Son Keeps Breaking Glasses

[Warrior96]

Hi my son is 6 and needs to wear glasses, he has broken his glasses 4 times in one month. He keeps encouraging his younger brother to pull them off his face and break the arm on them. I ask him why he just keeps blaming his younger brother.

Due to he has broken so many frames the shop was out of his frames, so it took me 2 weeks to get another set. I got his glasses back yesterday and he has just gone and broke them again what am I suppose to do?

I have asked him if he doesn’t like wearing them I always get the same response it’s his younger brothers fault.

With this being the first time I’ve experienced a child with glasses I didn’t know I’ve been fobbed off until all you guys have filled me in, I just trusted what the Opticians told me

But the optician doesn't need to tell you

You just go with your child to the children's glasses section and try them on (doesn't have to be after your eye test, can be any time) and see which ones he likes and which ones fit

You can even look at other places and get frames from another place if you want

If I need to then I ask the person working there their opinion for a second opinion.

But even then I've bought glasses I've loved which they've said looked nice but the frames were perhaps a smidgen too small for my face but it's up to me cos they still look good. I got them and still love them. Unfortunately I had to get new ones when my eyes changed

Try these they are virtually unbreakable because they are flexible.
https://www.tomatoglassesuk.com/
But also how does your son feel about wearing glasses? Is he encouraging his brother to break them because he doesn't like wearing them?
Can you reinforce positive messages about wearing galssy

Part of a meal isn't a treat. It's dinner and food should never be used as a punishment.
I actually think punishment is inappropriate in this instance anyway.

My son had similar with glasses and hated wearing them. His Optometrist suggested a new treatment for Myopia which involves them wearing lenses at night whilst they're sleeping. This gently reshapes the cornea during the night meaning that vision is corrected for the following day. They can see perfectly with no need for glasses. This treatment also slows the progression of myopia I believe.

It was tricky for a couple of weeks getting him used to wearing the lenses each night, but now he's used to it, it's just part of our routine. I can't even put into words the difference its made with him now not needing to wear glasses on the days he's worn the lenses the night before. It's changed everything for us.

Just thought I'd bring your attention to it as something to possibly look into.

https://www.mykidsvision.org/knowledge-centre/ortho-k-for-myopia-control

Having worked in an opticians for over 10 years I can assure you that there are suitable children’s frames that will fit him. You need to change where you get the frames from. Kids frames go up the teen sizes and adult frames will never fit properly due to the arm lengths and nose bridge dimensions. Kids do regularly break frames they don’t want to wear. Who actually dispensed the frames, was it the actual optician, a qualified dispensing optician or the ‘dispensing assistant’ . Children under 16 should legally be fitted by a qualified optician or qualified dispensing optician. If the person dispensing the frames is not professionally qualified then the qualified optician should be checking the dispense accuracy, fitting and suitability.

Could you get some miniature spiderman stickers to put on the latest glasses and see if the incidence of breakage decreases?

Literally until this thread her child hadn't shared why he was breaking them; all she knew was that he was deliberately breaking his glasses. Personally I think punishment is entirely appropriate under those circumstances. He's already proven he doesn't care about the consequences (and now we know why).

That must be new because years ago they did this offer but not when we have been recently for my youngest. We buy one pair as an extra.

OP we had this happen a lot. Just make sure you always have a spare pair. We have the NHS pair and one pair we have bought.

My DD with average size head was in children's frames until about 14.

See a different optician.

You need an opticians with a larger selection of children's frames. You can take that prescription to any opticians.

We have always shopped around for frames as Ds has worn them since he was 5 and it is really important to him to choose frames he loves as they are part of how he looks every day. He was in children's frames until he was at least 10. Both my children wear glasses, one permanently, one just for reading. They are now adults but we have bought a lot of frames over the years and they have a preference, one wants plastic moulded the other metal frames.

A child doesn't keep breaking his glasses just to be difficult there will always be a reason why. And punishment is never the answer.

Get him some flexible ones which can't break, preferably with an elasticated headband instead of 'arms'.

I would go back to the opticians. I have never known a 6 year old unable to have children's frames! I have a small head and if the petite range isn't that great I have been tempted by the kids ones!
I would go back and query whether the opticians you went to have a toddler range or something as it seems very unusual for a young child not to have access to children's frames!

Go to specsavers. They have a wide range of kids glasses with spiderman etc (DD 9 has kids frames from there) and then they have a 'teen' range, so they won't be putting a 6 year old in adult frames - which is bonkers by the way! How could they possibly fit?!

I'm not sure why people recommend specific opticians because it really depends where OP lives as to whether the Specsavers or a different opticians where they live has a big range for children

Many small opticians don’t keep children’s frames past 7 because children and parents usually want designer frames. Go to a larger optician that might have or order in children’s frames until 12.

I also find it hard to believe there are no children's frames. I'm an adult and sometimes try on children's frames.

It's worth understanding the 3 main measurements in glasses.

1. How long the arms are
2. How wide they are
3. The bridge of the nose

Every pair has a combination of these three, printed on the side of the arm. Additionally, the arms of some glasses can be manually shaped by hand over the ears for fit.

I know much better now what glasses are comfortable for me. I wish I'd known sooner as for 45 years (and a lot of my teen years) I wore frames that were uncomfortable over my ears and I've worn several pairs that were actually too small.

What opened up more choices for me was opting for a wider bridge on the nose.

Yes....I realise that, that is why I said that OP, the mother of the child, didn't have a reason from her child.

But you know what, I disagree with you. Not in this case, but sometimes a kid just breaks stuff because they like the sound it makes or whatever. And yes, I think a punishment is appropriate for that. And also, not being allowed pudding isn't punishment either.

I’m 43 and some kids frames still fit me. So I’d be surprised if he’s too big for them. I agree with PP’s who suggested Tomato glasses.