Glasses for very mildly short sighted 6 year old, good or bad?

[FannyBazaar]

I took my DS to the optician for a routine eye test. I wanted to rule out any problems with long sightedness/squint as he is struggling with writing and a little with reading. Close up, everything is absolutely fine, no concerns with lazy eye or squint but it turns out he is mildly short sighted. His prescription is -.50 in each eye, although I think they put one up to -.75 as it seemed to make it easier for him in the test.

I am shortsighted and so is DS's father, both very mild, one of my eyes is also only -.50. I wear glasses or contact lenses but would never bother if my prescription was as mild as DS in both eyes. I can't help feeling that this is an over reaction and rather unnecessary.

Can anyone else tell me of experiences with a mildly shortsighted child and if glasses dramatically improved their life or were just a menace?

Is glasses for such a mild prescription normal? Kids with glasses when I was growing up really couldn't see without them. I never wore glasses until I was 18 or 19, I don't remember having a proper eye test before then either.

has the optician advised that they have them?

my DD1 has a mild prescription +.25 & +.5 but the optician advised not to bother unless she was having problems

I would go with the advice of the optician, it can't do any harm

I'd have a word with his teacher, if he's having no trouble seeing the board I'd leave it.
Sadly he'll probably get more short sighted as he gets older.
DD was slightly more short sighted when she started wearing glasses at about the same age. She was for ever forgetting them and leaving them places.
Unfortunately, her prescription has increased and know she notices her self when she needs them.
I no longer have to say stop squinting at the TV and find your glasses because she now wears them.
I couldn't see the board for a whole year before I got my first specs and being able to see clearly was such a joy that mine have been glued to my nose since I was 10, so DDs leaving them about drove me nuts.

The optician has said to try them out and see if it helps. No word from the teacher but I mostly speak with the SENCO.

Tricky one, would it be worth getting a second opinion from another optician?

I don't know who you use, I use Specs-savers and have never had a problem with them with my glasses/contact lenses but a close friend took her DD. They were a bit woolly regarding some problems she was havingy so my friend took her to an independent local optician who did extra tests and found a problem SS hadn't even tested for. Not saying anything wrong with SS just sometimes it's worth getting a second opinion (IMO)

Yes opticians are like GPs and Dentists they vary wildly, even within the same chain.
Children complicate the issue even further by the way they co- operate.
DD2 once decided to be far too helpful and say yes to everything. I don't think the resulting specs were strong enough.
The lady we had this time was really thorough and double checked everything.

I would try and see a medical optician perhaps - if that's possible - what I mean is somebody at a doctors surgery or children's development centre, or hospital.

I don't know if that is possible, if it is such a mild problem.

My DS is mildly shortsighted too. He goes to Moorfields eye hospital. But he has a squint and that is why they have given him glasses - to treat the squint. He is nearly 5. They said that if he had not have had the squint they would not have given him glasses.

Just found his prescription and he is also .5 in each eye. - plus he has an astigmatism in one of his eyes.

Its very simple I think, optician (similar prescription to yours) advised us to get theglasses (as they are part nhs funded anyway) and then seehow thechild iswith them. She explained that some peoples life is greatly affected with a small prescription andsome peoples is not, it is an individual thing. fwiw, my ds wore them off and on but 6 months later he has decided that they improve things alot, even just walking around let alone board work,and he will wear them all the time.

as far asi amaware it is a myth that wearing glasses of the right prescription will make your eyesight lazier or worse.