glasses dependent child struggling with mask in school

[reindeesandchristmastrees]

Hi
My son has very poor eyesight and can hardly focus without his glasses on. We've tried all of the masks (foam bridge support, wire etc) but he is really struggling in school with mask steaming up his glasses. Is there any exemption for children in schools do you know. He is happy to wear them walking between classes but struggles with reading
Thanks

A diving trick is to spit in your goggles, rub the spit around and then rinse out in the water. Keeps goggles from fogging for hours. I've done it a few times with glasses/masks now too. Best done at home before you leave the house - can't imagine it's great to have people spitting all over the place at the moment!

@TheSockMonster

Possibly not very practical, but a surgeon friend said he tapes his mask to his face all the way along the top to prevent his glasses steaming up during surgery.

Yes this is very effective. A strip of surgical tape on the top edge of the mask over the nose.

My husband really struggles and can't not wear glasses, and not allowed contacts, he's been using these and they've been worth every penny, think each cloth has 400 uses www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B088K4XD2S?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I tie knots in the ear loops of my mask to bring the edges together and tuck the folds into the mask in

Can you attach a photo of that when you've done it to a mask please, it's not very clear where you knot the ear-loops.

One semi-solution I’ve found is wearing my mask basically up to my eyeballs and my glasses on top. I look ridiculous but it helps! I also find my OH’s bigger fitting mask works better as the air goes out the side a bit more but then I assumed that’s not quite the point of a mask 🙈 I only use his if I have forgotten mine!

I use the anti fog gel from vision express and a plastic nose clip. I find the gel by itself wears off quite quickly but lasts a lot longer with the nose clip. It also prevents my glasses from sliding down all the time.

Be careful of the pp suggestion about washing up liquid on lenses. It'll remove any anti reflection coating, probably in little patches.

Wearing the mask a bit high and putting the glasses on top of the mask is the only thing that works for me.

We started dd at in contacts at age 10 because of some sensory issues. We use dailies to help minimize risk.

Oh and for the mask, the stick on metal bridges work really nicely.

I've found that wearing a paper mask very high up, squeezing the wire and positioning my glasses lower down my nose stops the air I breath out from steaming up my glasses.

OP Some people are so desperate for others to follow the rules to those others detriment that they come out with ridiculous suggestions like putting washing up liquid on lenses. Do NOT do this. It will damage them and its not the PP who suggested it who will have to pay for them to be replaced.

I have

This has been my big issue. I've been a glasses wearer all my life and have a strong prescription, and nothing I try seems to work with my lenses. I finally, through a combination of a special mask and wipes and spray, found a solution that works as much as half an hour at a time, but it still involves some fog. I'll be glad to see the end of masking.

He's a child. Get optician to write an exemption. X

I feel for your Son OP it’s awful when your glasses steam up.

Instead of a mask could he wear the visor that have the glasses inside them already?

Surgical tape across the nose works really well for me.

I think rather than spitting in glasses or using surgical tape or washing up liquid, exemption is surely applicable here!?

Your poor son. Definitely speak to the senco.

There's a soecific type of disposable mask for glasses wearers (we use them at work, NHS). If a glasses wearing nurse can do a full shift wearing one, I expect they would also work in a classroom. They're pink though.

You don't say how old he is - is he too young for contact lenses?

Disposable masks are lighter so easier to wear with glasses.
However wearing a mask in classroom is not compulsory so your son could take it off and then put it on at the end of the lesson. He’s allowed to do so.

I have struggled too so it must be hugely difficult for your ds.

I bought a Maskey (on special offer in WHS) and can honestly say it's a zillion times more comfy than other masks and easier to wear tucked under my glasses and they steam far less with it than other masks.

Does he even need a formal exemption OP? Is it something the school asks for?

If he is really struggling I would also email either the SENCO and/or his form teacher to explain. It sounds like he has really tried and his day at school shouldn’t be made this difficult - poor kid.

I saw a tik tok yesterday about cleaning glasses with shaving gel 🤷🏼‍♀️ Not tried it though. I just got an under armour mask and it’s been the best one for not steaming my glasses up. Not cheap but found the best price on Amazon.