My 5 1/2 year old needs glasses to correct accommodative estropia (a kind of strabismus which he may or may not outgrow). He's really excited about getting glasses - thought I don't know why ... perhaps it's all the work the school does in educating chidren about differences and it's made classes seem somehow cool.
Anyway, anything I should know about a 5 year old boy and glasses . Any tried and true mommy tricks to keeping them clean, preventing them from getting lost, etc?
We got him the flexible frames and the polycarb lenses so he can wear them for sports.
Thanks,
Ame

By Ginny~moderator on Thursday, April 19, 2007 - 08:55 pm:

Other than what you are doing - flex frames and polcarb lenses, all I can recommend is that you get one of those standing eyeglass cases to put on his dresser or bedtable and train him that he puts his glasses there every time he takes them off; and I would get think about whether he should wear a strap on his glasses to keep them on his head when he is involved in sports and active games. Is there some way to engrave a phone number on one of the ear pieces so that if they do get lost, maybe they'll be returned?

My oldest started wearing glasses when he was about 3, and I think we had one or two pairs broken, but none lost - but he wasn't involved in sports. He was an active boy, but not the kind of activity that sports involves.

One thing I was told the last time I got my glasses replaced is to only clean the lenses with cloth, not tissues, because tissues and any paper can have some rough spots that might scratch the lenses.

By Dawnk777 on Thursday, April 19, 2007 - 11:53 pm:

I've been wearing glasses since I was 5. I have no hints for keeping them clean, other than washing them regularly! Even at the age of 47, you wouldn't believe how dirty my glasses get! I was also hard on glasses, when I was a kid, but I think the flex frames probably hold up to more abuse, than the rigid plastic frames I was given. I like using t-shirts to dry my glasses, if one is available.

I never lost mine, only managed to break them! LOL!

By Ginny~moderator on Friday, April 20, 2007 - 06:01 am:

Oh, and get a rigid, not soft, case for his glasses for his bookbag, and a spare. I'd also keep one in the car.

By Jackie on Friday, April 20, 2007 - 08:09 am:

My daughter has been wearing glasses since she has been 4. It was tough at first. She was ok with wearing them. But, when she got mad,she would take them and throw them etc...We went through many,many pairs of glasses. She is a rough kid, so she broke them by accident on several occasions.
Now though, she is 7 1/2, and is much, much better about them. She is to wear hers all the time, and she prefers to wear them. She said it makes her tired when she isnt wearingher glasses. I guess its eye strain and such.
Now she has those transition ones, where they turn into sunglasses outside.