How to you get an 18 mth baby to wear glasses

[bunnyrabbit]

I've not posted for awhile as I've been so busy being at home with my little boy, now I'm redundant, but as usual, in times of need, I turn to Mumsnet!!

My 18 month old has just been perscribed glasses as he is very long sighted. Can anyone please please please give me any advice as to how to get him to wear them!! He will sometimes let me put them on him, and will keep them on if we're making a big fuss of him, but only for about 10 seconds.

I just don't see how I can get him to wear them. I wear glasses some of the time and so do both my parents and my MIL so he does see glasses on people. I've tried putting them on his toys, he has a large baby Pom (Fimble) which I put them on, but he just takes them off and puts them on the floor.

Any advice or similar experiences appreciated.

BR

mieows dd has worn glasses since she was a baby. i think she had an elastic strap that went round the back of the head, looped to the arms of the glasses to keep them in place. she also has the curly ear pieces to make them stay on.

My DD was told at 9 monthes that she needed glasses. When we asked the specialist how we were supposed to make such a small baby wear glasses she said "well they don't take their clothes off so why would she take the glasses off!!!! We were so angry, what a stupid thing to say She is now nearly 3 and will wear them for a little while but not too long. We thought that as me, her dad and brother all weae glasses she would just think she was the same as us. Like Missdee said, the elastic strap worked quite well. HTH. [SMILE]

Misdee is right, My DD1 has had glasses since she was 4 months old. She is very very long sighted (7.5 and 6.5) and has a squint too. She used to pull them off and we struggled to get her to wear them. We had the curly sides and a sports strap that we tighten up as much as possible that went round the back of her head. I also just kept putting them back on.
Eventally she got used to them and realised she can see better with them on, and has wore them everyday for 4 years on. We went to get new glasses today and I let her try on several pairs and she chooses her own glasses (she chose blue and silver) I go to D&A and they do an offer where you pay £19 and get two pairs for £19. I think its good to have a spare pair as the NHS won't give you two pairs and they are always getting broken or lost.

Thanks for the messages guys. Nice to know there are others out there!!

Wow 4 months. When did she start keeping them on?
My DS is 5.5 and 6.5 (not quite as bad as your DD) and his eye is starting to turn in. The problem is that the muscle weakness which can cause a squint runs in my family. So at the moment they don't know if it's the long sightedness or a muscle weakness that's causing the squint. They need to correct his sight and see if it gets better.

I thought the rubber band would just annoy him if he can't get it off, and am worried that this might really upset him. I try to put them on him but he turns his head away and obviously isn't happy. I'm so worried that he'll start to hate them that I don't want to force him.

Oh, and as for stupid advice, the optometrist that told me he would have to wear glasses advised that I should put them on him when he's asleep and he probably wouldn't realise. Yeah right!!!!

BR

She started wearing them fully at about 1 year old. It took a lot of patience. She loves her glasses now and I think she looks so sweet in them, but strange without them IYKWIM. I will link a pic of her in her glasses.
DS started wearing glasses at 4 and it was lot easier to get him to wear them as I could explain to him why he had to wear them.

DD in her specs