4 yr old and glasses...

[dmogs]

So today was an interesting day for us, Lexi had an eye appointment with a specialist and it turns out she will need glasses and need to wear them pretty much constantly. She is already not too excited about the idea.. and I am really worried about how I am going to help her adjust into wearing glasses and being comfortable with it. I would LOVE any suggestions or advice you guys have on how to get her to WEAR them, and feel better about it. Any ideas on good books, etc we could get to talk about it more?

Thanks so much!

~ Dani

[lizzyfizzy]

my little guy has been wearing glasses since he was 5 due to good ole' fashioned nearsightedness. he loves his glasses and has always loved wearing them. i think that the most important thing we had to stress was that "if they are not on your face they are in your case". otherwise, no problems here.

[lauren grier]

hot glasses... LOL that's the trick I started wearing glasses when I was a little older @ 5-- but being able to pick my own (fluffy pink plastic) glasses must have helped smooth it over because I don't remember ever putting up a stink about it (LOL)

[Teresa]

I found this little article with some tips, Dani.

http://www.essortment.com/family/kid...estip_shxn.htm

Does she already have some books with characters who wear glasses? Or favorite TV shows? I'd also say find someone in the doctor's office who is really good at fitting frames to the shape of Lexi's face (or do some research too). As a kid who wore glasses, I remember being the one who stood out (and it has stuck with me to this day, I still dislike wearing glasses even though I have a really cool brown/green mod pair)...anything to make them a natural part of her face that look "really cool" to her will hopefully help make her want to wear them!

[Penny Springmann]

My sister had to get glasses at 3 or 4. I remember she always loved them because she got to pick out the pair with a pink panther! I think letting her choose is a great idea, and stress how cool she looks in her new specs!

[AmyM]

Weird that I see this, we just had an appointment today with my daughter's specialist.

She's had glasses since she was 2 (she's 7 now) and it's mandatory that she wear them at all times. She didn't mind at all since she could actually see better once she had them on. We've never had a struggle with her over them- hopefully it will go smoothly with your child too.

There are pictures of her all over my gallery in her glasses. You could show her those if you want, or show her that so many kids wear glasses and it's nothing strange at all. Hope that makes some sense. Good luck!

[meems]

well I don't have any advice about glasses and kids (although I've had them since I was 5 or 6) but I think she's going to look so cute with glasses!

[crecia27]

I don't have much advice - but I do have 2 online friends with 3 1/2 year olds that have glasses. After the initial transition they have worn them well. I know one of the little boys didn't want to wear them all the time at first, and she let him not so that he felt he had a little control. He realized pretty quick that he could see better with them on and they don't have any problems now. They have both broken at least one pair of glasses a piece, just a little warning.

I bet she will look adorable in them -

[Paula]

My son has worn glasses since he was four due to a lazy eye. The thing that helped him was taking him to pick out his frames. He picked out some cool green wire rimmed ones. After she gets them, tell her how "cool" she looks with them on. This really seemed to help my son adjust to them.

[ZaCola3]

No advice for you Dani-but I'm sure that Lexi will look ADORABLE-and I know she will pick out the cutest pair in the place!

[Angie4b1g]

She's going to look ADORABLE! I bet she'll wear them with no problem!

[ShawnaMama]

My son is 3 and has had glasses for about 6 months now. Honestly, the thing that keeps him wearing them is that he can see better!!! I was really worried about him keeping them on and he totally surprised me. I hope Lexi does the same for you!

[Kat Stokes]

I would definitely let her pick her own and keep telling her over and over just how cute she looks in them!

[my3hens]

I agree giving her the freedom to snag something she loves will make her more opt to wear them. I had glasses briefly as a child and I hated them so I can understand your frustration though!

[Heather Roselli]

Trevor, one of our twins, is wearing glasses because he has a lazy or crossed eye. He also has to wear a patch over the good eye for a few hours each day. He started wearing them soon after he turned three. We just talked about it like it was an important thing, a cool thing and that he needed them to make his eye better. We talked about how great he looked in them and that he was special out of our 3 boys to "get" to wear glasses. He was extra excited when we let him pick out his own glasses case - Sponge Bob!! He is so great about wearing his glasses. If I forget them in the morning or after nap, he reminds me that he needs them!

I think if YOU are positive and upbeat about it, she will come around too! Good luck!

[newfiemountiewife]

Definitely let her pick something out (within reason for sure LOL), I think that will help a lot. I got glasses when I was 7 or 8, and I remember being able to get pink ones really made a difference (even if they were those fugly big ole plastic frames that were popular in the 80s LOL).

I bet she'll look adorable!

[AmyM]

THere's not always a huge selection of kid-friendly glasses everywhere you go. If you're like us and you have a certain section to choose from (insurance is picky but at least we've got it), you could always find a cool case for the glasses. Some cartoon character she really likes would be neat. Just thought about that
Oh, and my daughter has only broken one pair in 5 years. That was last fall. She got them hung in the bathroom door when she got out of the tub- total accident. Otherwise, she's taken much better care of hers than I have mine. Early on we got her used to putting them in the case and never laying the with the lens down against anything- keeps them from scratching.

[kscwgirl]

I would def. let her pick them out. Abby is going to have to get some probably next year. I bet Lexi will look adorable in them, Dani!! Good luck!!

[Becca Bonneville]

ITA to let her pick out her own pair! Make it exciting and let her be more involved!

[Priscilla]

No advice - my sister's daugter has been wearing them since about them and she's had so much trouble getting her to keep them on

I wish you the best. ((HUG))

[Julie Billingsley]

I bet Lexi will be ADORABLE in glasses!! I have a friend that her daughter wears glasses and they look at them as a "fashion accessory" so her daughter has like 3 different pairs of glasses and picks which one she wants to wear each day. A lot of times they have that buy-one-get-one-free on glasses, so that might make it more fun to have options. Can't wait to see a pic of Lexi in them!

[jorgies5]

When my son got glasses back in December, my two daughters (ages 3 and 5) could not keep their hands off all the girly frames they had on display. They were both really ticked off at me because they couldn't get glasses too. So maybe when she sees all the fun frames they have, she will get excited too. Good luck!

My son wasn't too sure about his at first and wouldn't wear them all the time initially, and I didn't force him to. Eventually, he realized how much better it was wearing them and he wears them all the time now.

[Susan Bartolini]

I had glasses since I was a little kid. I wore them all the time because I could see so much better. I couldn't believe how nearsighted I was until I got my glasses. I bet if you let her pick out some really girly fun glasses, she will adjust to them really well!

Susan

[Melissa Bennett]

My DD has been wearing glasses since she was 3 years old. We let her pick them out and made it a big deal, something really fun. Of course the transition period was a little of a challenge, she wanted to take them off and play with them, but we kept explaining to her that they needed to stay on to help her see better. She does really good with them for the most part.

[Leila]

Wow, we've got a lot of young kids with glasses on here!!

My guys have been wearing glasses since 4 and 3. JP needed his all the time, but his father and my mother weren't convinced, so when he broke them, they refused to replace them. He's been back in glasses now for two years (he's 8), with a much stronger prescription, a serious tongue lashing from the ophthalmologist, and a great big fat "I told you." from me.

Devin got his first pair of glasses just after his third birthday. He's farsighted and has a severe astigmatism along with photosensitivity. The first year was a true struggle with him, I suspected then (still do) that the prescription wasn't quite right. But, once he got his new prescription last year, he doesn't want to take his glasses off. He knows that he can see. Some days he will forget to put them on, so we remind him he needs to wear his "eye medicine." It's a concept that he can understand. Medicine makes me better, therefore eye medicine makes my eyes better.

I will suggest that you not pay a lot for glasses. Kids are rough on them. Both of my boys broke two pairs of glasses in the first year. Devin broke his two several times over. Last time we bought glasses, we went to Wal*Mart and got three pairs, one of which is sunglasses for less than $200. My one pair costs $100 more than his three.

[dmogs]

Thank you soo much everyone! I am deff feeling a little better knowing that plenty of other kids parents have done just fine . We did go out and let her pick her frames (to a certain extent) and we bought her a fun Spongebob case she is really excited about . So wish us luck LOL, she will prob have her new glasses sometime next week!
~ Dani