DS and contacts

[live4christp1]

DS wants to get contacts. I wear contacts and have since the 9th grade. What age do you feel a child is ready for contact lenses? DS will be 9 in July.

 

[horseshowmom]

DD was 12 or 13. You might ask your optometrist for their opinion since they've had a lot of experience with different ages.

 

[piglet too]

My DS was 11 when he got his. Our optometrist said he has given them to kids as young as 9. However, it all depends on the kid, as they have to be ready to take care of them.

 

[golfgal]

DS10, who will be 11 next month, just got contacts a couple weeks ago. I don't know that at 8 years old he would have been responsible enough to properly care for them and he is a very responsible kid. Our eye dr probably wouldn't have given them to him at age 8 unless there was some medical necessity (I know a boy who's eyes are so bad he needs contacts AND glasses at the same time). I would wait a couple years to get him contacts personally.

 

[DVCLiz]

As long as he's ready to learn to take care of them, I'd certainly get them for him. Many kids that age are sensitive about being teased for wearing glasses, since so many of them have the contact option. Unlike braces, oddly enough -now every kid has braces - there's no one left to tease about it!!

I say go for it...

 

[live4christp1]

I don't think the teasing is to bad at school and there are a couple of other kids in his class with glasses, most of them have been classmates since K4 and are really a tight knit bunch. He plays basketball though and sometimes the glasses are a problem but he can't see the goal clearly withtout them, just like mom, nearsighted. We have been looking at the sports glasses but have you all seen those..... now those are some freaky looking glasses.

 

[pixiepower1971]

My 9 year old daughter just got her contacts last week. We will never see her in glasses again! She could have had them a few years ago but she couldn't get them in her eyes! Now she gets them in and out and since I wear contacts also I can help if she gets a little frustrated.

I would take him in for a talk with the doc. As long as he can put them in and take them out...go for it.

Her main reason that pushed her was to not have to wear her glasses while dancing. Talk about incentive to get them in your eyes!

 

[piglet too]

My DS played football for the first time this past year. That is the main reason he wanted, and got, his contacts for his birthday present.

 

[Servants of Evan]

To me the answer is more of a question -- is he a responsible enough? Does he wash his hands religiously? If the answers are "yes" then I'd let him try.

 

[Lanshark]

One of my kids wore glasses at 14 months and the other at 3.5 years. They went into contacts as soon as they were responsible enough to care for them. One was about 10 years old and the other wasn't interested until about 12 years old.

 

[geffric]

My youngest son was 11 when he got contacts since he couldn't wear glass under his football helmet and he couldn't see the ball without them. He is very responsible though. Even so, I opted to get him the daily disposible contacts , so he just throws them out at the end of the day and I don't have to worry about him taking care and cleaning the contacts..

 

[azgal81]

I got mine in the 8th grade wasn't interested in them before then. I started out with soft ones but I hated those they always folded on me and ripped. Then I got hard ones and I love them! I would say if you DS will take care of them then let him try. They are a big responsibility needing to be cleaned or else it could damage the eye. They are also easy to drop and lose!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

It really depends on the child. My 15yo wants contacts, but he barely wakes up in enough time to get ready for school and his grooming skills leave something to be desired. You'd think at 15yo he'd be old enough, but he isn't yet.

His 12yo brother is a different story. He showers without reminders, has enough time in the mornings, etc. He's still leary of putting contacts in, though, so has to get over that first. He plays baseball and basketball and it will be good when he doesn't have to deal with the glasses.

My 18yo DD got contacts when she was entering 9th grade.

 

[spoon full of sugar]

Geesh. Everyone heres kids must be way more responsible than my ds11, there is no way I would let him get contacts, he'd give himself a blinding infection in a month. Luckily he doesn't want them yet, he thought it was sooo cool when he got glasses , mainly because even before the glasses perfect strangers would come up to us and say how much he looked like Harry Potter. The day we picked up his first pair of glasses he turned to me and said" I really look like Harry now! COOL!" So way to go J K Rowling for making what could have been an unpleasant life experience something so very positive and sweet.

 

[Sleepy]

As long as the child is responsible enough to wash hands BEFORE inserting contacts, making sure the sink and counter are clean, the contact case is kept clean and he can place the contacts in his eyes without someone else's assistance and remembers to remove them before going to bed at night, he can get contacts. My son stated wearing them at age 7.

 

[mtblujeans]

Around here, the doctor won't let the child have contacts unless the child can take them out and put them back in front of him or one of his employees and show they can properly clean them. That has been very frustrating! Our youngest DS wanted the contacts but could not stand to touch his eyeballs! He is 14 and has finally gotten so he can do it by himself and he finally wears them every day. We wanted him to have the contacts if he was willing to take care of himself with them because they are supposed to slow down the progression of the worsening vision....something glasses don't do. But, ugh, what a fight to get him to do-it-himself!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

As long as the child is responsible enough to wash hands BEFORE inserting contacts, making sure the sink and counter are clean, the contact case is kept clean and he can place the contacts in his eyes without someone else's assistance and remembers to remove them before going to bed at night, he can get contacts. My son stated wearing them at age 7.

If this is the criteria then my 15yo son will be a 60yo grandfather before getting contacts! (which he very well may be...)