If both parents wear glasses...

[Readysetcake]

Do your children need them to? And if so what age did they start?

Both DH and I wear them so resigned that both DC with need them. Bit sad that it seems almost guaranteed as I hated wearing them as a pre teen and teenager and was ecstatic when I could wear contacts. Don’t want my kids to feel like that. Though I’m not bothered now.

Obviously I’ll never tell my children how I felt as a child and will highlight how common and stylish glasses are and yet my best to make it a non issue/positive etc etc.

I’m asking as eldest is 5 and wondering if I need to get her eyes checked. Or what signs to look out for as she grows. Any experiences gratefully received.

Both DH and I wear glasses. I am short sighted (-5.0 in both eyes) and astigmatism in both eyes. I cannot see beyond the end of my nose (literally) and cannot function without my glasses. DH is about -4 and also has an astigmatism. We are both also of an age where we need reading glasses too. I wear varifocals. We have both been glasses wearers since about the age of 7. I was unaware that I couldn't see until a teacher mentioned my inability to spell when copying from the board.
DS is 16 and has been wearing glasses since he was about 10 but only for the board etc.
DD is 13 and has just got her first pair.
Both are short sighted. Both have astigmatisms.
Interestingly neither of my parents wore glasses other than reading glasses once they reached theri50s. DH's parents, and all his siblings, are glasses wearers.

We both wear glasses and were both short sighted. DP is -5 or something like that, I’m a whopping -17

So far, there is no indication that DS needs glasses. He’s 4.

I've taken my children for eye tests from younger than five as their dad wore glasses at a young age. My 14 year old just had her first pair of national health glasses. Eye test free, glasses free. They're really stylish and she looks absolutely great in them. I remember the free glasses from the 1980s...😟. Rest assured they're not like that any more. X

Op sorry I don't have time to read thread

However do look into the research on lack of daylight exposure and development of short sightedness.

As I recall the theory was it's often a genetic predisposition triggered by lack of outdoor light exposure.

Both of my parents wear glasses and I started wearing them when I was 9 but my brother doesn't

My parents both had specs since about age 8. They had four children:
1 is quite longsighted and had spec from around 8
1 is quite longsighted but eye tests in childhood never picked it up, so only got specs at university
1 doesn't wear specs at all
1 has to wear specs purely for astigmatism, eyesight is perfect

It's a lottery I think.
I'm No. 2 btw, and my children are both pretty longsighted- 1 had specs from 5, 1 had them from 2 (he can't see a thing without them)

And DS having them at 2, when he started school (nursery class) he still had the type that curl round their ears at the back, and people marvelled how cool they were, and lots of children said they wanted specs too How times change!

One by one more children got them, by the time he got to Y6 about half the class had them.
I do think there's a strong link between outdoor exposure and short-sightedness. I'm fairl sure he was still the only one who was longsighted.

When DD was little she had a preschool eye test. I had no idea until then that she was struggling to see well out of her right eye. She is long sighted with astigmatism in that eye, and has worn glasses ever since.

Do they no longer do preschool eye tests?

I am very short sighted, and have worn glasses since the age of 9. DH needs his for driving and reading.

The NHS voucher scheme is really good. Lots of frames for children are free under this. Or you can choose to pay the difference.

If you befriend a lovely optician in the playground as I did without knowing that they can give out friends and family discount vouchers meaning you get money off your glasses from Vision Express.

DS2 started wearing them at 5 and was under the eye hospital for a lazy eye. By merely wearing his glasses he pretty much corrected his eyesight and didn't need to wear a patch. He is now 14.

There isn't the stigma attached to wearing glasses that there used to be. Lots of primary school teachers who wear glasses send a very positive message to children, plus Harry Potter!

I will tell you that to do an eye test on DS2 as he was 5 they put drops in his eyes that do sting, he didn't react at all. Their pupils get huge and then they just shine a light in and get their prescription from that!

DS's eye issues weren't picked up by the school eye check. I think they only checked for short-sightedness and colour-blindness. DS is extremely long-sighted and I noticed as soon as the print in his books changed.
We went to the local
high street opticians and he's worn glasses since without any issues.

Both me and ExH wear them, both my parents wear them but my brother doesn't. DD has eye problems but no glasses yet, been told she may need them in the next few years though.

Very likely, but not 100% I'd say.

I think wearing glasses is a lot more cool now than it used to be - both geek culture and Harry Potter have done wonders for the PR of glasses wearers everywhere!

I had glasses at 5 and hated them to start with but adjusted to them quite quickly. I now prefer the way my face looks with them to how it looks without - much to my DM's horror, I wore them at my wedding, and in all the photos!

Me and DH wear glasses, both DC use them for school work. It's no big deal, I bigged it up so much that they couldn't wait to choose some . And the choice is so much nicer than the NHS spec I had to have!

First sight tests for them were once they were in reception, then each year. Both were around 8 when they first got theirs.

I don't do contacts as I can't bear feeling something in my eye, so they're used to seeing me wearing mine.