My 3 yr old DS needs glasses :-(

[hillyhilly]

I know that I need to get a grip and count my blessings but am really quite sad that my 3.5 yr old DS needs glasses. We took him to the optician today as he seemed to be peering and screwing up his eyes at books and he has diagnosed him as long sighted +7 (is this really bad, it seems it?).
He has suggested glasses at +4 and to re test in one month.
I am hoping that he appreciates the difference in vision enough to keep them on but I am envisaging a future of lost and broken glasses (and teasing from horrible kids including is own sister).
Does anyone has any experience to comfort me with?

My dd's worn glasses for short sightedness since she was 4. There's never been a problem with her not wanting to wear them, and she's NEVER been teased.
She's almost 14 now and wears contact lenses most of the time these days.

Don't worry about glasses getting broken, they'll get replaced free of charge, and the kids' glasses you get now are so funky-my ds(8) gets cheesed off that he's the only one in the family with 20/20 vision and doesn't need them!

My ds was just 3 when he got his first glasses, he's had no problem with bullying or teasing but has lost/broke/mangled many pairs!

I wasnt really sad that he needed them as dd had already got glasses I was just glad someone had listened to me with ds!

there are zillions of kids with glasses. i don't think anyone bothers to tease for it now. dd2 has worn them since about 18mos (she's 7 now) and has never once been teased about her glasses. not once.

you're right about the breakages though - it's worth asking for a second pair. i think dd2 went through about 7 pairs in the first year or so. our optician kept a box of all the bits so that he could make running repairs to one of them whilst the new ones were on order.

i recommend curly sides and a silicone nose bridge for comfort and practicality.

and there are billions of designs now. dd2 has had barbie, garfield, ariel, various mr men and little misses, spongebob, as well as some that weren't flogged on the basis of dodgy kids tv but were just cool and funky.

you need to get over the 'he will get teased' though. of course he won't. don't set him up to be a victim.

don't worry you get loads of funky tiny glasses now, and as for breaking them you just go back to the optician they fill in GOS4 explaining what has happened and you get another pair (up to voucher value) or a free repair

Thank you all, I also found an older thread with the same views expressed. He's fine and of course, it will obviously help him, we're being very positive about it to him and DD and I just found a Charlie and Lola on YouTube about it, its only DH and I that want to shed a tear in private - we'll get over it, we really do know how lucky we are as we have a friend whose DS is registered blind - we feel pathetic but there we are.

i have very bad eyesigh and im sure one of the reasons is not having got glasses early enough (so more strain on my eyes). I finally got a pair when i was about 8. Dont feel bad, its much better he has them.

Dd got her glasses for her fourth birthday last month.She loves them ,looks cute and girls in her class are asking for some. No problems.Shes long sighted and now theyre talking about patching her, now Im gutted .On a plus point anything she has to do close up has improved a millionfold !

you asked if +7 is "really bad", it is quite high. Anything over +6 is considered a high prescription. So your DS probably really needs those glasses and it will probably really enhance his quality of life to have them.
My twin had glasses from the age of 4. Back then the NHS free ones were so horrible and she did get picked on. But these days you can get such a wide variety of amazing funky glasses that even kids who don't need them want them.

My DS had to get glasses after it was picked up in his reception eye test (bad mummy emotion for not realising earlier). He persecription is quite high, but there are some v cool glasses about, with the NHS voucher I pay an additional £25 for some extra funky ones.

DS was not teased at all ! in fact most of his pals were jealous.

I went through some strange emotions, including that he did not look like my son anymore . He has now been wearing glasses for 3 years now - can't imagine him without them !