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Children's health

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Original poster

Anyone have a 2 year old who wears glasses??

12 replies

sally78 · 10/10/2009 19:44

My friend has just found out her DD 23 months is +9 in both eyes and therefore very long sighted. She is really upset and worried about her LO wearing glasses and so I was wondering if I could pass on any advice from mums in the know!?

She has only been offered the choice between 2 pairs and told this will be a long term condition etc.

Any experiences? Thank-you!

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Elk · 10/10/2009 19:52

My dd1 who is now nearly 7 has been wearing glasses since she was 2.
I assume she has a prescription from the hospital to get the glasses, if so she can take it to any opticians to get the glasses so if she doesn't like the range in one shop try somewhere else. Saying that if the little one has to have the glasses that curl around the ears the range is much more limited.

It took dd a few days to get used to her glasses, we used lots of choc buttons while she got used to them. Be prepared for lots of visits to the opticians to get the glasses bent back into shape/repaired when they break them. If they are nhs frames all repairs should be free.

Original poster

sally78 · 10/10/2009 19:57

Thanks Elk!
Just wondering about swimming and soft play. Any problems?

OP posts:

Elk · 10/10/2009 20:11

The consultant said it was better for her to remove her glasses for sports and so she takes them off for that and soft play/trampolining etc. Both pre-school and school have been very good at giving her a specific place to put her glasses when she takes them off for PE.

Seona1973 · 10/10/2009 20:15

my dd has worn glasses since 18 months. She keeps them on for soft play and takes them off (and wears goggles) for swimming. You can actually get prescription goggles too as it sounds like your friends lo's prescription is quite strong (dd is 4.5 and 5.5 in each eye)

Seona1973 · 10/10/2009 20:16

My dd does gymnastics, PE, etc with her glasses on and hasnt had problems

IneedacleanerIamalazyslattern · 10/10/2009 20:16

DD (6 now) got her glasses when she was 2.
I think some of it depends on the child dd was great never complained, never needed the ones that curled behind her ears and never tried to take them off, had that been ds he would never have kept them on.
I second Elk and take the prescription to an optitian and choose a pair she really likes.

DD was told she could take them off for playing and soft play etc. She rarely ever has as she feels happier wearing them though.
She does have a case and there was always one in her tray at pre-school in case they got broken or she had to take them off.

DaisymooSteiner · 10/10/2009 20:16

My dd has been wearing glasses since she was 4 months old (she's now 6). I would second Elk's suggestion to try and take the prescription to other opticians to find a good pair. IME though they can snip the end off 'normal' glasses to put the curly ends on. It's very important to make sure that they fit properly and get them repaired promptly if damaged so they don't rub or fall off.

DD has always taken her glasses off for swimming and sport etc. With a 2 yo I would probably try and start off with the glasses gradually and build up to wearing them full time, unless she's very compliant (my dd wasn't!!)

So many children wear glasses now, that it's really not that big a deal IMHO.

Original poster

sally78 · 10/10/2009 20:33

Just thinking about the swimming and soft play.....I am terribly short sighted -6 in both and I wouldn't make it to the pool without my contacts in! I guess you would need something otherwise you would feel sick wouldn't you!

OP posts:

catinthehat2 · 10/10/2009 20:47

I wore mine from 18months, I guess I could see so many more things I was happy to wear them. Maybe if the optish can explain to friend what DD will now be able to see that she couldn't before, they can spend time sharing those new discoveries. Its got to be more fun for the child than just seeig a messy blur.

Also, can she get prescription swimming goggles, - this will probably make a more confident swimmer if she can see the edge of the pool etc. Once you know the prescription, get them on line as they are more sensibly priced and the fit is obviously more basic than a pair of specs.

starbaby · 12/10/2009 22:07

my son got glasses a few weeks ago aged 2.3. I was really upset and worried about it.

Took him to specsavers who have LOADS of presecription glasses on offer, really nice ones.

It was a bit of nightmare to get him to wear them for the first week, we did 10mins at a time and built up from there.

By week 3, he didn't bat an eyelid, he wears them all the time now and plays in them, bounces around, play fighting, cuddles, soft play, nursery. He's broken 2 pairs but specsavers fixed them within 24hrs and whole thing has turned out to be no big deal at all.

He takes them off for swimming and sleeping and sometimes in the evenings he just gets a bit fed up of them and takes them off himself.

Dysgu · 12/10/2009 22:24

DD1 has worn glasses for nearly a year now. She has a similar prescription to your friend's child I think. She also has a squint and a lazy eye so wears a patch each day too.

She has just turned 3 and we have no problems with her glasses - other than the frequent trips to the optician to have them bent back into shape or to have a replacement pair as they have been broken. The NHS also provides her with 2 pairs so she can have a choice.

She wears them almost all the time and we are considering getting her some prescription goggles now so that she becomes even more confident in the water.

Our consultant said we should take the lead from her - if she wants to take them off for soft play and running around at pre-school then she can but she generally wears them all day as she can see so much better with them on.

She has never had anything but positive comments and proclaims herself a member of the 'girls' glasses gang'!

lucykate · 12/10/2009 22:37

dd has been wearing glasses since she was about 18 months old, her prescription is a +5 on the right, and a +6 on the left, she also has a squint and astigmatism. we've done patching (which does work) too.

dd never takes her glasses off other than bedtime/bathtime, always wears them for pe at school, she would be more dangerous without them as she has double vision. specsavers have a much larger range of glasses for kids than 2 pairs, dd has had barbie ones, scooby doo and currently has spongebob ones.

agree with seona & catinthehat, with a prescription as strong as +9, for swimming i would recommend prescription goggles, dd has some. their optician will be able to advise on those (think they go up to a +8 but that would be sufficient to help her dd)

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