Glasses for children

pinkmami

Both my girls age 7 & 5 wear glasses. They were tested at the hospital after being referred by the gp & the school nurse after failing receprion class eye test. YOu get the prescription & a voucher for a pair of glasses. But they're really fab now, Barbie, Batman, Star Wards, Sponge Bob etc etc.....but I also buy them a spare pair just in case! If they break you can get them fixed for free but only once a month & otherwise I have to pay £3 to the optician for repairs. My advice is, if you do buy a second pair, make sure the'yre identical to the free ones cos them you can get them repaired for free. If you buy different ones they know to charge you!

soupset

I love reading all your posts and have to question how much value you people put on your and your childrens vision. How cheap can I get it, where can I get a free test, they are ripping me off, why should I have to pay. It is the language of people who truly do not understand what they are getting for the money. Lets start with the children. Did you know that 80% of the damage done to eyes by UV light is done before the age of 18. Why because children spend more time outside, they have larger pupils and clearer ocular media. UV is responsible for macular degeneration, cataract formation and other diseases. Would any of you pay for a lens that provides 100% UV protection for your children. I doubt it because you all think your optician is trying to rip you off. If a child wore decent sunglasses or if correction was needed a photochromic lens up until the age of 20 then macular degeneration would be almost entirely eradicated. The biggest cause of blindness in the western world gone. But because you all believe that your optician is trying to swindle you then you wont listen and will buy the cheapest, most basic optical appliance you can.
Cheap works, it will correct yours and your childrens vision. But surely you want to see as well as is possible not well enough to get by.
Coatings on lenses protect them from scratching, make them easier to clean and to care for and crucially can give clearer sharper vision, increase contrast sensitivuty and reduce eye strain. Want to wear your glasses and still find you have headaches and eyestrain. Go ahead and get the cheapest option.
Varifocals were invented 50 years ago. You can still get lenses that are produced using the same principles as that lens. Would you buy a 50 year old car and expect it to have the same features and benefits of a new BMW. OF course not. But an optician who tries to tell you that technology moves on, that you can see better with this lens or that lens, or who tries to say that given you job, hobbies, lifestyle this lens would be better is ripping you off.
Buying spectacles and contact lenses is not like buying baked beans or Playstations. Your vision affects your quality of life and could affect the lives of people you dont know.
Cheap is not best, it not even the same.
Opticians are trained, they are experts. You shop around for a free eye test and you will believe that what that person says has no value. An optician brave enough to charge for his expertise ( about £60 per test in reality) is telling you something. He is saying I know stuff, I can be trusted, I have something worth listening to.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I respect my optician enormously. He doesn't charge for his advice, and will cut his margins to the bone to help someone afford the best that they can get. I have never heard him criticise anyone for trying to keep the cost down. But I do have the attitude that I don't want to mess around with my eyes, so I would spend as much as he tells me is necessary, which can be a fair bit as he says I'm marginally better than a bat in my right eye!

I think I'm lucky.

Indie_Kid

soupset wrote: »

I love reading all your posts and have to question how much value you people put on your and your childrens vision. How cheap can I get it, where can I get a free test, they are ripping me off, why should I have to pay.

Do you honestly realise how expensive glasses can be? Especially when some of us need to change them almost every year. (which is the case for me - they were changed in April and may need to be changed again soon due to ever-changing eyesight)

soupset

Of course I realise how expensive they can be. However understanding what I am paying for and why does not mean I am being ripped off.

yummymummy1987_2

Evening all,
I took my son (6- in yr 1 at school) for a optician's appt after a recommendation from the school nurse.
Me and my partner were both really shocked as have never noticed him showing signs of any issues with his eyes. He doesnt sit close to the tv/hold books close to his eyes/squint/or have lazy eyes etc. He has never mentioned any issues and has never had problems at previous tests.

Anyway today was told it looks like he will need glasses, but we have been referred to the hospital as the dr said he needs drops as his eye muscles wouldnt settle down to get a accurate prescription.

My son was so anxious the poor sod, it was really hard to watch and is SO SO upset at the thought of wearing glasses.

So i was just wondering, how did your children react to the drops if they had them?
Also is it normal for me personally and my partner to feel so upset about the thought of him having glasses? I feel like we have let him down and hate the thought of him being in the hospital system so to speak. Hes incredibly healthy, never ill and so fit and active normally so i feel really out of sort him having to see doctors etc.
How did you feel when you found out your child needed glasses?

nickyhutch

Please don't take this the wrong way, but for goodness' sake! He needs glasses - he's not terminally ill! How on earth have you "let him down"?

The more you stress over it, the more upset he'll get about it. If he thinks there's something wrong with it, it'll upset him even more. Calm down.

kegg_2

my oldest has worn glasses since around age 5 without any problems at all and he is now 14.

Just dont make a fuss about it so it doesn't seem anything out of the ordinary.
There are some great styles now for children with charachers and all sorts.
My son has had everything from the simpsons to his now designer pair which are red or dead.

jlj_2

My son was checked by his school nurse when he was 5, and nothing was found to be wrong. I took him to the opticians when he was 12 and found out that he did have something wrong that if it had been spotted earlier may have been able to be helped by glasses or an operation but by then it was too late.
I am now a school nurse myself and the test we do is very basic, I would always advise parents to take their children to the optician as they test in much more detail and it costs nothing for the under 16s at the moment.
I think you are very fortunate that something has been spotted this early on by your school nurse so you can now take him for any tests and get treatment for him if needed.
I know it is upsetting, finding out your child may have a problem but at least you can do something about it now. Best of luck with it all.

yummymummy1987_2

Thanks for the replys
We have not made a big deal about it to him, so he wouldnt have a clue we were concerned.
JlJ-Thats a shame that your son's problem wasnt found till so late,its great that these checks are done in schools.
Kegg- I saw some lovely glasses's in the shop whilst we was waiting