5yr old getting glasses - top tips please

[deepfriedcupcake]

Like how do I get him to like them and not think glasses looks silly?

Can I avoid him (or DS2 15mo) accidentally trashing them?

Anything tips for wearing them (and not loosing them) at school?

Do these look like girls glasses or could a boy (who's favourite colour in the whole wide world is red and loved these when we went for a quick look earlier) get away with them?

Anything else helpful for someone who's never worn glasses?

[AllYourCakeAreBelongToMe]

Both mine wear glasses. DS has done since he was 2.5, DD has only just started, at 4. It wasn't hard for us, as we all (grandparents included) wear glasses, so it's sort of normal here, but I still reiterate to both kids how grown up and smart their glasses make them look, which helps when they've had a bit of a wobble.
You can't avoid them getting trashed, I'm afraid. To minimise it, teach him to take them off forwards, rather than ripping them off by one arm, and also teach him to never, ever put them down on the lenses. It'd still be a good idea, however, to get a spare pair if you can. Btw, if they do get trashed, you can get them repaired on a voucher (one per 6 months I think) so you don't have to pay.
The frame itself on those glasses looks boyish. Not sure about the things on the arms. If he loves them though, probably best to let him have those ones.
Also, expect that he'll be cranky, headachy and generally probably not feel very well the first day he wears them, whilst his eyes adjust.

[Fuzzywood]

DD, just 3 has just started wearing glasses and DH in particular has done a fab job in making her want to wear them. Lots of telling her that the cool people wear glasses, her grandparents, carer at nursery etc. Would this work? The pair we have are surviving much bashing about, you can get scratch 'proof' lenses and they seem to bend without breaking.
The glasses you linked to are pretty cool though the splashes look a little girl like in colour. They had loads at our local opticians, is it an option to take him to choose. I did so that in theory DD more likely to wear them. Also I haven't pushed it if she wants to take the off for a bit. Good luck

[BorisTheBold]

My dd has had glasses since she was 3 (I think!). I'd suggest not getting metal frames and going for acetate instead. We've found that the metal frames get bent out of shape really easily, whilst the acetate frames have managed to withstand Dd1 being a 6yo as well as dd2 stealing them off her face at every given opportunity, and dd3 having a grab too!

[Carrotsandcelery]

Our ds wears glasses and we have never had any problem getting him to wear them.

I think, first and foremost, they made such a difference to what he could see that he preferred to have them on. (It was heart breaking to realise the things he had never seen before as he pointed them all out in amazement on the way to playgroup.

All the men in our family wear them so he took it as a sign that he was becoming a man like them so was happy to be like them (so maybe try to subtley point out role models who wear glasses if no one special to him in your family does.)

We let him choose his frames - however much they made us cringe ourselves. They do great Batman, Shrek, Star Wars, Beano etc and some that are just incredibly cool and grown up looking if that is what he prefers.

They do get wrecked. There is just nothing you can do about it. I have made a point of not nagging about them as I don't want the glasses to be a point of friction. They get wrecked, they get fixed/replaced for free. Some opticians will let you get a spare pair for £10 which is helpful if you can get it.

I would try and keep it all positive and not nag if he doesn't wear them all the time. Bear in mind it can feel a bit odd if you are not used to them. Ds however never wants to take his off and we have to prise them off once he is asleep at night.

Good luck

[AlwaysbeOpralFruitstome]

DS1 got his first pair of glasses at 5. They were bright red (also his favourite colour) and looked super. They did eventually get trashed and he now has a new blue framed pair (his new favourite colour) and again, they look great.

I didn't have any trouble getting him to wear them as, after the first couple of days, he realised he could see so much better which is a massive incentive to keep wearing them.

Ds's teacher's in Reception and Yr1 have been really good and they both have had Ds's glasses case (and the others who wear them) in a drawer and keep them safe during P.E./playtime. We have had a couple of occasions where they have been misplaced but the problems have mostly been at home . Make sure you have a designated place to keep them (learnt from bitter experience) and always have a spare case in your bag when your out.

As for the trashing...well it's probably going to happen, just try and do what Allyourcake says about taking them on and off etc. I have had really good service from Boots (which is affiliated with Donald and Aitchenson). Good range of kids frames and happy to help with 'accidents'.

[deepfriedcupcake]

Thanks.
I wouldn't have thought of how to take them off, and am probably guilty of resting sunglasses on their lenses (and trashing them that way) so will see if we can remember that one. And he'll hopefully get used to them in the remainder of the school hols, so I'll keep a look out for headaches etc.

We're heading back in on Friday morning when the optician's in to measure him for them etc - I'll ask just how robust they are as I suspect they'll see quite a bit of superhero death-defying action in the playground. I tried to convince him of some others (bendable metal frames now that I think about it) but he seemed quite set - maybe I'll just go with it so he's happy about the whole thing.

[Grumpla]

I was about 4 when I started wearing glasses and my Dad found this weird neoprene sort of band that you could poke the 'legs' in to? Very useful for sports / cycling as stops them flying off when jostled!

I would say you definitely need a spare pair. Glasses always get trashed halfway through a holiday / day before your birthday party etc, IME.

[deepfriedcupcake]

And thanks, I was just thinking about cases too. I'm sure the teachers know what to do about p.e. etc (v helpful lot), and I'll see about a spare pair/case too.

I've been thinking of a few friends and grown ups too that wear them (including some that don't wear them "just because they're getting old") so hopefully that'll help.

[OwlMother]

Ds2 has had his since he was 18mths and has never broken a pair. They have always lasted a year - in one case a pair lasted two years as he was so keen on the original pair that he didn't wear the new pair!

I think it always seems more likely that they will trash them than it actually is. Our rule has always been that they never come off - not at soft play, gymnastics etc. This way wearing them just becomes second nature. We are now so confident in his ability to look after them that we let his choose reasonably pricey ones and he has prescription sunglasses too.

No-one has ever said anything derogatory to him - think glasses are so common these days it doesn't occur as much as it did when we were wee.

Oh, Ds always prefers plastic frames - likes the feel of the nose-piece better. Don't know whether this helps them survive so well.

[deepfriedcupcake]

DH had mentioned one of those bands too Grumpla, just had a look and found a few online.

[deepfriedcupcake]

I like that idea owlmother - he's got to wear them all the time till his check up in 8 weeks (after that I don't know) so if he can get used to them being a full time thing that would be good. Apart from some of the really crazy stuff he tells me they get up to in p.e. maybe.

[AmyStake]

Don't panic if they get broken - the NHS will replace them for free. Even if he breaks a pair every week for a year, they will replace them. Including the lenses.

However you won't get a spare pair free on the NHS. Unless you get a letter from the PCT or the school board as to why he should have one.

What's his prescription like? :)

[travailtotravel]

I have worn glasses since I was an ickle tiddler. He'll get used to them.
I think its important that he has a choice in the frames as part of the whole taking responsibility for them, not thinking they are nerdy etc. Obviously you might like to "manage" the shortlisting and selection process so he doesn't end up with Spiderman specials!

Your optician should also be able to give you some advice about helping DS understand looking after them and why he needs them etc.

As for spare pairs, when you have the prescription get a really simple pair from one of the very cheap online retailers you can google them. If you think you might need them, otherwise don't bother. Don't tell him if you do get a spare pair so that he learns that if he does break them its a VERY serious issue!

[deepfriedcupcake]

Okay, that's good to know about replacements, I'll ask about repairs too.

His prescription is for astigmatism (slightly rugby-ball shaped eyeballs as it was explained to me). No idea what he'll need long term, I think the nice opthomothingy lady will explain that when he's back in 8 weeks, she did mention seeing whether he'd need a patch but I'll worry about that then I think. There's a boy in his class with one with pirates on so I think that would be less of a worry to him somehow.

[AmyStake]

Ahh sounds like amblyopia too which is what I've got. It's the best time for him to wear the patches, at his age they'll make a difference to his sight. Amblyopia runs in families too so my boss tells me, none of my immediate or extended family have it though .

I was asking to see whether he'd be able to cope without his glasses if he broke them. The replacements are normally quite quick so he should be alright. I have 2 spare pairs of glasses - if I broke mine and didn't have them everything would be a blur!

[AmyStake]

Oops sorry the form for a repair you need is a GOS4. Any child under the age of 16 with broken glasses can use them as many times as they need.

In case anybody is wondering, they are available to people over the age of 16 provided they had a voucher, but they are hard to obtain. Your glasses need to have broken as a result of an illness (such as epileptic fit, fainting etc), or disability. They won't replace them if you've accidentally broken them (that includes tripping or such ) or had them stolen etc.

[CJCregg]

My DS started wearing glasses at 6. He was totally anti the idea but we found some incredibly cool Star Wars ones in Dollond & Aitchison. He loved them, and the first day he wore them to school all the rest of the class were in awe of him. One little bastard boy tried saying 'Ooh, look, DS is wearing glasses but one look at the logo on the frames and he shut up .

DS has never looked back.

Teach him how to clean them regularly. My DS is lazy and forgets, and goes about literally misty-eyed if I don't check them every day.

[BeaWheesht]

Ds has had glasses for 3 months - he put them on on day 1 and that's it - no hassle. My nephew and 3 of ds's friends have glasses too - none of them have been any problem.

Dd who is 11m does try and grab them but you just have to watch.

[Sidge]

My DD2 has had glasses since she was about 3.5.

She had just one day of taking them off (her prescription is really strong so it must have been weird for her to suddenly have it corrected!) and then it seemed to click for her that she could actually see, and she didn't take them off at all. Not even when she went to bed, I had to wait until she had gone to sleep!

Now she's 7.5 and tends to get new glasses every 4-6 months as her prescription is changed. She's only ever had one pair broken (her sister snapped the arm off) but they do get a little twisted sometimes. Also we asked the optician for a supply of nose pads and screws as the lenses popped out occasionally (probably not helped by being so thick). Get a tiny screwdriver and some spares and it will save you trekking back and forwards to the opticians.

She puts them on as soon as she wakes, and takes them off when she climbs into bed - the only time she removes them otherwise is for her shower so we have never had lost or damaged ones at school. She needs to keep them on for PE and even wears them in the swimming pool.

[stillsurvinghols]

Just wanted to say you might be surprised at how easy your child takes to them especially when it will be easier for them to see.

DS's first glasses were like your link and to be honest we were in every 2 weeks getting them adjusted. It didn't help that his younger brother would just grab at them. He now has a pair of nike frames without any nose pieces and they've gone a lot better so far. He did have to have the side hinge replaced ad it got stepped on (in the home). That took just 2/3 days and was covered under the NHS. DS keeps his on for everything and he has found his Nike pair more comfortable to as they don't seem to get so loose. HTH.Good luck.

[Carrotsandcelery]

Personally I wouldn't worry if your ds wants the spiderman ones. He is the one wearing them and if they make him feel great then that is all that matters.

My ds has Star Wars ones and CJCregg says, if anything the other children are jealous rather than teasing.

The majority of breakages we have had have happened at school and it has been other children who have done it. Ds knows he needs his glasses to see so he is fairly careful with them.

He can't take his off for pe as he can't see if he does. We are also now looking into prescription goggles as he is progressing to a stage where his swimming instructor will not be in the water with him and he won't be able to see him at the side of the pool demonstrating.

[deepfriedcupcake]

Thanks everyone, hopefully he'll take to them as quickly as all you / your DCs have. We're going to pop out over to boots and specsavers later so will see what designs might work well - I didn't even know you can get some without the nose rest bits so thnks stillsurvivinghols. And we have a teeny tiny screwdriver somewhere so will see if that fits too if needed.

He'd be fine without them for the odd day if they needed replacing, I was quite surprised he needs them at all - he's got really good sight, esp for things a long way away. Might explain why he struggles to concentrate on reading, I had just put that down to him being and easily distracted 5yo, maybe still is.

[deepfriedcupcake]

And he'd be chuffed to bits with spiderman glasses (and I'd be quite happy too, if a bit jealous - kids get all the really cool stuff grown ups can't get away with).

[nametapes]

Make a special occasion of the event and say how really smart he looks wearing them. Plus, lots and lots of praise when he does wear them saying how important it is for his eyes to develop healthily, and what lovely eyes he will have and good they will be at 'seeing' when he is a bigger boy.

[deepfriedcupcake]

Well we went along and he was really not happy about it all to start. Nice chat over a packet of monster munch about 'why he needs glasses and how he won't look silly', along the line of 'the glasses will help your eyes to grow up to see really really well'. Tried spoting cool people wearing glasses passing by but that really didn't work, sitting at the slightly rough end of the shopping centre.

He tried on just about all of them (about 30 pairs) till we found some that fit, and that he and I like (he really is refreshingly honest when needed). Dark brown frame with black arms, no branding but the genius shop assistant suggested he could decorate the glasses case with stickers, which he was totally made up about. Pick them up next Friday.

All in all successful trip out. Just have to find some supercool stickers now :)