad enough to wear them all the time, so we don't have any problems with losing them.

A couple thoughts/ideas: DS didn't mind them at all, they improved his sight so much, he was thrilled.

We make him wear a croakie (from the $ store) during sports. He even wore them water skiing!

Buy a spare pair, even if it means paying from your own pocket! Little boys are tough on glasses! Last year, DS made a spectacular fall from the climbing nets in gym. My first question was, "Did he break his glasses?", because his extra pair weren't back from the optometrist from his last incident yet! But, I'd rather he wear them and not spend his life worried about being limited--it's the price I pay.

We also bought DS clip-on sunglasses (they go exactly with his frames). yeah, they cost, but are great for sports and add to the "cool" factor. They didn't have them for DD, but she's not as desperately nearsighted.

This is not the end of the world, really! I think it bothered me more than either of my kids. Remember that your attitude will be picked up on, so smile even if you're faking it. Good luck!

 

[golfgal]

Both of our twins wear glasses. DS got them in 1st grade, I noticed he was squinting a lot at home. DD got them in 3rd grade, she said she needed them (her prescription isn't very strong). Neither of them have been teased, glasses are kind of cool around here, some kids even wear the frames with plastic lenses. They look good in glasses, so that helps, too. If you get some that look nice on them, no one will say anything.

I think when we were kids and they had those big plastic frames that came in either pink or blue that didn't look good on anyone is why kids got teased then.

Both kids wear their glasses all the time. I never have to say anything to them. DS's eyes are worse then mine, so he needs them or he can't see anything.

 

[ziggystardust]

I've been wearing glasses since the 2nd grade, and I was the 2 kid in that grade to have them (different class though). I don't remember ever getting picked on for them, and as the years went on- more and more kids had them. It was never a big deal.

I remember the teacher keeping an eye out though, if I forgot them that day or something.

I am near sighted and i have Astigmatism.

 

[MamaLema]

Thank you SO much.

Nothing like the DIS to cheer someone up in a matter of minutes

 

[kasar]

DD got them in 3rd grade. Kids don't seem to make fun of glasses anymore since so many have them. Maybe boys are different, but it doesn't seem to have the stigma that it used to.

When DD was 11 we got her contact lenses because she was having a hard time playing sports (those goggle things fog up and the straps don't work well with basketball). She's been great with them - she does it all on her own and we've never had any issues. If he's really having issues with glasses, talk to your DR and see if contacts are an option.

 

[goofy4tink]

Dd, now almost 12, got her glasses her last year of preschool...around 5. She had a routine physical and they checked her eyes with a kids chart...had boats, balls, animals..that sort of thing. Poor kid couldn't see diddly. In fact she kept trying to creep up. I thought her pedi was going to bust out laughing. But, she got them and isn't too bothered by them. Of course..she's a redhead, tall and skinny, freckles and braces besides the glasses!!! But she is hoping for contacts when she gets to high school. She just isn't responsible enough now. I have to say that her glasses need less attention than dh's and mine do. Sure, she has gotten bent by playing basketball but other than that she is very careful when she takes them off and never lays them down on the lenses!!!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Three out of my 4 children wear glasses. the first got them in 3rd grade (she had trouble seeing the blackboard). The second got them in 5th grade after a routine eye exam. My 3rd got them in 1st or 2nd grade after I noticed that my sports nut couldn't see the scores on the tv. My son who got them in 5th grade is not too nearsighted (takes after me), but his brother and sister are very nearsighted (take after my DH). More than likely my youngest will need glasses at some time. The eye dr told me that if both parents wear glasses that there is an 80% chance that their child will.

It really isn't a big deal and if you act upset it will make your son that much more upset. Thankfully he has a problem that can be corrected!

Glasses can be a pain, especially with a child who plays sports like my 12yo does. In general my kids have been good about wearing their glasses, but it did take awile for my 2nd child (almost 15yo) to wear them every day. He wants contacts now, but his personal hygiene is terrible so that won't happen until he improves.

 

[tw1nsmom]

DS has been wearing his since June. He's 5, and we haven't had any problems with teasing yet. Like others have said, lot's of kids wear them now. The only problem we had was their fit. DS has hardly any bridge to his nose and his glasses kept sliding down. I was able to find frames with cable temples. They have a thin, flexible, plastic coated wire that wraps all the way around the ear (you really don't notice them). They hold them on his face much better. If you're interested, I found them at Lenscrafters.

 

[Deb in IA]

Our kids were doomed before they were born. Both DH and I are very, very nearsighted.

They both started wearing glasses in 2nd grade, after they failed a school vision screen. DD wore glasses until age 13, when she got contact lenses -- mostly for ballet. She wasn't allowed to wear her glasses on stage for her recitals, and she was afraid she would run into someone or something.

DS went through a phase where his wire rims were only lasting a short time. He got hit in the face with a soccer ball once, and they were always a bit crooked after that. DS is a tinkerer, and he tried to adjust the glasses himself, which just made things worse and worse.

Now we got him Eye-phonics glasses http://www.italee.com/25/25main.html
They are pretty expensive, but they are flexible and comfortable, and most importantly, no more broken glasses!!

 

[Rock'n Robin]

My DS actually wears bifocals and has since he was 2. He is farsighted, has an astigmatism and strabismus (lazy eye). He had surgery on both eyes 4 years ago. Right now he has a piece of plastic film on his left lens--it's kind of like a patch; it makes the right eye work harder (in fact DH took it off for his school picture today and I can't find it--those little pieces of plastic, just like the ones you find on a watch face, cost $20!).
He has a backup pair without the bifocal that we use for sports. I have not updated them in a year or two and plan to after the next opth. appt. It is easier for him to see the ball without the bifocal. The opth. we go to does not accept any insurance for glasses! So I paid the whole $300, and use the insurance optical for his spare pair,which I buy at Target. After paying $300 though, I did NOT pay the $70 for the clip-on sunglasses! I have him wear a hat.
No one has ever teased him for glasses. He did wear a patch for a month or so in kindergarten and another kindergartener gave him some grief on the bus, but we found out who he was and pointed it out to the teachers and it stopped right there.
Robin M.

 

[janette]

My 13yo DD has worn them since 1st grade. She's had contacts since 4th grade and has done very well with them. The contacts were mainly needed for dance, she is extremely nearsighted and it was harder with the glasses but she couldn't see without them. I don't remember anyone ever teasing her, glasses are very common. Her younger sister has always wanted a pair to wear and is disappointed when we get her eyes checked that she doesn't get a pair.

 

[AZKathy]

DS has been in glasses since he was four. We noticed he was standing very close to the TV and he was finally able to communicate that things were fuzzy. We took him into a pediatric opthamologist and he got glasses. He was severely nearsighted and his vision changed a lot every six months. Finally, he was put in gas perm. contacts at the age of six to control changes. We had a very tough time with contacts, but he did it. He has never been teased about glasses even when kids see how thick they are and he never lost a contact at school. I kept contact supplies with the school nurse just in case.

Now, he is fifteen and we are looking forward to him having lasix when he turns 18.

I would not worry about your son. The only time I have heard talking to other parents is when the glasses don't make a tremendous change in the child's vision...then the child will take them off and resist wearing them. Usually when the child sees a difference with glasses compared to no glasses, the child is very happy to wear them and is very cooperative.

 

[golfgal]

My DS actually wears bifocals and has since he was 2. He is farsighted, has an astigmatism and strabismus (lazy eye). He had surgery on both eyes 4 years ago. Right now he has a piece of plastic film on his left lens--it's kind of like a patch; it makes the right eye work harder (in fact DH took it off for his school picture today and I can't find it--those little pieces of plastic, just like the ones you find on a watch face, cost $20!).
He has a backup pair without the bifocal that we use for sports. I have not updated them in a year or two and plan to after the next opth. appt. It is easier for him to see the ball without the bifocal. The opth. we go to does not accept any insurance for glasses! So I paid the whole $300, and use the insurance optical for his spare pair,which I buy at Target. After paying $300 though, I did NOT pay the $70 for the clip-on sunglasses! I have him wear a hat.
No one has ever teased him for glasses. He did wear a patch for a month or so in kindergarten and another kindergartener gave him some grief on the bus, but we found out who he was and pointed it out to the teachers and it stopped right there.
Robin M.

You can get the clip on sunglasses at Walmart now, Target probably has them too. Walmart has them for under $20 in all kinds of shapes and sizes. We found exact matches for DD/DS's glasses there.

 

[anewvance]

My younger dd is 4 1/2 now and has worn glasses since she was 3. The way we found out she needed them was in pictures we would notice she would have one white eye. We got scared it was that retinalblastoma cancer so went right to a specialist. Came to find out it was because she has a lazy eye and is far sighted. We patched her for awhile but wasn't working so last Wed she had surgery. She'll always wear glasses but she was losing vision really bad in the one eye that the surgery fixed.. she was 20/60 with glasses, is now 20/40 after the surgery and will be patching again now that the surgery is done to try to get her to 20/20 with glasses.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

My 3 year old niece wears glasses. We first noticed something was wrong when her eyes crossed when she was trying to focus on something. I think she's near-sighted.

 

[MamaLema]

Thanks again for all your replies.

I didn't abandon the thread, I can only Dis when DS2 is sleeping and the others are at school