Contact Lenses for Kids

[ktkerber]

How old were your kids when they started wearing contacts? My 10 yr old is begging me for them and I am not sure.

TIA,
Kristen

 

[braydensmom]

I was 12 years old, and I would encourage you to NOT let your child wear them at such an early age. I wasnt a dirty or irresponsible child, but I also didnt understand how to properly take care of a lot of things, including cleaning my contacts every day, making sure to take them out for certain periods of times. I had horrible problems with my eyes, but I was completely anti-glasses.
Thankfully 5 years ago I had laser eye, but even they could tell that I had done major trauma to my eyes wearing contacts from such a young age.
I would tell her to wait!

 

[PrincessMonkey]

Contact lenses can be worn by kids as young as 8 years old as long as the child is responsible and is willing to stick their finger "in" their eyes. I know adults who refuse to do it!

I think disposable contacts are great (but not "budget"), because you just wear a new pair every day, and it's safer because you don't have to worry if you cleaned them enough. I have to wear disposable lenses because my eyes are very sensitive.

Regular 2-week contacts may be cheaper than getting certain brands of glasses every year, since some kids tend to break their glasses in gym class, etc. I got regular contacts when I was 15 years old, and personally, that was a little late. Unlike disposable lenses, regular lenses can cause a lot of problems if you don't clean them. You can't throw them away until after 2 weeks, and some people tend to overwear them.

Young kids usually get contacts for sports or activities where glasses aren't always a practical choice. Contact lenses can also give kids a self-esteem boost and some extra confidence (at ANY age), so that's another positive side. But it's very good to be cautious as a parent to see if your child is right for them...

Some kids mature faster than others, and you really have to be careful that they remove the contacts before bed, and swap them out with fresh lenses on a regular schedule. A good way to figure out if young kids are ready is if they have good personal hygiene, and how well they keep their room/personal space cleaned up.

Maybe strike a deal with your child to see if they are willing to do extra chores to help "pay" for them? If you are still unsure if your child is ready or "needs" them, ask your child's optometrist for advice. Good luck!

 

[tonilea]

I got mine at 12 - back when they were $300 a pair. I took very good care of them and I think they would be even easier to use now with the 2 week and disposible lenses.

 

[DVCBELLE]

I have worn them since I was 10 years old. I was so happy to be out of my glasses and I was very diligent about cleaning them. I would get ones that are disposable (I think they have 30 day ones now)

If she is begging you for them, then I would definitely get them.
1. She might feel self-conscience in them and having them might boost her confidence - she is at that critical age where it could make a difference for her (and I know there are people who say just let her know they don't matter but think back to when you were her age and no one could convince you otherwise!)
2. She might find her glasses are hindering her activities. If you wear glasses, then you know how hard gym class can be or swimming. Or even running around, riding a bike...
3. At the end of the day, I find that my glasses hurt my ears and nose and my skin is oily.


I remember how excited I was to get my first pair of contacts! I felt like my parents really trusted me and I felt older and more responsible!

 

[ksjayhawkfan]

I got my first pair when I was 12. I have never had an issue and always took good care of them. I wear disposables, but mine are monthly.

My DS, who will be 13, just got his first pair last week. He is doing fantastic. He puts them in in the morning, wears them all day to school, and when he gets home at 4 he takes them out. It did take him a bit to get used to handling them and getting them in and out, but for us, it is by far the best thing we could have done.

 

[Mattsmommy]

They have contact lenses that can be worn for a whole month and can even be slept in. They are called Focus Night and Day. I wear them and love them. I've been wearing them for a year and haven't had a problem. The cheapest I've seen them has been at lens.com

 

[Disney Ella]

I was never allowed to get contacts when I was in high school because my parents said they were too expensive, so I decided that my kids would get them whenever they asked. They were 11 1/2. They really wanted them and have also been very careful with them. I got them date books to keep track of when they needed to change their contacts. (They wear one pair for two weeks.)

 

[pamjb]

My youngest was "blessed" with my eyesight (poor thing). He had wanted contacts for a long time due to his involvement with sports. His eye doctor recommended he wait till he was 13. As soon as he was 13, he got them. And he loves them. While we did spend about 90 minutes in the office while he got used to putting them in and out of his eye, he has no problems now.
You may want to check with your eye doctor to see what he recommends.

 

[Fabinva]

I got contacts for my son right before he turned 9, he has a lazy eye and makes it so noticeable when wearing glasses (thick lens). He does have a hard time putting the contacts in and out so I've been doing that for him, one in he has no problems at all.

 

[golfgal]

Our twins got theirs when they were not quite 10 and have been doing great with them. I wish I would have gotten them sooner-they are SO much easier then glasses, especially on kids that play sports. Our eye dr said they wouldn't give contacts to anyone that couldn't put them in and take them out on their own-no real age requirements, just ability.

 

[Rora]

I was probably 10 or 11 when I got mine. I wouldn't wear my glasses so my mom really didn't have a choice.

I was really responsible with them- washed my hands before and after I took them out, kept my nails short and clean (long nails=scratch your eye!), and took my glasses everywhere with me just in case one contact fell out.

Honestly, it was a great lesson in responsibility and I looked fashionable
If you think your kid can handle it, go for it!

 

[PollyannaMom]

It depends on your 10-year-old. I got mine at 13, as soon as I needed glasses. But both my parents already wore them, so the whole finger-in-the-eye thing already seemed normal to me, and I knew what I was getting into care-wise.

 

[laurie31]

My older DD got hers when she was 11. She begged for two years, but our eye doctor recommended waiting until 11/12 AND if I felt she was responsible enough.

She got braces at 10 and was very diligent about cleaning them properly, for an entire year, so we felt she could also be trusted with contacts. She has had them two years now and is still very careful to clean them exactly as the doctor showed her, and replacing them on schedule (She, DH, and I all wear the 30 day kind).

My younger DD will be 11 this fall, and she will be getting contacts then as well. It's the thing she's most looking forward to about her birthday!

I got mine when I was 13, btw, and I was also very careful about them. I've worn contacts for 29 years now, and I only had a problem when DD#1 was 3 weeks old, and I was so sleep-deprived I forgot my lens care and I got an infection. Other than that, no worries.

 

[carone0318]

My dd got her contact right around when she turned 8. She is a competitive gymnast and I did not feel comfortable with her wearing glasses when she was in the gym. When she first got them, she only wore them on days that she was training, but probably somewhere in the age of 10/11 she transitioned to wearing her contact all the time and that is basically what she does now - I only see her in her glasses at night before bedtime.

Oh, guess I'll add that she is turning 13 in September.

 

[live4christp1]

DS got them in 4th grade. He'd been in glasses since 1st grade. He plays basketball so he needed to be able to see but the glasses were a hazard, ended up getting a cut at basketball camp from the ball hitting the glasses. He has done really good with his. When we talked to the optometrist they said it just depends on the child and if they are mature enough to take care of them and put them in/take them out. DS had to be able to put them in and take them out himself before we could leave the office. I first got contacts in 9th grade and let me say, DS did way better than I did on my first attempts at putting them in, think it took me over an hour for one eye and DS had mastered in and out in less time than that. Of course he has grown up watching me deal with contacts on a daily basis.

 

[carone0318]

When dd first got her contacts she could get them out, but had a difficult time getting them in. So for the 1st 3 weeks that she had them, I would have her try to put them in for a couple of minutes and when she wasn't successful, then I would put them in for her (very strange for me since I don't wear glasses or contacts). At about the 3 week mark, she figured out how to put them in and has basically been a pro ever since.

I know many people who have had to be able to put them in and take them out to be able to leave the office with contacts, but in dd's case her vision is so poor without contacts/glasses that any way they could get in & out would suffice (more of a safety issue, rather than a cosmetic one.)

 

[dreamer17555]

Cat got them last year right after she turned 7. She got them for dance but wears them almost constantly now. She is very, very responsible and beside an occasional dropped contact, not a bit of an issue.

-Becca-

 

[pozey]

My son began wearing them at age 9. My optometrist encouraged him (us) to wear contacts since he is very active in sports.

 

[GhillieGirlsmom]

Delurking with a reply... my 10 year old daughter recently got contacts. It took her a while to get used to them, but now she gets them in and out with no problem.

Because of her age, and the fact that she only wants to wear them a few days per week, we opted for daily disposable lenses. Her eye doctor felt they were best, especially because there is no cleaning involved. Even though they are slightly more expensive, I'm happy we made this choice. They were about $90 for 90 days for both eyes.

She does really well with them, and is wearing them more and more. She dances competitively, and initially wore them just for competitions. Now she wears them on days she has class as well.