Real Life MMD: My son broke boy's glasses - should I pay?

ali_b_b

Hi. I am an optometrist.
The nhs will contribute towards the cost of any repairs to childrens' glasses. if they are beyond repair, then they should be able to get a free replacemnet. possibly the parents had paid for better quality frame or lenses, but this still seems excessive for an old pair of previously repaired specs.

Fitzmichael

Why not? Teach your son that if he causes an "accident", he may have to "pay" in some way for it, even if there really was no "fault" - think "car". The boy will presumably be entitled to a voucher towards the glasses, so the parents should need to justify the cost they claim 50% of (and why shouldn't they claim 100%? Imagine their son damaged your car.)

kez31

Sounds like they are just trying it on to me. Kids glasses are free on NHS prescription to under 16s and should be replaced free of charge. My daughter had her glasses stolen from school once and specsavers replaced them no questions asked.

Kiko4564

I would pay only if the glasses were damaged beyond repair.

MothballsWallet

In my book, the priority of things to sort out is:

1. Sort out the bullying of the older sibling - I'd tell the other parents that, until that is settled to your satisfaction, you'll not negotiate the glasses cost issue, especially since, as many others have said, they can get the glasses fixed/replaced for free with a NHS GOS3/GOS4 form.
2. After 1. is settled, then you can sort out the glasses cost issue (in the meantime try to get to the CAB for advice on this).

I'd suggest that, provided point 1. is settled, and the other parents can prove a legitimate cost, you'd pay half and take it out of your son's pocket money/allowance, but they'd have to prove it with receipts.

To my mind, bullying is a far more important problem to be resolved than broken NHS glasses. There are too many school bullies in this country who get away with it because school head teachers don't have enough power to deal with it.

HouChiWagBut

If both boys were play fighting with each other and it was not malicious, then you are under no obligation to pay anything. It was not intentional, but an accident, and accidents happen. since it seems the specs will be repaired/replaced free of charge the issue is resolved.

The school should also deal with, and stop, the bullying of your son if it is happening at school.

Conversely, the school should not become involved in any attempts to request compensation from you. That is not the function, or business, of any school. They should inform the other child's parents to contact you directly if they wish to seek reimbursement of any expense.

gibmonkey2312

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

Yes you should pay.

They are only asking for half and they would not have been broken if your son had not been fighting even if it was only play fighting.

The boy said that the glasses had been repaired before so they are weakened. The fact that they broke during play fighting might only have speeded up the next repair needed. You shouldn't pay and watch that the bullying doesn't carry on.

Marco12452

Offer half the used value.
Give them a tenner.

Learning_Curve

I would personally say no, don't pay. The boy could have removed his glasses for the teacher to look after whilst he took part in a bout of temporary rough and tumble. Especially as they are old and already broken, but most especially as others have pointed out that under 16's get NHS glasses free, if the parents have expensive tastes that's their problem. Anyone paying for non-NHS glasses for a child, especially a boy as they tend to play more roughly than girls, deserves to pay to replace or repair themselves when the glasses get broken, and that is what they should expect. Who is to say that it wasn't the boy who's glasses they were that initiated the fighting anyway, one of my children wears glasses and you drum it into them to be cautious when wearing them for safety reasons if nothing else. You can't expect another child to have the same attitude towards protecting your glasses as you do yourself. (Malicious damage is another matter.)

the-shack

Think the best action would be to talk to the parents of the boy.
You need them to sort out the bullying and then say you will discuss the issue of the broken glasses.
Once the bullying is sorted out I would then make an offer to pay half of the cost of replacing them. I would want to see the receipt for the cost and I would want them to go to an opticians of my choice (where I know we were going to get a fair deal).
My daughter has just had a new pair of designer glasses because he eyesight had changed. The NHS voucher paid most of the cost, including scratch resistant coatings, and we had to pay £10.
The important thing here is that the boys are equally responsible for the damage and should pay equally. I would then withhold pocket money. Working it out with the other parents is important also. I would be a good example to the boys. Why should there be bad feeling between the parents because of a silly act on the boys part.