When’s the right age for your child to have an eye test? What about wearing lenses or sunglasses? Share your thoughts with Specsavers - you could win £250 NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

Back in November, Specsavers commissioned a survey of MNers with a child aged 2 to 12 to find out what age parents thought children should have their first eye test.

The average age given by MNers was 3. Specsavers advises children have their first eye test at age 3 – because "Learning difficulties can sometimes be caused by uncorrected vision problems, so the earlier they can be detected, the better the chance of correcting them" say Specsavers.

The average age given by MNers was 15 for first wearing contact lenses – in fact Specsavers say they can be worn from age 10 - "we often find children quickly enjoy the many benefits of wearing contacts from a young age."

And for sunglasses – MNers thought they should be worn on sunny days from age 2 – Specavers says "many people aren't aware of the dangers UV rays can have on the health of your eyes - we'd recommend all children wear sunglasses on a sunny day!"

Please share your thoughts on the above on this thread - would you let your pre-teen have contacts, have you taken your school aged child for an eye test and how do you keep sunnies on your toddler when they are having fun in the sun!?

Add your thoughts to this thread and you'll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £250 voucher from here

Please note Specsavers may use your comments - anon of course - on their pages on MN, on their social media or possibly elsewhere - please only post if you're happy with this.

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

I took my children for their first sight test aged 2, mainly because I knew my optician very well and I wanted them to get used to going at a young age before fears start to creep in. It worked very well.

its hard to learn to put lenses in. Son has been trying since he was 8. He is almost 12 now and is going in for another attempt in a couple of weeks.

He kinda likes his glasses tbh

the rate at which he breaks his frames, I would be paying a fortune for sunglasses, although we did consider them last year

Contacts - depends on maturity of the child, I think. I'd want to trust DD to be absolutely scrupulous about hygiene before I would let her have them.

My children had their first eye tests before 2 because of family history.

DD1 was a full-time glasses wearer and had prescription sunglasses too, from age two. She was used to glasses anyway, so she always kept the sunglasses on. DD2 doesn't need glasses, but she likes to copy everyone else and wear sunglasses on sunny days. In fact she often wears them on decidedly dull days because she doesn't want to be the only one without glasses on!

I took both my DDs for eyes tests around 3 years of age and agree that it's good to do it before school.

Contacts from 10? It depends on the maturity of the child.

Sunglasses from as young as possible, although trying to get a baby/toddler to keep them on is a challenge. A sunshade on a buggy and a hat are better than nothing for protecting the eyes while protecting your baby from the sun.

Neither of mine have had eye tests apart from at school (aged 2 and 5).
I'd not considered an extra check.
I'd be wary of contact lenses too young for hygiene and also in case they freaked out if problems (lense moved/tore etc).
Good to know its an option though.

My 3 year old has been twice to have his sight tested because we wanted to rule out a squint; his next check will be with school at 5 years old.

I think 3 years old is the right age for a first sight test.

Both my children have sunglasses but only the older one will wear them. Now that he has the understanding that the glasses help his eyes from hurting in the sun he asks for them. He also tries to explain this to his younger brother but it isn't working yet!

I would only let my child wear contact lenses when they were responsible enough to use them, it would depend on the child. An 11 year old might be responsible enough but another child might have to be 15.

I wouldn't let ds have contacts till he was 16 or so as I don't think he'd be responsible enough with them - though other children might be.

DS had his first eye exam when he was 1 due to family history of rubbish eyes, and has had regular tests since.

Sunglasses should be worn as young as possible but its hard to get them to keep them on, also seem to go through numerous pairs as they always end up getting lost. Wearing them yourself can help once they reach an age where they want to be a big boy/girl

DD had eye tests just before she turned two and again six months later due to a slight squint (was discharged with no issues). The opthalmologist said she was likely to need glasses in the future (no surprise as both DH and I are short-sighted) but didn't seem to think we would need to get her eyes checked again before she starts school.

I wouldn't be happy with a 10 year old wearing contact lenses unless I was absolutely confident they would be sensible about hygeine. I'm a little cynical about Specsavers' advice here - obviously the earlier the better for them profits-wise!

My youngest has never had an eye test and she's 9. I guess I hadn't likened it to going to the dentist.
Sunglasses my dc ave only worn on holiday and they don't keep them on.
Contact lenses? I doubt I'd consider them at age ten for my dc as I'd be concerned about hygiene.

Oh, I really hoped that SpecSavers would have given some useful advice here about what level of UVA and UVB protection is needed in children's sunglasses. There isn't much advice at all in the OP, it just seems like a plug to get your children's eyes tested, to start using contacts at an early age, and to wear sunglasses.

I'd like my 6 year old to be able to wear contacts. Her hygiene is so much better than her teenage brother's. I Intend to ask about getting contacts for her at her next appointment. Will I have to battle? I've heard there're no medical reasons not to have them from a young age, and with daily disposables hygiene issues are minimised.

I'm really hoping spec savers respect my decision when I suggest it.

I've tried to make an opticians appointment for DS but all three places I've tried told me he was too young, and that includes specsavers. He turned 4 in January & I went into my local specsavers in mid Februaury, I was told not to bother coming back until he was at least 5. I really wanted to get them checked before he starts school in September but nowhere local will do it until he turns 5.

He's worn sunglasses since he was about 1, it never seemed to occur to him to take them off so I don't really have any tips.

My children have had eye tests from 3 years. One has had to be seen by an orthoptist, so it's something that's always been on the radar and not one of those things that slips my mind.

I wouldn't be bothered to encourage a pre-teen to wear contact lenses. A lot of faff for very little benefit.

Sunglasses have been hit and miss. I try to encourage them, but they've gone beyond thinking they're fun to thinking they stand out if they wear them .

Our whole family wears glasses. My 11yo is short sighted and my 8yo very long sighted with a strong astigmatism.

There's no way my 11yo could manage contacts. Neither DH nor I can wear them because our eyes are too sensitive - I can't even manage the puff test at the optician's! DH did try lenses out, but couldn't get the one he tried out again, so didn't bother with trialling them properly. My 11yo likes his glasses, anyhow and sees them as part of his identity. He always chooses very similar navy or black rectangular frames.

Both boys have prescription sunglasses. I sometimes have to hide them from DS2 because he'll insist on wearing them around the house all day!

Both DH and I wear glasses so we took the children for eye tests before they went to school. They were both checked regularly throughout school -DS needed glasses, DD didn't. When DS went to University he wanted to try contact lenses and used them for about six months before deciding they were too much trouble. DD tends to wear sunglasses more regularly than DS.

My son was at risk of lazy eye and becoming blind on one eye. I say early as 2 or three. The earlier, the better to train the eye

I'm not sure I would like my children to wear contacts at 10. I don't think DS would like it and I would worry about potential eye damage.

DS is a full time glasses wearer and I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I haven't considered sunglasses for him.

My daughter had her first test at 6 months because we have a family history of lazy eye and she had a slight squint. For lenses it depends on maturity of the child but I wouldn't let mine have them before 13.

My DD started wearing glasses when she was 6. We bought her prescription sunglasses for the summer, but she didn't really like wearing them.
She started to wear contact lenses a couple of months before her 9th birthday and now wears ordinary sunglasses when needed.
My DD does get her lenses from Specsavers, but a friend of hers was advised to wear contact lenses from 8 years of age by an independent optician, so I don't think it's something that Specsavers are suggesting purely for profit!

I think eye tests from around 4? That's when my 3 started nursery school and could start making out letters -although the tests at that age involved pictures instead of letters which brought some interesting results! (DS thought the pic of a house was a loaf of bread-even up close!)

Both my oldest dc's wear glasses and I would quite happily let them try contact lenses from around 11/12 if that is what they want to do. Especially as they play sports and I started wearing lenses at that age too.

My dd's don't wear sunglasses often (we live in sunny scotland) however we did get prescription sunglasses last year in the Specsavers 2 pairs for kids offer and they have been brilliant for them on holidays and in the summer.

I wear glasses as do my two DDs aged 12 and 10. I also have a 6 YO DS who has perfect eye sight, given out history in the spec department! he was first tested when he was just 3 months old by our local Childrens eye clinic.

DD1 started wearing glasses, when she was 5. She was referred by the school nurse when she failed the eye test in school. She wont be trying contacts anytime soon as she can manage physical activities without her specs. She also has ASD so it wont be practical for a while yet.

My 10 YO started wearing glasses aged 3. She is VERY short sighted and has a squint, she will being getting contacts in the summer holidays when i can spend more time helping her. My reason for her having contacts is that she literally can hardly see a thing without her glasses, her squint (which cannot be surgically corrected or trained!) also give her double vision :(. Glasses and contact sports are a pain and we are having more and more issues with teachers asking her to remove her glasses for PE! . Unfortunately because her prescription is to high and complicated for daily/monthly disposables.

Both girls have prescription sun glasses and have done since they started wearing glasses, tho DD1 cant stand them .

I dont think that other MNer need to think outside of there own situation when they pass opinions on why children would wear contacts from aged 10 (or younger!!).

I wish we'd taken DS for an eye test at 3 - I kept meaning to but never got round to it. I hadn't thought about sunglasses, as this will be his first summer as a glasses wearer, but I will look at them now.

I'll definitely let him try contacts when he's around 10 unless there's any research advising against it. I've worn them for years myself and I much prefer them.

DD was pre-school aged when she had her first eye test and has them yearly now as long sighted but so far hasn't needed glasses. I am long sighted and wear glasses for close up work so am sure she'll need them at some point. She's desperate for them as lots of classmates have them. One of her friends aged 10 wears contacts during the day and another wears them to change her eye shape at night whilst asleep but DD wouldn't be keen to wear contacts as squeamish about stuff (like getting ears pierced etc).
She has sunglasses so this Summer I will be encouraging her to wear them more regularly after what was written in OP - thank you.

I wonder if a pre teen would be able to stand having contact put in and out, i wouldn't have a problem as long as the child was comfortable and not just doing it because they didn't want to wear glasses with school etc.