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Children's health

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Original poster

Glasses for soon 4 years old. Help! No idea what is best.

15 replies

Batterseapark · 03/12/2017 11:16

Hi everyone!
DS (3.11) needs glasses. He'll have to wear them all the time (long sighted).

Went to Specsavers.

Apparently plastic frames are more robust than metal frames. Is this right?

Specsavers tell me they will give me a second pair for free (although the aftercare will only be free for the NHS pair).
Is it the same elsewhere? (I've tried to look online but can't see same offer at Boots optician for example).

I don't really understand how charging, tumbling, falling is going to work to be honest. Shop assistant recommended a tubular strap for the back of the head to keep the glasses in place.
Are some straps better than others? (well and I suppose are some frames better than others?)

Is there anything else I should factor in?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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Giraffesarequitetall · 03/12/2017 11:27

It will be fine. DS wore glasses from 11 weeks old. We used to put a strap round the back when he was a toddler but he used to take care of them (as much as a toddler does) as he knew he could see so much better.

Were the glasses prescribed at the optician or the hospital? If the optician then I think the Specsavers deal is as good as it gets.

If prescribed at the hospital, we managed to ask for two pairs and get two pairs prescribed. This meant both were NHS pairs and both covered by NHS repairs. This was a while ago though and I think they are reluctant to prescribe two pairs unless absolutely necessary.

Giraffesarequitetall · 03/12/2017 11:28

We had a mix of plastic and metal frames, although looking back most were metal. We didn’t have a problem with them.

mintich · 03/12/2017 11:35

Plastic are easier to adjust and more comfortable. The nhs voucher provides a certain amount of money towards specs. At Specsavers this covers the price is the glasses (or you can pay an upgrade fee for more expensive ones) some opticians you will have to pay more towards them some you won't. Depends on what they have decided to provide for cost of nhs voucher

RoseDog · 03/12/2017 11:41

Both my dc have wore glasses since about age 3/4 we started going to Asda opticians because it was closest to the children's eye clinic but swapped to specsavers when we realised how many times ds would break his and they give you 2 pairs, we've had no problems with specsavers repairing and replacing his frames, ds is 12 now and just a few months ago needed his frames replaced again! Oddly dd has never broke or lost her glasses!

GreenTulips · 03/12/2017 11:46

Avoid those with the 2 little plastic nose clips as they are uncomfortable and annoying and break easily

I think you have to give them a go a see what suits your child

Original poster

Batterseapark · 03/12/2017 11:49

Got prescription from hospital. Will have to investigate for a second free pair on NHS...

OK so will need to prep DS for self-care.

Thank you for your quick responses!

OP posts:

Original poster

Batterseapark · 03/12/2017 11:55

No nose tips and looks like Specsavers are good for kids. Tick, tick.

Yes, we'll try a few pairs and see what fits best. DS not the most patient so trying to do as much groundwork as possible before I take him.

OP posts:

Aspieparent · 03/12/2017 11:57

You Can only get 2 pairs from Specsavers using prescription.
I have a 3 and 4 year old in glasses both been in them from that age of 2. I have found once they noticed how much different they make to there ability to see they stopped taking them off and braking them. With ds who's 4 he has really bad eyes so this happened quickly. Ds who's 3 eyes aren't so bad so this took a while. We had to watch him carefully his glasses were regularly found in nurseries sand pit buried and hidden in toy boxes. My 4 year old has plastic frames and my 3 year old metal. I don't think any are better than the other. I think it's all about the style and fit to the individual child.

Taytotots · 03/12/2017 12:05

Mine has worn them since 18 months. We now have miraflex ones which are great. His previous pair of 'unbreakable' plastic ones the arm shattered after he banged head on fridge and they dug in and he needed five stitches . He wasn't even doing anything mad at the time unlike normal. Apparently that was a freak occurrence (which might be true as they had previously survived being run over by a car!) but I like the miraflex as the arms are soft and bendy.

Original poster

Batterseapark · 03/12/2017 12:15

Love your stories! Specs survived run over by car but not standard kid behaviour
Glasses buried in sand pit or hiding in toy box. Brilliant.
I knew I'd do well to ask (wiser mums). This is going to be fun for a bit. Tralalalala lala lala...

OP posts:

bakingcupcakes · 03/12/2017 12:25

Plastic bridges are more comfortable if they fit well. Young children tend to have quite flat bridges so sometimes a metal frame with nose pads will be recommended because they end up looking over the plastic frames that sit lower due to the bridge.

My advice would be let your DS choose from a selection that fit. Nothing worse than when the parents refuse a frame because of the characters/colours. It's important the child likes them as then they're more inclined to wear and look after them.

Original poster

Batterseapark · 03/12/2017 18:39

Thanks everybody! Very helpful.

OP posts:

Giraffesarequitetall · 04/12/2017 08:57

Oh yes and make sure they have sprung arms which will take. A bit of the strain of kids opening them to put on.

MsHomeSlice · 04/12/2017 09:05

NHS will only fund one pair.
The 241 offers are just down to individual companies.
Repairs and replacements are available on the NHS for children up to the age of 16 for the specs provided with the NHS voucher.

Try and get the Dispensing Optician to oversee the fitting/selection of frames, it is important to take the bridge style into account, so that the child is looking through the right part of the lens, and also to make sure the frame can be adjusted nicely to suit the child's head shape

Do take advice on lens shape as some higher prescriptions can result is very burly lenses in the wrong frame

If your child is due to go back for frequent repeat eye exams ...say 3-6 monthly recalls then really don't spend a lot of money on the lenses while the prescription is being refined and checked.

Aspieparent · 04/12/2017 09:31

I would agree with not spending to much money while they get the prescription sorted my 4 year olds been in glasses since he was 2 and has had 4 prescription changes so far and they still working on getting it right. He needs a really strong prescription so they are slowly building him up it would be too much to put him straight into the correct prescription.
I would also say Specsavers I have found the best. I took my 3 years glasses in last week as the arm came off the dispensing optician wasn't happy with his lenses as they were scratched (probably due to the fact he kept buring them in the sand pit) and ordered him a new pair and didn't charge me.
I am forever nipping into Specsavers when am in town with the dcs to get they glasses arms tightened as they have become loose and they sort it there and then no problem.

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