How much do you pay for your child’s contact lenses?

[ItsStillWork]

Dd wants to try contact lenses, she will need the myopia lenses as she has them in her current glasses.

specsavers are telling me that the nhs don’t cover any money towards the contact lenses but they can’t give me an estimated cost for them.

ive asked them for a rough estimate at what I would be looking at a month but they said they couldn’t tell me.

her appointment isn’t for another week yet and she’s desperate to know if they’re an option for us but I can’t tell her if I don’t know what they would roughly be.

how much do you pay for your child’s contact lenses?

The myopia control ones are meant to stop or slow the progression. They aren’t meant to cure it afaik.
I wish they’d existed for me and my DC. My poor DD, age 24, inherited my extreme myopia. She was already too old to start on them when they came out.

They probably aren’t more difficult. Learning to put in contacts always takes ages as a child. I got my first contacts at age 13 and it took me 3 hours to get one contact in one eye on my first attempt. Like anything, it takes practice and patience. You eventually find your own technique that works for you. For example, I am too shortsighted and dyspraxic for the put in while using a mirror technique. So no mirror. I also use my left middle finger instead of alternating index fingers. The key is to try different ways and expect that it can take a long time at first. Within a week, I could get my contacts in and out in 10seconds flat.

Once you've established her prescription, you can buy from Vision Direct.

OP - There’s a lot of information on this thread regarding contact lenses in general, but you have mentioned they will be for myopia control. If your child is wearing both glasses and contact lenses for myopia control then this is fine as both will do the same thing and can be switched between. For people giving prices for normal contact lenses - they will be cheaper and they are not what the OP is asking about. You cannot get these particular lenses cheaper on the internet etc. It’s like comparing football boots and high heels.
OP, get yourself to an independent optician who can order from the full range of lens suppliers. If one lens isn’t suitable then they can order from another supplier. They will ensure they get the most suitable lens and also teach your child how to handle them etc.
And no, I wouldn’t be making my child pay towards a medical device.

No I wouldn’t make my child pay for their lenses which I count as a medical need. Yes it’s a preference to choose lenses but essentially it’s not a fun item.

£15 a month for lenses, check ups, eye tests including imaging at a private opticians. She has monthly lenses.

Why on earth should a child have to pay for a medically necessary item?

Contacts provide me with crisper vision than glasses and help me avoid motion sickness. They are a superior product, not just a lifestyle choice.

Oldest DS has worn MiSight lenses since age 12/13 with only a minor changes in his prescription and is now 18. He was due to switch to non myopia lenses lenses last Summer but his prescription changed. So they recommended staying on them until 20/21 since guidelines have now changed. He has no problems with them and we pay £42 per month (30 pairs) although we have to take 1 rest day weekly as recommended so have about 6 weeks payment holiday a year.

DS requested to have the lenses and agreed to less pocket money (£20 pm) until he left school, to help towards the cost. He meant he budgeted when going out, used birthday money or did free things

My DD uses the MiSight lenses - I think they are miraculous as they have totally stopped any deterioration in her eyesight so far - as a very short sighted person myself I would pay £s willingly for her to have the best sight she possibly can have. I realise the glasses can do the same thing, but I remember how much I hated not being allowed contact lenses myself as a teenager, how self conscious & ugly I felt wearing glasses, how it impacted on playing sports etc. I am a full time glasses wearer now so obviously I got over it in the end but when DD wanted contacts I was very willingly to fulfil that.

I pay £50 a month to an independent opticians for monthly supply of daily disposables & all related eye tests etc.

Is that for myopia management lenses? Very good price!

there's prices online, I would start with daily disposable ones. They're more expensive but reduces the risk of her not cleaning them properly Buy Contact Lenses Online | Specsavers UK

£23 a month for monthlies

I can’t see the myopia lenses here?

@WrongKindOfWaterOnTheTrack myopia is the technical term for short sighted!

Myopia management ones like miSight, are different from general contact lenses for shortsighted-ness, though.

For the myopia control lenses provided by Specsavers, they are only available on a direct debit (that is a requirement form the manufacturer, not Specsavers), and they MUST be worn 6 days per week.

Yes I realise that, however myopia management lenses are a particular type of contact lenses (or lenses in a glasses frame) - I think most posters haven’t been aware of that.

No way would I make my child pay for them, they are lifechanging and medically important in the same way as braces. I saved for my first pair of gas permeables at 17 (back then that was about the youngest they'd do it) and been wearing them for 40 years, grateful for them every single day and there is a lot I'd sacrifice before them. I'm stuck with a -10 prescription which is a pain at times (makes glasses more expensive too) and I would have really benefitted from the myopia control type.

We went today and her prescription hasn’t changed since stating the myopia lenses 12 months ago.

her prescription is 1.25 in both eyes.

contact lenses are £36 a month

That’s great. My 4 year old is due to start on them soon, her sight is -3 with astigmatism. I’m hoping it slows down the deterioration and she’s started eating carrots as she wants to stop wearing glasses.