swimming and glasses

[Mommee]

Ok, I'm clueless here. My real world hasn't found me an answer yet...lots of kids that wear glasses, but not little kids that HAVE to wear them to function..

DD (3) wears glasses. She has severe astigmatism and cannot see well enough to get by without them. I have no idea what to do about swimming! If she wears her glasses, they get wet and she gets frustrated. If she takes them off, she's terrified because she can't see where the water is.
Do I just let her wear the glasses and let her get used to them being spotted? I mean, goggles have water drips all over them, right? But I have no idea if the hinges will rust if they get wet too often.

What do other people do? If I'd been thinking of this I would've asked the eye doctor when we were there.

 

[golfgal]

Get prescription water goggles. The plastic on them repels water so they don't spot. I was going to recommend contacts but not at 3.

 

[Buckalew11]

I don't know the answer but I just read yesterday that there is such a thing as "prescription goggles" for swimming. I guess it'd depend on how much swimming she does.

 

[pennymom]

My son's swimming teacher said that Dick's sporting goods carries goggles made to fit over glasses. We haven't looked yet, but plan to for DS5.

 

[Magpie]

Ok, I'm clueless here. My real world hasn't found me an answer yet...lots of kids that wear glasses, but not little kids that HAVE to wear them to function..

DD (3) wears glasses. She has severe astigmatism and cannot see well enough to get by without them. I have no idea what to do about swimming! If she wears her glasses, they get wet and she gets frustrated. If she takes them off, she's terrified because she can't see where the water is.
Do I just let her wear the glasses and let her get used to them being spotted? I mean, goggles have water drips all over them, right? But I have no idea if the hinges will rust if they get wet too often.

What do other people do? If I'd been thinking of this I would've asked the eye doctor when we were there.

Has she indicated that she's actually afraid to take them off in the water? Or are you afraid that she will be afraid?

My daughter needed glasses from about the same age, and couldn't get by without them. But in the water she was more focussed on "feeling" than on seeing. Swimming blind didn't seem to bother her at all.

Now that my children are older, they choose to wear their glasses in the water, with a strap to hold them in place. We've never had any issues with rust.

I will say that a strap is NOT enough to keep glasses safe in the surf, though! My son lost his glasses in the ocean a couple weeks ago. All I can say is, thank goodness it was him and not our daughter, because his glasses are simple to replace (no astigmatism, no prisms, nothing weird).

 

[Rora]

My son's swimming teacher said that Dick's sporting goods carries goggles made to fit over glasses. We haven't looked yet, but plan to for DS5.

I think this is worth a try. I've seen them at my local sporting good store.

Good luck, OP!

 

[NMAmy]

Has she indicated that she's actually afraid to take them off in the water? Or are you afraid that she will be afraid?

My daughter needed glasses from about the same age, and couldn't get by without them. But in the water she was more focussed on "feeling" than on seeing. Swimming blind didn't seem to bother her at all.

I'm extremely near sighted--I cannot function without glasses or contacts. Like Magpie's dd, it never bothered me to swim without being able to see. I'm trying to think of ways to help her adapt--when you say she can't see where the water is, what do you mean? Like if she's by the side of the pool or lake or if she's actually IN the water?

I guess after all these years of not being able to see when swimming that I'm having a hard time understanding what is actually in the water to see.

 

[Magpie]

I'm extremely near sighted--I cannot function without glasses or contacts. Like Magpie's dd, it never bothered me to swim without being able to see. I'm trying to think of ways to help her adapt--when you say she can't see where the water is, what do you mean? Like if she's by the side of the pool or lake or if she's actually IN the water?

I guess after all these years of not being able to see when swimming that I'm having a hard time understanding what is actually in the water to see.

It just occurred to me that my daughter used to like to get into the water and then hand me her glasses... I'd hand them back to her when she was ready to get out. So maybe that would work for the OPs dd?

 

[Mommee]

Has she indicated that she's actually afraid to take them off in the water? Or are you afraid that she will be afraid?

My daughter needed glasses from about the same age, and couldn't get by without them. But in the water she was more focussed on "feeling" than on seeing. Swimming blind didn't seem to bother her at all.

Now that my children are older, they choose to wear their glasses in the water, with a strap to hold them in place. We've never had any issues with rust.

I will say that a strap is NOT enough to keep glasses safe in the surf, though! My son lost his glasses in the ocean a couple weeks ago. All I can say is, thank goodness it was him and not our daughter, because his glasses are simple to replace (no astigmatism, no prisms, nothing weird).

She's actually afraid (we've tried). She can't see where the surface of the water is, and she can't see where the bottom is. When she first got the glasses, she had such trouble walking because the ground wasn't where she thought it was and her balance was so off. She went through 4 weeks of PT to help her transition. Now that she's had the glasses for a year, she has that problem when she takes them off. She can get through the house semi-okay because she doesn't need to pay attention (she does occasionally bump walls at doorways), but as soon as she starts "looking" for a surface, she can't figure out where it is. I'm sure when she gets older she'll "get it" more, but for now it's quite an issue. I'm told it's the astigmatism that does that-everything looks smeared to her with no clear lines.

I did a google search for goggles that go over, and didn't find any. I'll have to stop into a store and ask. Prescription goggles would be too expensive for the few months we can swim around here.

 

[Mommee]

It just occurred to me that my daughter used to like to get into the water and then hand me her glasses... I'd hand them back to her when she was ready to get out. So maybe that would work for the OPs dd?

If DH is holding her in the pool, that is what we do. But she won't let go of him at all..becomes a clinging monkey

 

[princesspiglet]

My DD7 has had to wear glasses everyday since she was 3 also. We also have a pool at our house, so I have bought her swimming goggles everytime she has gotten a new prescription. I think we are on our 4th pair now. As soon as she gets near the pool she takes off her glasses and puts on her goggles. They are the exact same script as her glasses and they come in all different colors. Here is the company I use. Highly recommend them.

http://www.aclens.com/Accessories/Types/Precription-Swimming-Goggles/16/Precription-Swimming-Goggles.html

Just wanted to add- I only paid $40 for her goggles. Totally worth it to me- even for only 3-4 months a year.

 

[Magpie]

She's actually afraid (we've tried). She can't see where the surface of the water is, and she can't see where the bottom is. When she first got the glasses, she had such trouble walking because the ground wasn't where she thought it was and her balance was so off. She went through 4 weeks of PT to help her transition. Now that she's had the glasses for a year, she has that problem when she takes them off. She can get through the house semi-okay because she doesn't need to pay attention (she does occasionally bump walls at doorways), but as soon as she starts "looking" for a surface, she can't figure out where it is. I'm sure when she gets older she'll "get it" more, but for now it's quite an issue. I'm told it's the astigmatism that does that-everything looks smeared to her with no clear lines.

I did a google search for goggles that go over, and didn't find any. I'll have to stop into a store and ask. Prescription goggles would be too expensive for the few months we can swim around here.

What if you encouraged her to swim with her eyes closed, with one of you holding her? Just make it a tactile experience.

Swimming seems to me to be the sort of activity that doesn't really need eyesight at all. After all, you know you're over your head because you can't feel the bottom, not because you can see where the bottom is (distance is all messed up in water anyway).

 

[Magpie]

If DH is holding her in the pool, that is what we do. But she won't let go of him at all..becomes a clinging monkey

After my son had a near-drowning scare, he used to do that, and he could see!

I used to just let him cling and swim around and enjoy myself despite the cute little monkey on my back. Eventually (I'm talking over a period of months) his grip eventually loosened a little and he'd let me play "floating" games with him, where I'd hold him and he'd bob around.

It took a lot of patience, though. And hours in the water!

However, if prescription goggles are all she needs to swim independantly, I'd definitely look into some. Otherwise, I'd just leave the glasses on and let her swim with them (with a strap, and not in surf, ). Children change prescriptions so frequently, the odds of them rusting seem fairly slim to me. I'd just dry them carefully after she gets out of the pool.

 

[Mommee]

My DD7 has had to wear glasses everyday since she was 3 also. We also have a pool at our house, so I have bought her swimming goggles everytime she has gotten a new prescription. I think we are on our 4th pair now. As soon as she gets near the pool she takes off her glasses and puts on her goggles. They are the exact same script as her glasses and they come in all different colors. Here is the company I use. Highly recommend them.

http://www.aclens.com/Accessories/Types/Precription-Swimming-Goggles/16/Precription-Swimming-Goggles.html

Just wanted to add- I only paid $40 for her goggles. Totally worth it to me- even for only 3-4 months a year.

For $40 it might be worth it, but those ones can't be ordered with astigmatism correction (at least not that I saw??) For a minute I thought that would be perfect

I guess if the glasses won't rust, I'll just have her wear them and get used to the spots. I'm not sure if a strap will fit on her style (cable temples) but when she gets older and more active in the water I can look for one. And those goggles...she'll probably need at least those for swim lessons.

 

[Ceila]

We ordered prescription goggles for our daughter without needing an Rx from the doctor (we just needed to know her diopter number). They're only about $20. These don't correct astigmatism, but if she has myopia they would help, and maybe correcting that would help enough to get by for swimming:

http://www.speedousa.com/product/in...p=3124326.3128423.3132044.3425613&cid=1062197

That link is for children's sizes; they also carry ones for adults if anyone else needs them.

 

[Mommee]

We ordered prescription goggles for our daughter without needing an Rx from the doctor (we just needed to know her diopter number). They're only about $20. These don't correct astigmatism, but if she has myopia they would help, and maybe correcting that would help enough to get by for swimming:

http://www.speedousa.com/product/in...p=3124326.3128423.3132044.3425613&cid=1062197

That link is for children's sizes; they also carry ones for adults if anyone else needs them.

She has severe astigmatism so it won't work (she was born with eyelids that covered her pupils, and the weight of them permanently changed the shape of her eyes. the lids were corrected but the damage was already done), but I'll save the links in case other dd gets to the point she needs them.

thank you.

 

[Lanshark]

DS began wearing glasses at 14 months and DD at 3 years old. They need them to function. We have a swimming pool and both kids were on swim teams. DD swam in college. Both had prescription goggles when they were little. At about age 10(DS) (12 (DD)they switched to contacts and swam with regular goggles. I got mine from my optician. They were not cheap but worth it.

 

[NotUrsula]

You can get REAL Rx goggles for her from your optical shop; they do make them. We have always used the regular dioptered lenses from aclens.com, but if that isn't going to be enough to make her comfortable, then investing in serious goggles would seem to be your only viable alternative.

My DH always hated swimming until I found dioptered goggles for him, and now he's a fish. It really DOES make a huge difference to people who have a serious sight impairment; they spend their time in the water almost perpetually dizzy because they don't know which way is up, and it is dangerous for them, too, because they cannot tell where the sides of the pool (or the shore) are, and they can swim in circles and exhaust themselves trying to find their way out of the water. It isn't at all the same as a sighted person keeping your eyes closed, because we can always open our eyes for a second to get our bearings.

 

[ndelaware]

There are tons of Rx swim goggles available;

http://www.bing.com/search?FORM=MSN8A&srch=105&Lang=enus&q=perscription+swin+goggles

 

[Lanshark]

I wanted to add that the goggles I bought the kids were made in a way that when their prescription changed significantly, I could buy new lenses and have them put in. One pair of goggles for each kid lasted until they were old enough to want contacts.