OT: Does your child wear glasses?

[Tam1067]

Hello

My oldest dd, 5 years, was just tested at the optomotrist's office and it was discovered that she is farsighted and has a lazy eye (left side). We had absolutely no clue there were any problems, but the school did a screening and she was flagged as having a possible problem. Her eye does not noticeably turn in at all. Neither dh nor I wear glasses, and she is learning to read, colours all the time, loves to write and draw pictures ... we had no idea and I am feeling really bad that I didn't discover this earlier.

Wow--this is EXACTLY what happened with our oldest. At kindergarten, the vision screening caught it; he is also farsighted and has a lazy eye--something we didn't know because it's slight. We were shocked, and I went through a lot of worry about it myself, and I felt guilty because looking back, I thought there were some little clues I should have picked up on.

Now the good part: he's 9 now, and an A student who just won a district wide competition for writing and illustrating his own book. He actually LOVES his glasses because he can finally see. When we got the first pair, he looked around at the store in amazement because he had been missing all these things for so long, and he hadn't known they even existed. We wondered all along why he hated the zoo--and realized that he hadn't been seeing the animals that well.

He feels no stigma with the glasses and actually thinks that they make him look good. One of our August routines now, in addition to back to school shopping, is getting a new pair of glasses--which he enjoys picking out.

Kids have been good generally, with only 1 or 2 in all these years ever saying anything. He patches wherever and whenever he needs to. On our last WDW trip, we fashioned a pirate patch which he wore with his pirate hat, and he got all sorts of comments from CMs about being a Captain and the like. It was really fun.

On the vision front, his has improved with each opthamologist visit because we do patch regularly, just like we're told.

So my advice is don't stress about it. Follow the doctor's orders for patching--be serious about it! Your daughter will probably be fine. You might come across kids who tease her or who stare (the latter does bug DS still), but it's generally not so bad. And I know the feeling. I remember feeling sick to my stomach when I'd look at my sweet little kindergartener with the patch on his eye; we're beyond that now, so he's my big 3rd grader who has to be reminded to patch but does it because he knows that's the way to improve his vision.

Plus, each year of school, a couple more kids in his grade get glasses, too!

 

[weirdpaintballr]

I've had glasses since 3rd or 4th grade....I'm in eighth grade now...I really had no problem with being joked or anything...it was no big deal at a young age...although, by about 6th grade I thought I would die before my optomestrist(sp?) would let me get contacts....I have had my contacts since the summer before 7th grade...I still have to wear my glasses at night, and i really don't like them, but i deal with it. IF the glasses make your child see better, she won't have a problem wearing them....don't sweat it.....if you child isn't excited about them, I wouldn't have a party, it might upset her(I was not at all happy and if my parents had thrown a party i probably would have cried)...But its totally your call....

 

[Hedy]

I've had glasses since I was eight. Never had too much trouble. I wouldn't be into a party, it seems a little over the top to me.
I will say, WDW with glasses wasn't too fun (I took my glasses of on most jolty rides).

 

[Wickedmom75]

I was 18 months old when I got my 1st pair of glasses I have a lazy eye that just would not improve with patching and for some reason they never gave me surgery, My glasses make me see a little clearer but I could function if I never had them (although people would really look at me funny with my eye tryng to roll all the way into my head) all 4 of my kids wear glasses, the youngest one started wearing them at 3 or 4 DS8 had surgery on both his eyes due to them crossing, but everyone else seems to be doing ok. I felt really bad when we found out that 3 of them were pretty blind. But no one has ever said anything about being picked on . Growing up the only kids who called me 4 eyes were my siblings and they couldn't really talk 'cause they all wore glasses too.

 

[disneygal66]

My DS is 10 and starting wearing glasses for the same reason (lazy eye) at 3 yrs old. He hated the patching so much! In fact our eye dr said in 20 yrs she had never seen a child so horrible at wearing the patch! He now has a cream that we put in instead of patching. The cream (atropine)sp? dilates the good eye so that the lazy one has to be used. Also my youngest DS is now 6 and started wearing glasses at 4 1/2 yrs (eye turns in) and he is autistic. I let him pick out Purple glasses (because Magenta from Blues Clues wears purple ones) and he will wear them. But both of them will only wear them at school and a little at home. They both have other issues so I don't push it! No one has teased them and the other kids seem to take it in stride. I hope this helps some !!

 

[KerriMc]

Thanks everyone for all of your stories It has made me feel much better. My dd, Julia, is VERY excited about getting her glasses and keeps asking when they will be ready for her. I think it is more my worry as a mom that is the problem. I have no issue with her wearing glasses, but I do worry about other children. I am a kdgn teacher and I do know that these kids don't notice things like this, but you just never know. There is always one in the bunch! She is an ultra sensitive kid, so that is what is bothering me I guess.

I have talked to some friends who's dd also has the same issues as my dd, but their dd's lazy eye is much more severe. She hasn't had to patch yet either. Her father is a dr. and and has read that using those atropine (?) drops in the good eye to make it blurry and force the "good" eye to work, is just as effective as patching. I am going to explore that option if it comes to that. He also recommended that we get another opinion with an opthomolgist just to make ourselves feel more comfortable with the diagnosis. She currently has been seen by an optomotrist, who I do feel is very good, but a second opinion never hurts. I don't feel I need to second opinion about the glasses, just I'd like one before any patching starts to take place to be sure that this is absolutely necessary.

Anyways ... thank you so much again. I am looking for the book about Arthur and his glasses so we can read it together. I really don't think she'll have a hard time as she is a very social and outgoing little girl, but that little part of me just can't stop worrying !!

Kerri

p.s. We aren't going to celebrate with a big party or anything like that ... I just think maybe we'll go out to dinner or something special just for her!

 

[elan]

My dd has a ped opthamologist.

She started wearing glasses at 2 and will soon turn 9. Her first pair of glasses were pink mickey glasses. She thought they were pretty cool. She wore them out of the store but promptly took them off saying she didn't need them. I must of stopped 5 times on the way home to put them back on. (she also had a lazy eye-and the dr informed us the importance that she had to wear her glasses). She needed to learn taking them off wasn't an option.

We also did the patching. 4-6 hrs a day. We patched for 2 years. Not a lot of fun but we survived. We would decorate her patches with stickers and bake LOTS of cookies. I'd keep the refridg cookie rolls and slice off a cookie sheet worth. It took her a long time to decorate the cookies with sprinkles and she'd forget about the patch in the meantime.

She HATES the dilating drops. Using the drops instead of the patch was not an option for us.

She has never really been teased, but will use the excuse herself sometimes. I can't do "whatever" I have glasses. But her eyes have steadily improved and her dr thinks she will one day be without them...until hereditary(sp) kicks in, dh and I both come from a family of glass wearers.

 

[Mom to Jordan]

Be aware that the medical intervention of dilating the eyes do not work for every child. If the "bad" eye is a lot worse that the "good" eye, often the bluring is not enough to prevent the "good" eye from being used. Also dark eyed children seem to not respond to the dilating as well as light colered eye children.

Another good idea is to make sure that you get your glasses at a office very near your home. With kids there are a LOT of adjustments and repairs to be done. Many times, as in our case ,your child might see an special eye doctor an hour or two away. While you are tempted or even ecouraged to get your child's glasses there, it is much better to get them close to home so the repairs are easy to handle. Wal-mart or any optical center can also do emergency repairs even if the glasses did not come from there and often do not even charge you. I KNOW.

Another good idea I heard was to allow your child to pick out a new stuffed animal when she gets her new glasses. Put the animal in a safe place and when she is not wearing the glasses, the animal must wear them. A trip to build-a bear might be a great celebration for the new glasses.
I see nothing wrong with a just family party to celebrate the occassion.Maybe include grandparents if they are close.

Sounds like OP has it all under controll and is handeling in all well!

Jordan's mom

 

[vellamint]

One of my sons has worn glasses for a lazy eye since he was three.

He had no other problems with far or near
sightedness.

I was never given an option to patch...we have used a pediatric ophtomalogist.

My son was given bifocals....the tops has no prescription but when he looked down to read they would make the bad eye turn the right way.

I was originally told that he may need surgery one day which I was not willing to entertain since as he got older (around 9 or 10) he also became nearsighted and would have needed glasses for that anyway.

This past year the doctor said his eye is fine now - no more lazy eye.