6 year old needs glasses

[WhatIsIt082]

Was anybody elses child "diagnosed?" ( sorry, I dont know the correct term?) With glasses at 6 years old and their eye sight ended up improving?

My child had an eye test yesterday & has astigmatisms in both eyes

The guilt is eating me up. I feel so so bad for him that he has never been able to see properly and I didnt know. I feel even worse that he missed his eye check up at school last year and I didnt bother with a follow up appointment as nobody in my family has any eye issues at all ---- how could I of been so naive?

I was so shocked yesterday I can barely remember what the optician said, he said somthing about it was good he was seen before he was 8 and somthing about before 8 eye sight can improve

But he doesnt stand much of a change with only 18 months left before he turns 8 does he?

Now I think back and the signs were there ---- he does have different shaped eyes to me and my other children but their the same shape as his cousins on his dads side so I assumed it was just genetic ( they dont wear glasses )

I've always told him off for standing so close to the TV, he always gets his numbers mixed up and backwards.. I assumed he was possibly dyslexic as he has always struggled with school work... again another sign that was missed

I feel so bad for him. I've really really let him down. The optician said glasses were going to change his life.

I've really bigged up having glasses to him, said how handsome hes going to look and how exciting it will be to see properly, his older sibling is really really jealous as theyve always wanted to wear glasses, he was so excited he asked his teacher if he could tell his class and he stood infront of everyone and told them

I suppose I'm just really hoping that I havnt neglected him so badly I've ruined his eye sight for life? Is there a small chance he might be able to see properly on his own in 18 months time?

I feel like the damage has been done and I feel so guilty for it, I've had an awful impending feeling of doom since yesterday.

I know it's not a big deal if he needs glasses for the rest of his life, their trendy now a days and it really wont be an issue, if he still needs them they will improve his quality of life,

I just feel so guilty it's been left this long and hes struggled all this time and not known,

I had to hold his head straight and still on the machine thing as the optician said he tilts his head ever so slightly as he has slanted vision.... how did I not notice?

My daughter was 5, nearly 6, when diagnosed with astigmatism. It’s only in one eye and the other eye was compensating. I really wish it was picked up sooner but there was no way for me to know. I was told there is still time for
the eye to improve. I’m expecting a follow up appointment soon and I’m very hopeful.

My husband was accidentally kicked in the back of the head when he was 7, both eyes were damaged and has needed glasses and later contact lenses ever since. He is now 40 and cannot see out his left eye if he tries to focus on anything but he can if he keeps it moving. Despite this he passed his car driving test at 17, his class 2 driving test and at 25 his class 1 driving test which allows him to drive HGVS. Children’s bodies are truly amazing, because the accident happened when my husband was young his eyes learned to adapt in a way an adults never would.

Only time will tell if there is any improvement but your son will manage even if there isn’t with your full and continued support behind him.

Has anyone else in your family had specs? You seem to be blowing this up out of any proportion. I’ve worn glasses since 16. I have astigmatism. 🤷‍♀️ it’s no big deal.

You have done nothing wrong. These things sometimes come out of the blue. I looked after a 4 year old sibling of my son's friend for one afternoon about 8 years ago. Just to give his mum a break as she had a cold. I noticed the little one was squinting. As we all wear glasses in our family I told his mum to take the boy to the optometrist. Next time I saw him at the school playground he was wearing glasses. No one in the family needs glasses according to his mum. The boy played football, did taekwondo and swimming etc. I am very doubtful your son's shortsightness will decrease. I have done a lot of research as both my husband i are very shortsighted. I have always insisted that our children (now teenagers) read in good light, take 5 minutes break every 25 minutes of near work (reading, computer, TV) and spend as much time outdoors as possible. These things are proven to slow down the progression. Once children stop growing the shortsightnes usually stops progressing. Please don't beat yourself up. We can't predict and prevent everything. The glasses will help your child at play and school- this is all that matters

If it helps my mum is still cringing at the memory of our optician rounding on her for telling me off for touching things with "Madam! The child is touching things because she CAN'T SEE!"

That was thirty-three years ago. Nobody noticed I was spectacularly short sighted until they did the screen at the end of P2, and it wasn't like I knew the world wasn't supposed to be blurry!

He wont hold it against you and as everyone else has said, it happens or it doesn't, it's not something you do. Also, it's extremely weird how it turns out, husband and I are both very short sighted, and the kids all seem to have the eyes of hawks.

I have astigmatism and wasn't diagnosed til my teens. I wear glasses all day and you will find the degree of effects can change. Over time one eye improved while the other worsened. You also can't have standard contact lenses with astigmatism as they can rotate in the eye as it is the wrong shape but you can get special ones made up for astigmatism. He's a bit young yet but I found bifocal glasses life changing. One thing though, he won't have known any different because this would have been his 'normal' all along so don't beat yourself up too much over this, he will be absolutely fine x

I was 12 and at secondary school before it was picked up that I needed glasses.
I couldn't see the white board and my friend's reading wasn't very good so she would spell out the words for me.
My first prescription (short sight and mixed astigmatism) was so strong that I was given a half strength prescription for I think the first three months. I don't think I have suffered particulary with it not being picked up until quite late.
I believe, but not totally sure, that children can have two pairs of glasses on the nhs and the dispensing optician should have taken measurements to ensure the correct size frames were ordered. They will then adjust the frames to get a comfortable fit on collection.

Just jumping on to say look up Tomato glasses & find a nearby stockist if possible.
They are customisable for the best fit, absolute game changer for mine whose glasses were constantly slipping & resulting in them peering over the top.