Questions about kids w glasses

[kubiac]

DS6 was just diagnosed w myopia and prescribed glasses. Two "survey questions" for the Hive based on problems we've encountered so far.

 

* How often do your kids' glasses get broken, scratched or lost? Any tips on preventing loss or damage, thus mitigating cost? 

 

* What motivates your kid to wear his or her glasses? (Note: I would have never guessed that DS has vision issues--he seems to read everything fine and has never squinted or complained of blurry vision--but the doctor recommended glasses for both the myopia and strabismus. Kid isn't inclined, so far, to wear them regularly; I assume that will change if his vision problems advance but I would love to find a way to make him want to wear them.)

Edited October 15, 2016 by kubiac

[Raifta]

DD, 10, got her glasses shortly after she turned 9.  We got her two pairs, thinking they were likely to get broken/scratched/lost.  She did, in fact, through no real fault of her own, manage to break one pair in a way that could not be repaired within the first 9 months.  The second pair also was quite damaged about 15 months in (again, not her fault) but was still wearable.  By then she needed a new prescription and new frames anyway.  We got one for free thanks to a local program and intend to buy a second pair because I'm pretty sure they will likely also suffer some sort of fate similar to the first two.  

 

What motivates her to wear them?  She really couldn't see well at all without them so she needed no convincing!  We were lucky that way (I well remember losing multiple pairs of glasses when I was 10 to 12 before my parents gave up and let me 'suffer' without them - I finally got them and wore them when I was 16 and needed them to drive).

[prairiewindmomma]

1. Oldest went through seven pairs of glasses his first year of wearing them.  We were banned from Lenscrafters. The next year, he went through three pair.  It's been several years since he has broken a pair.  Polycarbonate lenses, spring hinges, and fully-framed lenses are the way to go in terms of durability.  We order through Zenni optical, and always buy at least 2 pair so we have a backup in case of emergency.  Loss isn't an issue because they are always on his face.

 

2. Any new habit takes time. Require him to wear them when he is awake, and after a few weeks, he will adjust.  Strabismus is nothing to mess around with; patching and vision therapy is not a lot of fun. BTDT x2 kids so far.

[Tanaqui]

* How often do your kids' glasses get broken, scratched or lost? Any tips on preventing loss or damage, thus mitigating cost?

 

When I was a child, I lost my glasses all the time, and they definitely got scratched up. The elder kiddo is shaping up the same way.

 

My advice? Get one pair from the optometrist, then get the prescription - including the pupil distance! - and order a replacement pair online right away with the same prescription and measurements. Seriously, that's money well spent, and online prices are fairly reasonable. (I do advise you get the first pair from the optometrist. They can better advise you as to fit, and at this age that's important.)

 

You still want to reduce lossage, and the advice here is the same as any other valuable object: Keep them in their case when they're not being worn (a hard case, thank you) and keep that case in the same place at all times. Only clean them with the microfiber lens wipe (which you should wash weekly) when wet - just moistening the glasses with water is fine. (I like to run water over my glasses once a week to reduce the amount of gunk that builds up between the lenses and the frames. Ew!)

 

What motivates your kid to wear his or her glasses?

 

If she's not wearing her glasses, I tell her to put them on. She's no more "motivated" to wear glasses than she is to wear clothing - it's simply an expectation that she has to follow. I have surprisingly few rules of this sort, but that's one of them.

 

When you first get a new pair of glasses, your vision is weird and you might get a headache. This no doubt makes kids who are new to glasses reluctant to wear them. The only solution, though, is to power through for a few days.

 

I would have never guessed that DS has vision issues--he seems to read everything fine and has never squinted or complained of blurry vision--but the doctor recommended glasses for both the myopia and strabismus.

 

Yes, this is why - as I say all the time! - everybody from age 5 on up really needs to see an eye doctor every single year, just like the dentist, even if you don't see any signs of eye problems. (Preschoolers ought to as well, but it's hard enough to convince people to take their school-aged kids yearly!) Adults can slide by with every two or three years if insurance doesn't cover it, but that's not ideal.

[mlktwins]

DS1 started wearing his between 3 and 4. He is now 11. He has never broken or lost his. He is very careful with them and wears them all the time. He will take them off to wrestle with his brother and he has sports goggles for baseball.

 

DS2 (DS1's twin) also started wearing his between 3 and 4 and then didn't need them anymore after age 5. He just started wearing them again this year (so age 11). He is very hard on his glasses, but has only broken them once when he was 5. I did/do have to remind him to wear them and he messes with them a lot. He also has sports goggles for baseball.

 

Walmart is the only place I found to give a full 1 year replacement warranty on their glasses. Walmart is my friend :-).

[sbgrace]

My kids are hard on glasses.

 

We do the places with free replacement within a year. I try not to use it until we have to use it, even then, so they just put up with some wear and tear.

 

We do have an extra pair for each kid.

 

Purchasing the types meant to handle rough stuff--sports and the like-does seem to help durability here. The frames they are wearing right now seem nearly indestructible--they bend, but do not break. They were really expensive, though.

 

One child had pretty bad eyes before we realized, so he never forgot his glasses. I think the other one had to form a habit of wearing them, but I can't remember for sure. 

[UCF612]

1. My son has had glasses for a year. He broke the pair from the eye doctor 3 times. The first time was a manufacturing defect. The second time he fell off the monkey bars. The third time I don't remember. After that I ordered a different pair from Zenni Optical. He has had that pair for probably 8-9 months and they've been great. He just got new lenses put in them. He doesn't wear them playing in the yard anymore (after the monkey bar incident). They do get scratched despite having a hard case to store them when he's not wearing them.

 

2. No advice, my son took to them immediately. But he does take them off when reading (his trouble is distance).

Edited October 16, 2016 by UCF612

[mamakelly]

My daughter lost 4 pairs in the first two years. It was so frustrating!

Costco has great prices on kids lenses and frames. Way cheaper than the optometrist office.

[MEmama]

DS got his glasses at 9 or 10. He has never broken or lost them. He wore his original frames (with new lenses annually) until this year when he needed a bigger size. Same for his sports frames.

 

He doesn't need extra motivation to wear them. He can't see well without.

[RootAnn]

My oldest has worn glasses since she was 3 or 4. She has accomodative esotropia- which could lead to lazy eye. She wore the glasses so that she wouldn't have that happen. (Doc explained with pictures.)

 

She broke her glasses a lot when she was younger. Her sins also broke them (hitting, sitting on, slamming doors in her face, etc).

 

Dd#3 also has them now. They haven't broken as often, but we've had to have them adjusted for squished nose pieces.

 

Definitely get a cheap back up pair from an online place.

[Sherry in OH]

Ds broke the frames of his first pair of glasses in the first month.  They were replaced free of charge, but he had to wear the broken frames with toothpicks taped across the bridge for almost two weeks while we waited for the replacement frames to arrive.  So far that is the only pair of frames that he has broken. 

 

Loss hasn’t been an issue.  Ds puts his glasses on in the morning and unless swimming or bathing keeps them on until bedtime.  He does need regular reminders to clean them.  Some days they are so smeared, I don’t know how he can see anything.

 

I bribed ds into wearing the first pair.  I offered to purchase the LEGO set he wanted if he wore his all day everyday for a week.  By the end of the week, he realized he could see so much better with the glasses that he willingly wore them.   

[Loowit]

My middle got his glasses just before his 2nd birthday.  We got him ones with flexible frames, spring hinges, and a protective coating on the lenses.  He has lost them a few times, but to help reduce this we have made the habit of always putting them the same place at night before bed.  He wears them pretty much all the time otherwise.  When swimming the had a case in his swim bag to keep them in.  He used to need them adjusted about once or twice a month, but the eye doctor's office was great about it.  He never broke them beyond them being able to repair them.  He wore them from the day he got them because he could finally see things well.

 

DD got her glasses when she was in preschool and it was a much bigger issue as far as getting her to wear them.  None of her friends had glasses and she hated wearing them.  I made a rule that she had to wear them when she was awake.  She still fights wearing them, but also doesn't want to do contact lenses.  It is just a constant reminder.  She never had problems with broken glasses, but has lost them a number of times..

[matrips]

My ds, now 11, has worn glasses since age 4. For years we attached a head strap to them to hold them onto his face, which helped with accidental breakage from playing with them or them falling off when he played. He really was quite careful but still they broke regularly- usually at the hinges. And the lenses would get scratched. We went to a shop that would replace the glasses and/or lenses if damaged- it was worth it even with the deductible! We made good use of the policy. When he got older we found a good vision insurance that gives him (actually, all of us) an eye exam and a new pair of glasses each year.

 

He was happy to wear the glasses. I let him pick them out always. His first pair was orange. :). He thought he looked awesome, and he did. Plus, it was something his triplet siblings didn't have.

[KungFuPanda]

My daughter ordered her last pair of glasses from one of those $69 mail order places.  She's had them a year with no complaints.  I swear these millennials know ALL of the money saving tricks.  She chose some frames, they sent them to her a selection to try on.  She returned them and ordered her glasses.  They were just as good as any glasses she's gotten anywhere else in her life. It's cheaper than spending $300-$400 because you have to pay for every kid who has ever lost their glasses.  They could lose them three or four times before you'd fall behind of the free replacement costs at regular stores.

[Zinnia]

I have 3 in glasses.  They tend to break every 6-9 months.  We just buy Walmart glasses or cheap glasses, though I like a b&m place to help adjust them.  We got our last ones at JC Penney through their $39 August special.  One child has broken a hinge that they were able to fix in store so far.  That's two months in.  ;)  But the other two, so far, so good.

 

Two of mine took quickly to wearing glasses.  The third took some convincing, but once we bought stay puts, and his glasses fit better, he started wearing them more regularly.  

[Starr]

Our doctor said that in his experience kids don't wear their glasses until their vision is bad enough for it to be worth it.

[displace]

DS started wearing glasses at six. The best pair is our current, sports glasses. Best Decision Ever!! Last year we went through multiple pairs, about every few months for frame and scratches issues due to roughness. They were flexible type frames but they could not withstand a sensory seeking young kid. We have a $25 replacement per pair plan from target. This pair of sports glasses has only been replaced once so far for scratching. We also get protective lens coating.

 

Wearing them is non negotiable. He complained some in the beginning, especially since he can "see" without them. It has been explained to him multiple times that his brain has to work harder to see without them and it can cause future problems if he doesn't. I got grumble complaints daily for the first month or less, then only occasionally since then. Now I have to remind him to put them on in the morning about half the time, and they don't get removed until bedtime.

Edited October 16, 2016 by displace

[samba]

Ds15 was 5 when he started wearing glasses. He puts them on the minute he wakes up and wears them until he goes to bed. He is not an especially careful child but he has never broken, scratched or lost his glasses. I cannot explain it. We've only replaced lenses when his prescription changed and only changed frames when he outgrew the previous ones. One time he got new lenses because the UV and anti-glare finish was wearing off.

 

When he first started wearing them, I didn't even think he'd keep them on his face but I guess he really liked being able to see clearly. 

[Catalytic]

My son was 4 when he got his glasses.  They are non-negotiable, like, it's a spanking infraction to Dad.  (To give some perspective, the only spanking infractions we usually act on are life-threatening, such as running into the road, unbuckling a carseat, etc)  DH is convinced the reason his eyes were so bad is because he didn't get glasses for many, many years after he needed them, so he absolutely doesn't play when it comes to wearing glasses.  (DS6 is our third in glasses, and also the youngest to go in glasses.  Stupid eye place, eye doc told me he should have been in them since birth, ugh)

 

Also, "If they're not on your face, they're in the case." is/was non-negotiable.  I say is/was because DS is very good with his glasses, and now we don't require cases.  He did damage a pair right after we bought them this spring, I don't blame him.  He was at a neighbor's house, the boys were doing jiu jitsu, so DS tried to give her his glasses....she told him to put them in his pocket........  No, I don't expect a 5 year old to know better in that situation.

 

We have ONE spot they go at bedtime/bathtime, period.  He is allowed to put them on a side table when he's on the trampoline.

 

We have never lost a pair, and other than the pocket incident, the only time we have needed repairs is to straighten a little after normal 4/5/6 play.

 

I buy from Walmart, and sometimes Zenni or other online, and I always get transitions now. 

[MinivanMom]

I have 4 kids in glasses. We have only ever had one pair break: ds took a flying leap off the top of the couch, and the (2-yr-old) glasses flew off his face and onto the hardwood floor. We've never had a pair get lost or scratched. Every pair has lasted 2-3 years, and we just replace the lenses each year if the prescription has changed. We don't replace the frames until they outgrow them, but we buy frames at the optometrist so they've always been high quality.

 

We've never had a problem getting our kids to wear glasses. It was just a non-negotiable thing (like wearing underwear), but I think they were also happy to wear them since the glasses make a noticeable difference in their sight. The glasses go on first thing in the morning and don't come off until they are going to bed at night.

[Kathryn]

My oldest got glasses at 6 or 7, but it was just a few months ago at 10 that he started wearing them regularly. It came after a period of several months of asking about things that would have been clear if he wore them and people pointing that fact out to him. He's never broken or scratched them.

[scoutingmom]

Oldest got glasses at age 3. He broke them a week after we got them with a temper tantrum (glasses were retrieved by parents at start of future tantrums after that)... and we found out that his frames were discontinued! We ordered a differdnt style and they held up well. When he was about 6 he kept breaking the legs by accident.... we had bought them from another place... not a big problem when we stopped buying hlasses there. When he was 10 a couple broke right before a weeklong camp... we made a frankenstein pair for camp (which ended up held together by duct tape during camp) - but that set was old. I do recall some issues getting him to wear them... but it was just required.

 

2nd was watched by opthamologist from age 3ish, but glasses were not needed until age 6, and then only for close work. At about age 8 that changed to wear at all times. She has been the worst for losing them and originally not wanting to wear them. Not much problem with breaking them until this year (age 10)... mostly from being lost or not put away properly.

 

3rd doesn't need glasses!

 

4th has had glasses since about age 18 months. After the first day or two, there was no issues with her wearing them (her vision is quite bad). We bought her Myraflex frames, and I love them. They ard a flexible plastic, and never needed adjustments. They never broke. They are wonderful! She wore them for 4 years. Unfortunately, they look great during baby, toddler, and pre-school years... but don't look quite right when they are looking school-aged. We switched frames to a more regular brand then. I would wear them as an adult if they looked right!

 

Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk

[eternalsummer]

I kept losing mine as a tween/teenager, and I eventually just bought them from a thrift store - they'd have hundreds of pairs and I'd try them on until I found a pair that more or less fit my presciption (I was just 250/20 or something, nothing complicated).  Luckily these days we have zennioptical or whatever so you can just buy 10 pairs of $7 glasses.

 

As for motivation for wearing them, is there a benefit to his wearing them when he doesn't want to?  I thought it was actually that the more you wore them

[SparklyUnicorn]

Some eye glass places have good breakage protection plans (Walmart is one of them).  I had both in glasses at one point or another and neither of them ever broke their glasses.  They also sell glasses that can take a beating.  My husband has a pair where you can twist the frames all around without breaking them.

 

In terms of getting them to wear them, well I struggled with that as well with my younger kid.  No magical advice because I really never figured out how to deal with that.

 

 

[bluemongoose]

Miraflex...best thing ever! They come in lots of colors and styles. They do not have hinges or any pieces that can break. They often are marketed for babies and toddlers, but they do have some more grown up styles too. While my son still doesn't prefer to wear glasses, he has not broken them since we bought these frames. Before I found miraflex we went through 3 frames in 2 months. This was the titanium with spring hinges And the hard plastic kind too. It didn't matter...they just kept breaking.

[catz]

My daughter first got glasses at 8/9.  She has never broken or lost a pair.

 

My son got glasses at that same age.  He broke 2 pairs, but they were very poorly made IMO.  The first pair that broke was actually replaced free under warranty.  The 2nd pair was the same.  If you buy decent quality glasses, I think that makes a big difference. 

 

Both use contacts now and started about age 12 with the disposable daily wears.  DS wears his full time and DD wears her part time mostly for dance.  She LOVES her glasses and gets excited every year when eye exam time comes around.  We have a great pediatric eye doc that has an incredible selection for kids to young adults (I know adults that go there too, the selection is so fun).

 

Both my kids are pretty near sighted so I never had to fight.  But boy was SO happy when he switched to contacts.  When there are days he has to wear glasses, he grumbles all day.  I think he's going to need lasik some day (DH did it).

[DesertBlossom]

I have 2 boys with glasses. Both got their glasses about age 5. My oldest is 10 now and breaks his glasses at least 2-3 times a year. We've had a variety of glasses from different places, so I don't think it's a matter of quality. I think DS is just hard on his glasses.

 

DS6 has had his glasses for 1.5 years and the only time they broke was when DS10 was wrestling with him and he broke them. DS10 just has a knack for breaking glasses I guess! 😆

 

This last year I discovered that Walmart's 1 year warranty on frames means that no matter how many times the frames are broken they will replace them, as long as they are within the year. For DS10 I think he had 4 pairs of frames this last year! That saved us a lot of money!

 

As for getting them to wear glasses, thankfully neither of them ever resisted. But they both have very higb prescriptions, so maybe being able to see finally was motivating.

[Desert Strawberry]

Luna wears Miraflex. She even wore them after they had been run over by multiple cars at a gas station. 

They are expensive, but so worth the cost. They seem extra comfy. 

 

I order mine from Zenni. $12 shipped for my high prescription. I've never paid less than$200 before these. I like them best of any I've had. 

 

We just put Luna's glasses back on when she takes them off. They do need some transition time at first. Their muscles get tired. My muscles behind my ears get sore from wearing my glasses all day. Oh, clean them, too before you put them back on. Luna won't wear hers if they are dirty.

[luuknam]

1. Oldest went through seven pairs of glasses his first year of wearing them.  We were banned from Lenscrafters.

 

Oldest got glasses at about 5.75yo. He broke them twice in his first year (free replacement at local optometrist), 6 times his second year (Lenscrafters - did not get banned, but I did notice that the warranty was less good the year after that, slightly more expensive and requiring a higher copay for replacement), and zero times since. He's special needs though, with a side order of clumsy. In the year his glasses broke 6 times, 4 were within the first month, one of which was when his class was playing parachute at school, so that one was not his fault.

 

He hasn't lost his glasses, but I did start fining him his first year if I found his glasses where they didn't belong (floor, etc). IIRC, the fine was about a week's worth of allowance. He learned *very* quickly to not leave them on the floor etc.

[gingersmom]

My son started wearing glasses at 5 (now 17) and has never lost or broken a pair.

 

My daughter started wearing glasses at 16 (now 19) and has managed to break every pair she owns. Eyedoctor will replace for free after first break. We have had several replacement pairs.

[SparklyUnicorn]

1. Oldest went through seven pairs of glasses his first year of wearing them.  We were banned from Lenscrafters. The next year, he went through three pair.  It's been several years since he has broken a pair.  Polycarbonate lenses, spring hinges, and fully-framed lenses are the way to go in terms of durability.  We order through Zenni optical, and always buy at least 2 pair so we have a backup in case of emergency.  Loss isn't an issue because they are always on his face.

 

 

 

So bizarre re: Lenscrafters.  I dislike them anyway.  Overpriced, crappy breakage protection, and their insurance plans are a joke. 

[Bambam]

When my oldest started wearing glasses, we bought several pairs - 39Dollareyeglasses ($39 but they usually have a $10 or $15 coupon) and Zenni Optical ($8).

 

Motivation - huh, it took regular reminders. But finally she got to the point where she would wear them to see. It probably helped that the second child cried real tears because she didn't get glasses. So, we got her a pair of frames with just regular glass lenses. So silly. This was also the child that later when she had to wear glasses that she didn't to wear them. Why? Because she determined that pretty people never wore glasses. What? But you wanted them and wore them before? Well - she had noticed that the people on the covers of magazines at the checkout stands never wore glasses. And they were all pretty. So therefore ....

[Pippen]

One son started in glasses at age 3 and was the active boy poster child for the kids replacement package at our optical department. In the early days I was making trips in about three times per week for adjustments and repair. Invested in a second pair a few weeks into it, and from that point forward always bought two pairs whenever ordering new frames and/or lenses. Having two identical pairs made interchanging between the two easier, and also allowed for interchanging lenses as needed.

[bluemongoose]

They sell the miraflex frames on amazon now! $70

[kubiac]

You guys are the best. Thank you all for the tips on non-negotiation re wearing them, Lego bribes to get started, Miraflex, Zenni Optical/Walmart/Costco costs and warranties, and so forth. I feel so much less overwhelmed after hearing all your stories and learning that this is a manageable situation. 

[regentrude]

None of my kids ever lost or broke glasses. Lenses scratch, especially the ones with the no glare coating  - so don't let them talk you into the coating, it's a waste of money.

Wearing the glasses was never an issue - they could see with the glasses so much better than without. They put them on in the morning and took them off for sleeping.

[EmilyGF]

DS6 was just diagnosed w myopia and prescribed glasses. Two "survey questions" for the Hive based on problems we've encountered so far.

 

* How often do your kids' glasses get broken, scratched or lost? Any tips on preventing loss or damage, thus mitigating cost? 

 

* What motivates your kid to wear his or her glasses? (Note: I would have never guessed that DS has vision issues--he seems to read everything fine and has never squinted or complained of blurry vision--but the doctor recommended glasses for both the myopia and strabismus. Kid isn't inclined, so far, to wear them regularly; I assume that will change if his vision problems advance but I would love to find a way to make him want to wear them.)

1) Get hooks around the ears. You may have to go to a pediatric optometrist to get this done, but it is SO worth it. I drive an hour to get it done even though we've probably got 100 normal optometrists between there and my house. That way the glasses actually stay on in front of the eyes. The optometrist has to modify the glasses to fit the child. 

 

2) The right prescription. DD's first was totally off and she (surprise!) didn't care to wear her glasses. Once it was spot on, she was so happy, since hers is a strong prescription, that she wore them constantly. Also, see above - the right fit really helps.

 

Emily

[KungFuPanda]

Do you have a frame repair shop locally? If you break a frame, they can do amazing things. They once put a broken (arm? ear-part? What's it called?) back in for me and my glasses were as good as new for less that $30. I'll bet they could add ear hooks too.

[kubiac]

Do you have a frame repair shop locally? If you break a frame, they can do amazing things. They once put a broken (arm? ear-part? What's it called?) back in for me and my glasses were as good as new for less that $30. I'll bet they could add ear hooks too.

 

Our optometrist has a year warranty on frames, which is lucky for us, because DS has snapped the arm in basically the same spot twice now! I taped 'em back together as a stop-gap, because for now my priority is building the habit of wearing glasses, which has been stunted by taking them back to the shop for repair.

 

I foresee low-cost online purchases in our future. I suspect we'll all feel more comfortable if the glasses aren't considered precious fragile objects, even if we have to give up some brand prestige and/or style.

[DesertBlossom]

1) Get hooks around the ears. You may have to go to a pediatric optometrist to get this done, but it is SO worth it. I drive an hour to get it done even though we've probably got 100 normal optometrists between there and my house. That way the glasses actually stay on in front of the eyes. The optometrist has to modify the glasses to fit the child.

 

2) The right prescription. DD's first was totally off and she (surprise!) didn't care to wear her glasses. Once it was spot on, she was so happy, since hers is a strong prescription, that she wore them constantly. Also, see above - the right fit really helps.

 

Emily

I am not sure what hooks around the ears means, but we have used "keepons" from Amazon and they are amazing. Keeps the glasses from sliding down.

[SKL]

My kids have been wearing glasses since almost age 3 / age 6.  I had no difficulty getting them to wear them (my youngest at age 6 did take a little time to develop the habit, but that is normal for her).  Neither needed aids to keep them on their heads; they didn't even fall off during gymnastics.  They haven't damaged them to the point of needing replacement, though we did have one odd incident that was caused by an adult.

 

That said, prescriptions change over time.  If your child is myopic, she will probably need new glasses every 1-3 years as she grows, no matter how careful she is.

Edited October 17, 2016 by SKL