Experiences of small children wearing glasses please

[katkinn]

I've thought there was a problem with one of H's eyes for a while but today we've had it confirmed that she needs glasses. We've been referred to an opthalmologist (is that right? ) and they'll determine the exact prescription which will hopefully be in the next couple of weeks.

Now I'm really pleased that H is actually exceptionally excited about having to wear glasses.

But I can't help remembering (and gosh, this may be a completely awful admission ) but kids in glasses at my primary school (my friend earlier said it was ginger people at hers but we were at an Irish Catholic primary school and they were ten a penny so they were in the clear ) didn't tend to get an easy ride. (speccy 4 eyes anyone ?? )

I do know that a friend of mine at school had an older daughter who has to wear them all the time and completely hates it Which has obviously made me concerned.

Before we do get them, I wondered if there was anything I could be doing to prepare H etc etc etc etc.

Or are things different these days?! Like I said, H wasn't remotely bothered, in fact was pleased (and over the moon when I said she could have Hello Kitty ones ) but I'm not sure she realises she will have to wear them all the time.

In the scheme of things I know that this is such a minor thing for me to worry about and I should be completely over the moon that there's nothing more seriously wrong with her eyes (they did think it was muscular rather than prescriptive but after her cycloplegic exam today they're pretty sure it's prescriptive) but she's not the most confident of children and I am (perhaps unnecessarily) worried for her

Thank you for any experiences that people can share

[Booh]

DD's best friend wears glasses - she was a prem baby and suffered some sort of eye damage - sorry I have no idea what


Younger kids just don't notice these things - and one good thing about Harry Potter is that glasses are not cool - DD really wants a pair, so much so that I have booked her an appointment to get her eyes tested

One thing my friend says is that kids glasses are so cheap, she buys a few pairs so they dont get sick of them, and she changes them a lot - Helly Kitty sunglasses anyone

[WeeBird]

There are 5 children in my DS's class of 26 who wear glasses so it is not commented on at all there. A few only started wearing them in reception and there was an inital 'breaking in' period where they had to be reminded to wear them but on the whole none of their mums has said that there has been any difficulties.

[Cerise]

My DD started wearing glasses at just turned 5 - one term into Reception. she has to wear them all the time but takes them off for PE (and painting so she doesn't get them messy!). She wasn't bothered at all. They are so pretty we treat them like jewellery. I still forget sometimes, but we have a post it on the back door to remind her to put them on. It was far less change than I expected and the only person who shed any tears was me when she was in bed. I just felt sorry for her that she will always have glasses - and I think she looks more beautiful without them. But a few months in I don't notice and they are just part of her and she is naturally the prettiest and most likeable girl in the world

[minime]

C has been wearing glasses for about a year. She has to wear them all the time as she has an astigmatism. As far as I know. no one has commented on them or taken the mickey out of her. She did bring it up about people teasing her when we got them but told her to tell her nursrey teachers if that did happen and they have never mentioned to me about people teasing her.

We did get two pairs for her (there was a deal on where we got them) but she tends to wear her little miss sunshine ones more than her pink ones.

Don't know if your LO has had them yet, but they will probably put drops in her eyes to dilate them. They do sting a bit when they go in and what C's one did was get her to close her eyes so she could get both eyes done quickly and it wasn't a sudden sting that then meant a struggle doing the next one. Also a good idea to take some sunglasses with you for after as C complained the first time about it being really bright outside and making her eyes hurt and also about things being fuzzy.

HTH
Mini xx

[Blonde Girl]

I wore glasses from the age of 6, so practically H's age now, and, apart from the fact that the NHS ones in 1981 were grim I never had a problem with them I certainly don't remember any major teasing - the odd bit, but no more than anyone got for other little things.

Also, 3 of 5 of Dan's little group at school wear glasses, and I don't think anyone thinks anything of it. Prob better now than when she is a possible self conscious teen as by then she, and her
schoolmates, will be used to her in them.


I bet H will look lovely in them btw!

[Bop]

My DS really had drawn the short straw then - he has ginger hair and glasses!!

He's generally not too bad at wearing them but they do get broken frequently - young boys, football and temper tantrums do not mix well with glasses - so we have to keep a spare pair!! He had a tricky spell at the end of last term (I think someone had said something?) and kept taking them off, but we bribed him with a football if he wore them for a whole month and it seems to have worked. Luckily the optician backed me up yesterday and said how his eyes are doing really well because he is wearing them a lot, so if he keeps it up he will only need annual rather than six monthly checks (I suspect its age related but he doesn't need to know that!).

Bop

[*SarahR*]

Lucypede is a children's opthalmic person so you could pm her for some advice/ideas if you wanted.

I don't have any experience but Monty thinks glasses are pretty cool, he has a few friends at nursery who wear them.

You can get such lovely styles now that I think H will look really fab!

[nickimacrae]

I've worn glasses since I was 18m old and never had any teasing particularly related to glasses - plenty related to other stuff

My friends little girl wears them at 5 and TBH the only issues she's had is putting them down and forgetting them All my kids were quite interested in them when she first started wearing them and thought it was very special and cool.

I guess kids will always find stuff to pick on other kids about, and we can't make our kids so vanilla they just blend into the wall paper I always figure its better to work on building their emotional intelligence and esteem as much as you can and kind of work at it from the other end of things, if you see what I mean?...

[jubiedoo16]

DD1 wears glasses and at first I was upset as i thought it would be a reason to be picked on, i know i had a few names called when i had my delightful NHS standards in the 80s but nothing major. However kids glasses now are so trendy, So far she has had them 8 months and has not had one negative comment. she loves wearing them, mainly becuae now she is not living in a blurry world, but she also just likes her glassed. Now we have her full prescription we have got her a couple of pairs and a pair of prescription sunglasses, but don't get loads until she is using her full prescription. We spent £60 on them for dd in January (she has to have the lenses thinnned which you have to pay for) and didn't like any of the NHS ones, however we then had to change them after 7 months when they moved onto new prescription so shelled out another £120 on those.