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Original poster

Does your toddler wear glasses?

29 replies

P45 · 08/05/2006 21:34

I´m so sad. My 20 month old has to get glasses tomorrow, starting on a lifetime of glasses-wearing (like me!) Do you have any tips on what type of frames/lenses I should get or how to encourage her to wear them? Does anyone have experience of dealing with a squint with patches or surgery?

OP posts:
geekgrrl · 08/05/2006 21:45

My dd wears glasses. She's 5 now but has had them for a few years. She has a small face so she still gets the baby glasses.
Specsavers have been brilliant - they never blink when I come in for yet another pair due to her old one getting lost or bent beyond repair. The best ones for small children IMHO are the ones with a round/elastic bit behind the ear and a comfort bridge (the bit that sits on the nose - a comfort bridge is a single piece rather than the standard 2 pads).
I never had problems getting my dd to wear her specs - fingers crossed you won't either.

PinkKerPlink · 08/05/2006 21:48

my dd has a squint and is long sighted, we patch for 2 hrs a day. She ios 6 1/2 now and they still havent pushed for surgery

hth

Orinoco · 08/05/2006 21:58

My sister's just been through this with my niece, who's 22 months. My sister was gutted, in tears all the time,thinking of her beautiful baby who would have to wear glasses from now on.

However, she spoke with my neighbour who's the manager at an optician's, and she reassured her. Basically, she said that a child's eyes aren't fully developed until around 12. So, if they spot a problem, they can ususally prescribe glasses which will ultimately allow the eyes to correct themselves. She said that the prescription would probably be really strong to start with, and might be changed every three months - but she said to think of it as physiotherapy for eyes - she might not need that strong a lense to see but it would pull her eye into the correct position to allow it to grow correctly and hopefully she won't need glasses when she's a bit older.

This helped my sister - I hope it helps you too Smile

elliott · 08/05/2006 22:01

geekgirrl I've never seen those kind of glasses - sound like they woudl be better for ds1 (better get to SpecSavers Grin)
He is 4.5 and has had his glasses for about a year. I was a bit upset at first (I'm embarrassed to say - after all its only glasses, and they will actually help him to see) but now I'm really used to him wearing them and still think he looks gorgeous Smile

carol3 · 08/05/2006 22:32

hi P45, My dd2 has had three lots of squint surgery and has had patches on and of since 4 months old. she's 2 1/2 now had currently on 5 hours patching a day there r a couple of threads on here one on eye patching and one on squints. Stickers worked well for incouragement and slowing building up the amount of time each day she's wearing them, i even made myself a chart so i could measure how long she'd had the patch on each day starting from one min ! ope all goes well tomorrow

misdee · 08/05/2006 22:35

my baby needs glasses, it was picked up at 11months old. we are waiting to find out her perscription, and waiting for an appointment for eye clinic. all we know is that she is severely long sighted.

SofiaAmes · 09/05/2006 02:14

My ds started wearing glasses at 3 for astymatism (sp?) in both eyes and brown's syndrome in one eye. He took to them without an ounce of trouble and never had any problem wearing them or having the sense to remove them if he was doing rough playing or sports. They got broken several times a year, but mostly because his younger sister got ahold of them...they were always repaired for free. He was tested every 3 or 4 months and his eyes got progressively better and when he was 4.5 they said that his eyes had gotten so much better that he didn't need them anymore. I was actually a little disappointed because he looked soooo cute in them. He is now 5.5 and just recently had his eyes checked again and he still doesn't need them. So despite a family full of glass wearers it looks like he may have escaped...

For hints...I got two pairs (one that i paid 10 pounds for and another the free nhs ones). That way when one pair was broken, I had the leisure of using the other pair and mailing the broken ones for repair. The two pairs were also somewhat different...one pair was gold and the other blue so I could experiment a bit with which pair i liked better. Be sure to consult your dd when picking the glasses so she feels like she has participated in the process.

Oblomov · 09/05/2006 06:37

Ds 2.3 wears glasses.
He has a squint and we have just started patching for 1 hour every day.
He started wearing glasses at 1.5.
It was a bit hard to encourage him to wear them, but nothing major - he was pretty good - lots of squeels of excitement and praise - that's me and dh squeeling, by the way !!
He looks like the milky bar kid, in his glasses.
I know he looks sweet, but deep in my heart I don't like him wearing them - I prefer him without his glasses.
I don't know why - I'll have to think about that.
Ds has broken, bent his glassses so many times - you will be forever in the opticians !!
We are still encouraging 'respect' for his glasses - for him to be gentle with them.here are lots of threads on squints and patching.
Cod is God, on this topic.

Original poster
P45 · 09/05/2006 11:38

Thanks for writing and for your tips! I am not alone then in feeling devastated that DD has to wear glasses - I thought I was being a bit daft! We have 3 days grace before the glasses are ready... : ( ...

Geekgirl, I thought those curly armed frames were perfect for a toddler until the optician said they produce Prince Charles ears if used too long. The very image put me off immediately!

OP posts:
Piffle · 09/05/2006 11:41

My dd has glasses, she may also need surgery at soem point, she is seriously long sighted
I wish we had known her eyesight was so bad earlier tbh, it has held her back so much
She happily puts on her glasses herself every morning and hates being without them
If kids see a better view with them on, most are happy to wear them
For very young tots I think you can get a band to wrap around the head to keep them from sliding down the nose. dd's still slide but she can push them up herself fine.
She looks very cute in them

Piffle · 09/05/2006 11:41

dd is 3.5y

Original poster
P45 · 09/05/2006 11:51

Piffle, what is "seriously" long-sighted for you? Do you know the numbers offhand? Eg. I´m 5.25 in both eyes I think..

OP posts:
brimfull · 09/05/2006 11:55

Just have to say I think children look adorable in glasses.

lucykate · 09/05/2006 12:00

have posted a pic of my dd in member profiles so you can see her glasses. she was 3.5 when the picture was taken, she's now 4 and she's had them since 18mths.

ds also has glasses, he's nearly 1.

once they get used to wearing them and can see that it makes their eyesight better, you'll just forget they are there.

lucykate · 09/05/2006 12:02

dd's prescription is 6 in the left, 5 in the right.

\link{http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1700&threadid=171660\pic is here}

SparklyGothKat · 09/05/2006 12:10

My Dd1 has wore glasses since she was 4 months old. Her prescription is 7.5 in her left eye and 9.0 in her right. She looks beautiful in her glasses. My DS has wore glasses since he was 3. And my DD2 needs glasses, we have an appointment next week.

Original poster
P45 · 09/05/2006 12:36

Lovely pic, Luckykate!

Are the lenses heavy?

OP posts:
lucykate · 09/05/2006 12:38

no, not heavy at all. they can grind lenses down to make them appear thiner and fit better in the frame

Piffle · 09/05/2006 14:18

serious in dd's case is exacerbated in that she has nystagmus which is a wobble and unstable visual acuity/accuracy, impossible to measure how l/s she is as she cannot perform regular eye tests!
they tried her on a +2 strength pair which she loves she will get another rise in script in 6 mths.

Piffle · 09/05/2006 14:19

pic of dd in her glasses here

\link{http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1700&threadid=158293&stamp=060324142419\here}

maltesers · 09/05/2006 15:15

Havnt read all your thread but my dd who is now 15 yrs wore glasses for years from age 3 yrs and had a Squint Operation at 7 months old. She had patches up to the age of bout 3 yrs and then the glasses. Wishing you the best of luck .. Your little one will be fine. At least if you persevere your dd will have good eyes at the end of it and look good. My own father nearly cried when he saw her at 3 with her new glasses.
Now she is 15 she only has to wear them for close study work. But she is a bit naughty and forgets to bother.

PeachyClair · 09/05/2006 15:36

Sam wore glasses from 18 months. He was nightmare tbh, and your choice of frames are a bit limites really young. However, don't know what age they start at but Asda opticians do a childrens flexi frame that looks OK. haven't tried it mind you, though may as Sam still destroying his regularly.

curlysmum · 09/05/2006 16:06

I picked up my daughters first glasses on Friday (she is 4) , she also has a squint and is slightly long sighted in one eye so they have asked us to try these for two months before they decide if they should operate to correct it. She also patches for 4 hours a day. Her glasses are from Moorfields and are lovely pink metalic. I am a little upset but if they work it might mean it straightens her eye without the need for an operation. Her father is so upset about her wearing them, I am a little but just want her eye to be the best it can be. Her cousin wore glasses from age 2 and had a terrible squint in both eyes and they are now straight without any operation.

MrsBadger · 09/05/2006 16:16

NB Cod is an authority on patching - may be worth starting a new thread she'll spot?

franca70 · 09/05/2006 16:43

Hi P45, it's true kids look adorable in glasses.
I was diagnosed with a squint when I was 6 months old and started to wear glasses + patches when I was 1yr (and believe me frames were horrible in the 70s...). I had surgery when I was 5 and was glasses free until I became short-sighted at 12.
My poor mum still remembers the time she spent looking for my glasses. But then I got used to it. I'm sure your DD will be absolutely fine and will have perfect eyes at the end of it.