How to convince DS (6) that he has to wear his glasses?

[MrsMargoLeadbetter]

Hi

Wondered if anyone has any 'strategies' for encouraging DS (6) to wear his new glasses?

He failed his eye test at school in Y1, so we went to the opticians. His distance sight in one eye is poor. Feel that we didn't realise ourselves.

We picked the glasses up at the start of the Easter school hols and yesterday he refused to wear them when out with a group of my friends and their kids. He should be wearing them all the time apart from active sport.

I think he is worried about what his friends/kids are going to say.

He needs to wear them when back at school. The optician did say that eyes are still in development until 7ish, so wearing them could help reduce problems in later years. So it is really important that he does put and keep them on.

DH & I both wear glasses but only for computer use, but he has seen us wearing them.

I do feel a bit upset for him, as nobody wants their child to do something that can make them stick out. But I have been really positive about them and how he looks good in them etc.

Disclaimer: I do realise that there are children out there in much worse situations than just having to wear glasses.

Any tips pls?
TIA

At 6 he is old enough to understand he has to wear them and why, my dd 11 has just started wearing them again after not needing glasses for about 5 years, she has moaned and moaned about not wanting to wear them but its not up for discussion she just has to wear them.

I doubt he will 'stick out' loads of children wear glasses, my ds has wore them since age 2 he is almost 9 now and loads of his friends have glasses!

My DS has worn glasses since he was 3. He's now 6. He was reluctant at first as he was patched as well. The optician suggested he wore the glasses for an hr at first and build up as their eyes need a bit of time to adjust.

I explained that he had to do this, no option. One day as he put the glasses on he said, "Now I can see!" and got it - he needed them.

Nobody says anything and recently a little girl in his class was upset as she had new glasses. The teacher asked him to explain to everyone why it was important for some to wear glasses and he was so proud!

I was quite sad at his last hospital visit as they said he might not need them in the future. They are him! He has quite funky black "geek" style ones that he chose.

I can understand that your DS is apprehensive but it really is a non-negotiable. Most kids don't really bother - they are more interested in themselves TBH

Get him to wear them at home all the time so he can get used to them - get used to the bad parts like adjusting to new glasses and physically having glasses on your face, but to the good parts like being able to see properly and easily! Starting wearing glasses is difficult. I have the same problem as your DS and even as a teenager I refused to wear my glasses (but I was tested in year 6, not year 1). It's hard to know what you're missing when you can technically see just fine. Once he's used to them he'll love them, and he won't stick out either.

alwaysonmymind my ds was patched too, a very stressful experience for everyone!

Loads of kids at my DSs' school wear glasses, so they don't really stand out at all - not any more than they do for being blond.

They do take some getting used to, though. Use the holidays to get him used to wearing them - use a reward chart, if that'll motivate him - and check the fit before he goes back to school, as they might need adjusting if they rub anywhere or slip a lot.

Agree re wearing them an hour at a time say 1hr 2x day and building up. THe holidays are ideal.

Also a "special" activity time when he's got them on, say undivided parental attention playing board games, or a cinema expedition or a country walk where again you can just practice spotting things that maybe he couldn't see so well before- without saying " look you are wearing glasses you can see better" just lots of "shh ... look over there by that tree... a cheeky squirrel" etc

If glasses = fun times he'll soon get to the "by jove he's got it!" moment!

Someone suggested recently getting a lego kit or something and giving them a part for every day they've worn their glasses. I think it's quite a good idea.

You've just got to get him to the point where he wants to wear them because he can see better. It does come eventually.

rowna the only thing about the lego and other close work stuff is, if his glasses are to correct poor distance vision he might actually feel that working close up is more of a problem and take more adapting too.

I'd think this kind of emphasises the "disadvantages " of the new glasses, rather than the advantages of being able to see better in the distance etc

I believe it's different for eyes that are patched to make them work harder- the close worth then is helpful.

If he has only one had eye, he won't see any reason to bother. (DD only wears hers because they mean she can see the TV/board at school).

If you have good vision in one eye the brain ignores the bad eye. The switch is instant (I had a pair of glasses the lenses fell out of when I bent down, the brain switched so quickly I'd not notice).

All I can think of is getting him to play covering his good eye, explaining that wearing his glasses really will help both eyes work together. Explain he really wants to do this because it helps for sport (and driving when he's grown up).

Play catch, with and without his glasses (and tennis, cricket or swing ball if he can play them). The brain can't invent missing 3D information, so ball games are the one thing that he might see a reason to wear his glasses.

We discovered this when a DF tried to play badminton having lost a contact lens, she simply couldn't hit the shuttle cock and neither could we, if we closed one eye.

Thank you all for your helpful replies and suggestions. Sorry for my tardy response.

He has been a bit more receptive to wearing them since I posted.

I think I also need to choose my battles. 2 hours at a softplay party without them won't make that much difference.

He does need to cover one eye for an hour a day when doing close work at home. I bought some patches as he was trying to see out/around the tissue wrapped around the glasses!

In fact it was this that helped illustrate to him that the weaker eye is weaker as he was struggling to see with the stronger eye covered.

Anyway, thanks again it really helped to read your responses.