Contact Lenses for Kids

[roliepolieoliefan]

My son got his at 9 yo. We started with the daily disposables for the first 6 months.

After he got really good at putting them in and out and felt more comfortable we switched to the monthlys . They aren't as convenient but a whole heck of alot cheaper.

He's 11 now and does fine with them.

 

[lemondog]

I was 14. I have never had any problems. My mom and my eye doctor both made me wait until I was a freshman in high school, and I think it was a good decision.

 

[punkin]

I am planning to get DD10 contacts this year. Glasses are just too cumbersome (and even painful) when she is fencing. I hope she is mature enough to take care of them. My older DD got them at around 14, but she was not into any sport that required being able to see clearly.

 

[tayandjensmom]

Oldest dd was 12 when she got them. She'll be 14 and has done wonderful with them. Our youngest dd was 11 when we she asked for them. Again, no problem what so ever. They both have disposable, but they last 4 weeks. They both take them out every night and clean them.

Both girls are very involved with sports. I can't tell you how many time the basketball or volleyball was bouncing off the side of their glasses, throwing them to the ground. Contacts have made it much more enjoyable playing sports for each of them.

I've had contact myself for 25 years. Both my kids were blessed with my terrible eye sight. As long as you feel the kids are mature enough to handle the daily upkeep, I see no problem in kids wearing them. Our eye doctor even suggested kids as young as 8, if they are in contact sports, should consider contacts.

Good luck in whatever you decide. Lisa

 

[NotUrsula]

DS12 got his for his 12th birthday, about 7 weeks ago. He is fine with taking them out and properly putting them up to soak (remembers to wash his hands and all), but he has issues re: putting them in his eyes. He had to do it at the office before they would let him leave, but it took him 2 hours. In our daily lives we don't have that much time to wait on him in the morning (we only have one bathroom in the house), so I've been putting them in for him most of the time. He has REALLY thick full eyelashes that are about 1/2" long, which is a big part of the problem -- he's not experienced enough to be able to hold against the involuntary urge to close his eyes when those lashes are in the way. Almost every time he tries inserting the lens, it ends up dangling from his eyelashes at some point.

I'm confident that he'll get the hang of it in a few weeks. I sure hope so, anyway; he just went through a growth spurt and is now taller than I am. If it keeps up I'll have to stand on the toilet seat to insert the contacts for him.

I'm putting up with this because he has always been very clumsy, and never could manage to keep up in any kind of games that involved balls. Since getting the contacts he is able to catch at least 3X as well, and is no longer afraid of embarassing himself in Gym class.

 

[JustineMarie]

My DD started wearing her contacts a month after she turned 7. She plays keeper in soccer and the sports googles she had distorted the ball and made her dizzy. She puts them in by herself and takes them out by herself. She only occasionally wears them to school or when she is going out somewhere, but she wears them to her soccer practices and games and when she goes to dance. I am glad we made the decision to get them for her.

 

[Caradana]

My mother set me up with contacts when I was 9, in 1989. I was a dork - a thick-glasses-wearing, buck-toothed-in-braces, permed-bangs, chunky, klutzy, book-loving, self-righteous little dork. Luckily all of this combined to make me cute to adults, but it didn't do much for me with my peers. So my mother opted to intervene. Thanks Mom!!!
Years later, in retrospect, I think contact lenses helped a lot with my self confidence during that critical tween time. It definitely made me feel prettier.

 

[ktkerber]

Thank you for all your responses! I think we will give them a try. I love mine and have been wearing them for around 25 years. The eye dr said 12 is the age that he shoots for to wear contacts, but really has no reason other than the eyes change alot at this age. DD is 10 1/2. She is pretty mature for her age and I wasn't sure that we really needed to wait another 1 1/2 years. But I remembered being older when I got mine. Much has changed since I got mine, we used to clean them with this little device that you plugged into the wall and it boiled them. There was no such thing as disposable lenses. I think they are much easier to maintain now.
DD plays basketball and does competition cheerleading. The glasses are really becoming a pain. She refuses to wear the sport specs.

Thanks again!