How often do you dc lose/break/forget their glasses?

[averysuitablegirl]

And what the beejeezus can you or do you do about it?

Ds just turned 11 was prescribed glasses to wear 'as much as possible' in January. They're to correct a squint rather than to correct long or short sightedness, so he can see what he needs to see without them.

He started off pretty well, but he has often left his glasses at school. Not too much of a problem in primary (and obviously not over lock down), as I can march him back in or go into the next day, but I have no idea how he will manage secondary.

He has also broken 4 pairs of frames by putting them on his bed/chair and then sitting on them. Two of these were this weekend fgs. He's under a specialist optometrist, so it's a long trek to get them mended and it's frankly embarrassing.

Is this within 'normal' range of 11 year olds? And how can I get him to take some responsibility? I know he's not doing this deliberately, but it's driving me potty at the moment.

C8H10N402 no, he's left handed. One of the frames was new, posted to us last week so that he had a spare pair, so they hadn't had time to be weakened through use.

Thanks, yes I think I'm going to have to splash some cash for stronger frames.

Never, worn them since she was in year 1.
But then my children take care of their toys - we have very little breakage.
There will always be children who break things - we have a couple of children where the kids put away their fragile and favourite toys because they will break them.

My dd has frequently lost or broken her glasses.
I think part of it is that - like your ds - she can see without them. She is 'borderline' as to if she has to wear them or not, and can see without them, it is more about her not straining her eyes. The other part is ADHD and Dyspraxia. She doesn't do it deliberately, as some posters seem to imply.

Backforgood thanks, I had a feeling that we weren't alone!

My ds doesn't break or lose his glasses (or anything for that matter) deliberately either.

The only reason I'm considering a 'if I see you glasses somewhere where they could get broken or you leave them at school you'll lose your screen time for a day' rule is try to to introduce habits of him putting them in the case and a Pavlovian disinclination for him to leave them lying around.

Thanks, yes I think I'm going to have to splash some cash for stronger frames.

Honestly NHS provision for children's glasses was piss poor. The quality of the frames was poor and the "voucher" toward lenses doesn't touch the surface if you need complex lenses. It did get a bit better when he was a teen but I believe its worse again now (DC1 is upper 20s)

Hee was bad enough that he qualified for the "enhanced" vouchers. 40 quid instead of 20 at the time toward lenses which cost several hundred.

If I couldn't have paid for what he needed I have no idea what he was supposed to do because his sight impairment puts him on the border of eligibility for VI grants.

C8H10N402 yeah.

My ds's problems were diagnosed via an Ed Psych apt, assessment and prescription with a behavioural optometrist and months of visual therapy.

About £1,000 so far. Obviously totally worth it, but all the way along I've thought about what would have happened if we couldn't have afforded it/didn't know how to access specialist services.

There must be so many kids with 'behaviour problems' or 'under achieving at school' because they can't see properly.

My DD was forever losing her glasses. She was bad when she was younger as she only needed them occasionally, and as she grew into an adult and started going out, she kept losing or breaking them when she was drunk. After the age of 15, she paid for them though after they stopped being free. She organised appointments herself, and took herself to them so if she looses them, she has to deal with the consequences now.

13 year old foster child breaks or loses about 4 pairs each year. I get most annoyed when he loses prescription swimming goggles and I have learned to check he has them after each swim session. He breaks/loses prescription sunglasses too. I find it frustrating but he does not do it on purpose, so we just fork out for more.

My glasses child has never lost or broken a pair in five years of full time wearing. She did once however go to school in a dress and come out without a dress, having lost it at school.

I’m 42 . I lose my glasses as well as other things like keys phone all the time. Also engagement ring . Break a pair of glasses a year too. I currently have 4 paurs with current prescription and 3 of older for emergencies.

Some of us can’t help it. I hold down a well responsible job where I rely on my eye sight. He may be doomed! It’s actually very stressful for those of us who do this.

DS has tinted reading glasses for Irlens Syndrome/ Dyslexia. He inevitably forgets about them but at least doesn't lose them. No NHS voucher for the lenses either.

It is harder being a part time glasses wearer. I mainly wear them for driving. Recently, because I've not driven much, it's easy to forget that I need glasses. I'm forever putting them down in odd places, basically when I remeber they're on my face, get irritated and take them off.
DH's are only ever by his bed or on his head. Although since he's got to the distance/ reading glasses stage he's getting more confused about which pair he needs...

Broken glasses happens. Most are very easy fixes luckily. In one practice I worked in I had a patient who broke their glasses on a fortnightly basis. Always made sure we had spare copies of the frame needed for them.

Titanium is a great strong choice of frame material, I’ve personally not come across it much in children’s frames.

The frames your DS is having, are they sprung hinge? That will make a great difference if they’re not currently.

Ds1 has worn glasses since he was 5, he slightly scratched one pair when he fell of a scooter about age 7, he's 20 next week. DS2 started wearing them about age 12. He's broken, lost, damaged, left behind and given away many many pairs over the years. He was diagnosed as dyspraxic when was 17.

I've been wearing glasses for 43 years and have never lost a pair. I have broken one paid and had a couple of pairs where the tiny screws worked lose (but were replaced). I've also replaced silicon nose pads.
How about a cord for them to dangle round his neck when her's not using them - something like this from Screwfix isn't too fussy looking:
www.screwfix.com/p/bolle-spectacle-sports-cord-black/8477F?tc=GB8&ds_kid=92700048793290415&ds_rl=1244069&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8OKDyPGl6gIVxcqyCh22PQJfEAkYAiABEgKNoPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

arapunzel no they're not sprung hinges. They must be very weak metal as it's now been 3 times that the hinge has broken rather than the plastic around it.

DD wore glasses between 7-12 and broke two. First one during sports day and the second at Scouts when another girl bumped into her with her elbow into DD's face.

But, she always wore them, only put them down for bed and in the bathroom.

Could you get him sports glasses he can wear on PE days so no need to take them off?

I think the main reason to succeed in not breaking is to wear them constantly. No danger of putting them anywhere and forgetting them or accidently sitting on them.

Obviously that depends on the prescription but if he has to correct a squint shouldn't he wear them all the time?

reluctantbrit yes and no to wearing them all the time. The visual therapy made a lot of difference and the optometrist said to wear them 'when you need to' at his last apt.

I stuck with the original 'as often as possible' as I couldn't imagine ds thinking to get his glasses out of his bag and to reduce the risk of him losing them.

They annoy him when he's doing sport and running around although he doesn't think to take them off beforehand.

He's still doing twice weekly visual therapy to strengthen the muscles and way his eyes work together and the prism lenses also help with this so as much as possible seems a better approach than when you need it until his next review in November.

Thanks all.

She did once however go to school in a dress and come out without a dress, having lost it at school.

Love this.

My glasses child has never lost or broken a pair in five years of full time wearing

I do think it is a LOT easier, if you wear them full time. My sister could barely see without hers, so they were always on her face, unless she was asleep. No scope for losing them, or wandering off, leaving them somewhere. OTOH, I only wear mine for certain times, so might not notice for ages if I'd left them somewhere.

So the lovely opticians called me first thing and we went up after school to have both sets repaired. Was advised that my ds might flag up on the NHS repair scheme as 'suspicious' .

I did ask about stronger frames, although this would also entail new lenses. Decided to leave it for now and see how repeating 'on your face or in the case' 3,000 times a day goes.

Thanks all.

@OP I would ask them to go over care with him when you get the new ones, if he's left handed he is likely taking them off with that one hand which puts pressure on the opposite side, the right, which does cause the side to weaken and eventually break

Also the NHS have the repair vouchers because they understand that children will loose and break them.
I see some children every couple of months for breakages and even more often if there is additional needs. Do they have any spectacles that would be covered fully under the voucher so you aren't out of pocket atleast?

Yikes OP you've had some replies here.

My DC are 25 and 22. They have broken or sat on endless pairs. DS has contacts now; dd is still losing specs. Found a pair in a coat pocket the other day.

They are both Oxbridge although dd does have ADHD but is the less careless of the two.

I am nearly 60. Have worn glasses since I was six. Never, ever lost a pair but I can't as I'm as blind as a bat and daren't take them off.

Lest I forget DH has had readers now for about 10 years. He has car readers, office readers, bedroom readers, pocket readers, briefcase readers, etc, etc.. We all spend a lot of time looking for his bloody glasses. He is mega bright and does a mega job that involves forensic assessment of the facts.

Please give the lad a break.

ShyOwl each repair costs £11 so not too much, although he's under a specialist optometrist that is an hour away which is more hassle. The person at the opticians did go over how to look after glasses/take them off etc. I encouraged him to wear them to school from the start, rather than take them in a case, as they are prism glasses to help correct his eyes rather than ones that he actually needs to see, and I was worried that he'd forget to put them on at all, and I don't think that's helped in the long run.

OhTheRoses I'm not hard on him. I do understand that he doesn't lose or break them deliberately, but I also see that there is an element of him just 'being careless' that he can do something about. Like never putting his violin back in the case.

Thinking about it, it's partly because I was so worried about him before he was diagnosed/prescribed visual therapy and eye glasses, that I worry disproportionately about him not having his glasses. It probably wouldn't do him any harm for a few days in all honesty.

I spend a LOT of time looking for my glasses. I only need them for reading, so I adopt the 'dummy in the cot' method and have them dotted around the house.

My son has worn glasses since he was 12-months old-and for weeks on end he would throw them great distances adjusting to wearing them. He is 20 now and has only had the nose pads come off or just worn them out vs actually breaking them like your kid. I would be beside myself if he was ever that careless

Dc has worn glasses since 2, is now 6. Once lost a pair, and found them after a couple of hours. Lost again the day before yesterday, and still currently looking.