Dd suddenly not wanting to wear glasses

[bigfatgypsy]

Dd is 10 and has been wearing glasses for about 2 yrs. Until recently she's liked them, chooses a different pair each time her prescription changes and generally hasn't had any problems.

I've just found out that since going back to school in Sept she's hardly worn them in school. She keeps telling me she's left them at school, so I keep reminding her to put them on when she gets there but apparently she hasn't.

When I spoke to her about it she got upset and said she just doesn't like wearing them anymore, and she doesn't like the way she looks in them. No-ones teased her, she likes the actual glasses but just doesn't like how she looks in them.

I've mentioned it to the teacher, and told her she can get some different ones but she doesn't want to. She really needs to wear them for close work so I need to persuade her to wear them. We've talked about famous people who wear glasses, and I'm going to start wearing my own more (should do anyway so that will hopefully help)

Any other ideas? She's become so self-conscious recently, and I don't want to make that worse so I need to be sensitive about it rather than go in all-guns-blazing.

[mumblechum1]

Contact lenses?

[bigfatgypsy]

Hmm I did wonder about lenses, is she a bit young though? Not sure she'd be very good at putting them in.

[mumblechum1]

Just googled "at what age can children wear contact lenses", and there is no lower age limit, tho' obviously she'd have to be comfortable about using them, scrupulous about hygiene etc.

[workshy]

my 2 have been using them since they were 8 -had to prove to the optician that they could handle them completely independantly, understand about hygiene etc (much easier with DD2)

mine are both keen sporty types so it's made a huge difference :-)

[ripstheirthroatoutliveupstairs]

Has someone teased her? My DD wears glasses and has done for the last four years.
In her new (current) school somebody did make a remark about speccy four eyes and DD stopped wearing her specs during playtime.
She fell over and gave herself a good clatter on some sort of climbing thing they've got.
Luckily her teacher noticed she wasn't wearing her glasses and had a word with her and then me. She also had a whole class talk about how some people are different etc.
DD is now happily able to see again. They are so sensitive at that age though.

[roguepixie]

Could she try contact lenses? My DS (11) has started wearing them for sport and loves them. Perhaps giving her the option may help relieve her upset?

[bigfatgypsy]

I did wonder if she'd been teased, or heard someone else being teased but she says not. I've had a word with the teacher and I think they've had a little chat and she has started wearing them again. She's not keen on contact lenses and has promised to definitely wear them in class. I think she just got out of the habit of wearing them much over summer and is now just finding it hard to get used to them again.

[twentyten]

Our optician gave dd daily disposables to try- she likes them and now alternates it's a tough one but important to sort before high school !!

[pmk1977]

My dd is 7 and we discovered recently that she has been doing the same - wearing them at home but pretending to her teacher that she didn't need them at school any more. Haven't found a solution yet!

[booberella]

I'm actually a contact lens optician so fit people with lenses for a living- I have fitted kids as young as 8 but some 8 year olds are more mature and able to handle lenses than some 10 year olds- it depends on the individual. If she only has to wear her specs for concentrated work she may not be suitable for lenses, do you happen to know what her glasses prescription is? Most opticians do a free contact lens trial, but your DD has to want to wear lenses or there is no point! Feel free to ask me any questions if you want OP :-) I'm on maternity leave and my brain is turning to mush

[startail]

Do get her eyes retested, my DD2 (10) is much better at wearing her new glasses than her old ones.
Partly they aren't pink and so more grown up looking, but mainly because they are the right prescription. I don't think the previous pair were ever perfect and they got worse. She is defiantly much less self conscious about ones that really help.