Contact Lenses for kids - what are my choices? What do your kids have?

[Momof2kids]

My dd is 11 and she wants contacts. I have gas permeable and they last years. The last time I went in for a check up they inspected my contacts and said they were still in good shape and my perscription hadn't changed so I got to keep wearing them. They last YEARS.

 

I know lots of people use disposables. This to me seems like an unnecessary monthly expense and I don't want to take it on. What do you pay per month anyway for these disposables? How long do they last? I know some people are always waiting for their shipment (mail order) and they have to wear glasses because their shipment didn't come it. I just don't want to deal with this.

 

Also, for what the gas permaeable cost and how long they last, we are ahead of the game financially. Even if she lost one we could still just buy another one and still be money ahead.

 

The receptionist told me they do push dispoables for kids since they lose them and for sports. Something about getting hit in the eye and having a gas permeable crack in your eye. OK so whats the liklihood of that happening to my dd. Probably miniscule.

 

So whats out there in contacts for kids these days? What are the pros and cons? What do you kids have?

 

I just want some sort of background info before I take her in on Thursday. Thanks.

[Sandy in Indy]

Both of my kids wear disposables (as do I when I wear them). DS has a more expensive brand because he has astigmatism. His are $34/box at Sam's or Costco. DD and I wear the "cheap" ones which are about $14/box (also at Sam's or Costco). A pair lasts about a month and each box has 6 lenses...so for $28 you have 6 months of lenses, if you don't lose any.

 

I used to wear hard lenses (later gas perms) but I had to replace them yearly. I don't find that disposables cost more...but I guess that depends on the kind you need. (Torics and bifocals are more $$.)

[choirfarm]

My son started wearing these 2 years ago and I started last fall and I LOVE it. I had gas permeable as well before and things were always getting in them. Now I wear these contacts at night and don't wear anything during the day. It took about a week or so before my eyes completely adjusted and I could see perfectly all day, but now even if I miss a night, I generally can see fine until lunch time. My son's eyes haven't changes either since he started these and before that they changed every year. He said that is pretty typical with these. Also, if he doesn't wear his at night, they last longer than mine do.. Of course I am 40. I can swim and see!!! My son can play basketball and see!!! We went to The Great Sand Dunes and I could see!!! There is no way I could have worn my contacts there!! Some people have trouble sleeping in them if they are used to soft contacts, I heard. But for me, they felt no different than what I was wearing before. I love them. I love them. I love them. They had to measure my eyes and I wore them at night and then a little bit during the day the first few days. You have to take them off with a suction cup, which does take some getting used to. But I love them.

 

Christine

[Kat in GA]

I wear disposables. They last about two weeks...then I throw them away and put in a new pair. I buy mine all at once. When I go in the summer for my annual eye exam, I go ahead and get a years worth of lenses - and I usually get a $30 rebate for doing it that way...and we plan for that with our flex spending plan.

 

I like the disposables because if one rips, or accidentally falls in the sink...it's no big deal to pull out a new one. And I think it's probably healthier for your eyes...they don't build up protein deposits...they just seem cleaner.

[Gwen in VA]

I wear gas perms and love them. One doctor convinced me to try soft and I stopped wearing them after six months and went back to gas perms.

 

My older dd started on soft and hated them. She just wears glasses now.

 

My younger dd needs contacts so she can be in her fife and drum corps (only 18th C eyewear allowed!) so I wanted her to try gas perms given my and older dd's failures with soft. She loves the gas perms.

 

My 18yo ds will start on gas perms in a month.

[Harriet Vane]

I was not very athletic when I first got them, but I then became quite athletic in high school. I never had problems with my gas perms due to sports--I did just fine with them through track, basketball, other ad hoc sports, and martial arts.

 

Gas perms are some of the healthiest choices for the eyes because they provide a solid degree of correction while still being flexible and permeable. In my case, my eyes were degenerating rapidly, and the gas perm contact lenses virtually stopped the deterioration.

 

If you take the time to really train your daughter to proper care of her lenses she should be fine.

[RoughCollie]

Two of our boys wear contacts. All I know about them is they are daily wear disposables. I mean they toss the day's pair in the trash and take out a fresh pair every morning.