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 had no concerns about my daughter's (hawk-like) vision but took her to the opticians for her first eye test around her 3rd birthday. She is an anxious type and I was getting her into the swing of various different types of appointments (dentist etc) at the time. She was able to understand questions and answer appropriately and it worked out well.

As it happens she currently doesn't have any need for glasses. She is still only 3, but I can't imagine letting her have contacts until she is a teen. I don't need them though, so don't know much about them! I would need her to be able to deal with them herself.

My DD doesn't like bright places so is good at keeping her sunglasses on. Last year she had ones with flexible frames which she found comfy.

My DS is nearly 9. When he was a toddler (about 2), I rang Specsavers to ask when he should have his first eye test, and they said at age 5. I actually asked twice, to be sure, and both times they said age 5. I guess it's changed since then.

I took him for his first test at age 5, and he has had them regularly since then. They noticed a very slight issue at first, but didn't feel it was necessary for him to wear glasses, and each visit has shown that the issue is resolving itself.

If he needed them, and was comfortable and happy to wear contact lenses before hitting his teens, then I'd be happy for him to do so.

I haven't a clue how to keep sunglasses on a toddler though - I never succeeded with mine and I still can't manage it now he's older!

Neither of my dc (5 and 7) have had an eye test and I haven't since I was a teenager. I don't know why I have never taken them, both can read and spot things from miles away so it has never occurred to me. I'm going to go and book them in now thanks to this thread and get myself booked in too.

Oh and I never had a problem keeping sunnies on my toddlers as they always wanted to look like me so if I put my sunglasses on they wanted theirs on too. Fancy styles helped too.

First eye test at 3 is a good idea, but I would not correct vision at that age unless the problem is very significant (which is no doubt not what Supersavers wants to hear ) because:

1. Almost all children are long-sighted (hypermetropia) at that age
2. This corrects itself in time.
3. The cost (not just money but also the inconvenience) is unjustified when weighed against the minute benefit of wearing glasses unless the long-sightedness is extreme.

The earliest age to wear glasses would be 6 for me, and that only if the problem is short-sightedness (myopia) that will affect learning in school.

The earliest age to wear contact lenses could easily be 8, depending on how responsible the child in question is. I was 8 when I started to wear contact lenses.

I started wearing contacts at 18 (as soon as I could afford them) as I have fairly poor vision & thick glasses. DH is also myopic, although less severe than me. I will definitely be taking DD for her first test by the time she's 5-6, she currently appears to have perfectly good sight. Possibly earlier though, based on the recommendations on here... We have bought sunglasses for DD since she first demonstrated an interest in our glasses, in the hope that being like mummy & daddy would persuade her not to launch them into the road. It mostly works...

As for contacts for children, I think it would depend on several factors. How bad is their sight (can they manage without glasses for sport etc); age & how responsible they are (I still have horrors of reading about people who've not kept them clean, or been rough when taking them out); how do they feel about wearing glasses. I hated my specs as a child/teen but they were hideous NHS things, I rather like my current pair & only wear contacts for the gym etc. My face would feel naked without them and I would have to do my eyebrows more often.

ASAP, it could be detrimental re: school if a child has bad eyesight.

I think 10. That's roughly when I started needing glasses to read the blackboard properly although on the downside, that's also an age where you start to feel self-conscious wearing glasses!

Interesting findings. Sadly there are so many children that don't get tested until school age, it should be made mandatory because so many problems go undetected..

However I think the age shouldn't start from 3 as some kids including my own need testing earlier. Two of my children needed testing before this (specsavers wouldn't test so ended up going elsewhere to be referred to the hospital) and turns out they needed glasses because they not only had bad eyesight but squints too.

I think contacts from the age of 10 is a good idea but only if the child is able to do it themselves, it is something my 9 year old is already considering as her dad wears contacts so she is already familiar with the process.

Sunglasses can be tricky especially on toddlers, babybanz are good. However does this mean children who wear glasses get free sunglasses too or do we need to pay for those because perscription sunglasses don't come cheap.

Lots to consider.

An eye test at three is a great age so as to pick up on these issues before school starts. I would be hesitant about contact lenses because of the hygiene aspect, but I think these would be really helpful in the teenage years for sports etc.

Some interesting things here. I would not have thought that contact lenses could be worn from age 10

Now my eldest is 3 I'll be taking her for an eye test. I'm not worried about her eyesight but I had tests regularly as a child as bot my mum and sister wore glasses. I've worn them since I was 12 so best to get her used to an optician and keep checking.

I took mine from about the age of 3, my son ( 18 ) still has perfect eyesight, Just felt it was the right thing to do

I remember going for an eye test when I was about four and being really disappointed because I didn't need glasses!

I wear them now and I did try contact lenses a couple of years ago, but I couldn't get the infernal things out so haven't bothered since!

Contacts - might be fiddly for a small child but if they are up to it and can keep them clean then but maybe as young as 8 if they could handly it but probably 11 when they go to big school

well my kids start the dentist at 18 months so an eye test then would be good if the test was simple enough.

we wanted our children to protect their eyes from an early age so we used sun glasses with a band on the back to keep them attached.

we found if they coping others they want to wear them or we kept telling them they looked good so they wanted to wear them

I didn't take DD til she was 5 as TBH I didn't think she could have one before that (Unless there was an obvious problem - and I would've taken her earlier if so)! In all honesty she was so shy that the test was very difficult, I don't think she could've managed it before that :(

She is only very slightly short sighted so needs to wear them for TV etc, her subsequent test was much clearer as she was older and more confident.

I'll be taking DS soon, as he's 5.

I wouldn't even consider suggesting my DCs wore contacts, I have never tried them as I love my glasses, and so does DD. If when old enough she wants to try them (or needs them for sport etc as has been mentioned - have to admit I'd not thought of that aspect!) then I'll facilitate that if I think she would be responsible enough (same with ear piercing: cleaning etc)

When I was about 16 my friend was getting to grips with contacts, and one came apart in her eye - into about 5 pieces. Must admit that put me off a bit [shudder]

I took all three of my children for their first sight test in November last year. They were 7, 6 and 3.
The optician wasn't keen on doing the youngest as they said he was too young. However, they said they would try.
Lucky they did! They found out he had cataracts in both eyes and was referred for emergency surgery.
He had his 1st operation 2 weeks ago today, and his second one just today! He will need glasses for the rest of his life (which, I must say, he is rather excited about).
I would urge ALL parents to get their child's eyes tested by the age of 3 as, due to being so young, his operations went perfect, and, due to finding the cataracts so early, there is no long term damage.

Oh and I forgot to add, I've recently started to wear contacts (about 5 weeks ago) and love them! If my child was responsible enough, I'd happily let them wear contacts at a young age.

Also, just because they seem to have good eyesight, doesn't mean there are no problems. Both my husband and I expected our eldest to need glasses if any of the 3, but he has perfect 20/20 vision, and thought our youngest had good eyesight, but how wrong we were!

My daughter had her first eye test when she was about 2 and luckily her eyes are fine. She is now 10. I wore contact lenses from the age of 16 and think I wouldn't have been responsible enough if I had been younger. I certainly wouldn't want my daughter wearing them before the age of 16. Hygiene is very important and I don't think she could handle it right now. She has sunglasses (from the optician) and although I encourage her to wear them when it's sunny she is often to lazy to.

I think when you first take your DC for an eye-test depends on how good or bad the patents eye-sight is (unless there are any obvious signs). I wish I'd taken DS much earlier, before he started having trouble reading the whiteboard at school.

My DD had her eyes tested at age 2, she has worn sunglasses from the age that she would keep them on approximately 14 month.

As for contact lenses - if I thought my DD was capable of using them age 10 then I wouldn't have a problem with that. As a sporty, horse riding child who grew up wearing glasses I often found them cumbersome and would have loved to have contact lenses.

My daughter is nearly 3 and the optician has said she can have her first eye test at 3. My sons both had their first eye test prior to starting school (so age 3 or 4).

I was 10 and that was too late as I had been struggling with blurred vision but hadn't even realised it was because i needed glasses.

I think a responsible child of 9 or 10 could be able to wear contact lenses. I was about 16 i think when i first had contacts.

As for sunnies for toddlers - with a cool looking pair my daughter wants to keep them on anyway (rain or shine!)

My little one is 2 - no eye test for him yet, but a friend of his at nursery wears glasses & keeps them on with a strap that extends round the back of his head. Little fella had sunglasses last summer with the same kind of strap but he still kept pulling them off. A large sunhat did the trick although I think he might be more into the sunnies this year! Happy to take him for an eye test at the recommended age but he would struggle to sit still for it now, especially with new people & in a strange environment.

I took my DD to have her first eye test at 19 months as there's a history of squints on DH's side (although he has perfect vision). DD is excellent at jigsaw puzzles far above her age category and loves to draw etc. so unless I was aware of the family history I would have had absolutely no idea that she was, in fact, very long sighted We were informed that, although she has very good eyesight her vision occasionally blurs due to the longsightedness and something as simple as glasses can resolve this . I am so glad that I took DD as early as I did to get her eyes checked as she is now coming up to 23 months and loves her many lovely coloured glasses and she is still as active as ever in them! We have made wearing them fun for her and they really suit her (she's very bright and always has her head in a book - and she accessorises them to match her outfits. We have just ordered her a pair of prescription sunglasses as her eyes do seem to be sensitive to strong sunlight and she's looking forward to wearing them when the weather is nice She's as happy as ever in her glasses and she really rocks her new look! And it's for this reason (her happiness and confidence) that I would support her if, at some point she stopped liking her glasses, and wanted to wear contact lenses. I'd rather her wear contacts, however young, than risk eye strain by not wearing her glasses x