Eye glasses.

[MountainMamaGC]

My DDs eye started going crossed around age 2. It started happened while she was eating and looking closely at her food. Over the next few months, I took her to 2 different eye doctors and both said if they couldnt get her eye to turn in, in their office then it wasnt a big deal. I felt extremely brushed off. My husband assumed that the doctors knew best, and that her eyes were fine. Meanwhile its getting gradually worse, and to the point where her eye was turned in more often than not.

So I took her in for a 3rd opinion. I brought pictures of her with me. Of course at the office her eyes are straight, because she is really alert and paying attention. This doctor almost wasnt buying it either, but after playing with the flashight for awhile he saw her eye finally turn in. He was going to do a retinoscopy either way, but he wanted to see what I was talking about for himself. So we did the drops that dialate the pupils, and he did the retinoscopy. "OH MY!'  he says. He keeps putting lens after lens in front of her eye. She is extremely far sighted. She needs a +4.00 prescription for each eye. He said it was good we caught it because she could have gone on to develop a lazy eye and that would have been more difficult to fix.

Looking back it makes sense. My daughter does not like doing activities that require looking close. She hates coloring. While she will flip through books, her eyes do go crossed, and they cross everytime she eats.

I am so glad she will finally be able to see. My question is; How do I get her to wear her glasses? I dont want it to be a fight, and I dont want it to be a control thing between her and I.

Her glasses should come in the mail anyday, and I bring her with me to check everyday, to try to get her excited. Thats the only thing I have done about it so far.

[4evermom]

People say that when a kid really needs glasses like that, they wear them happily.  I'd guess keeping them on in the house shouldn't be a problem (where everything is close enough to benefit from the vision correction).  Possibly she'll be more inclined to take them off when she's outside where she doesn't need them as much.  But maybe not, with such a strong prescription.  It might take a week or two for her to get used to wearing them.  Sometimes they hurt the nose or ears a bit where they rest until you get used to them.  I'd let her take them off when she wants but then slip them back on when she is doing something requiring close vision.  Eventually, she'll forget she's wearing them. 

[Stella_luna]

My DD's horrible vision (+8 in both eyes) was discovered at age 2, and I worried about the same thing. This was a very active kid who refused to wear sunglasses, hats, etc. Well, from the day she got her glasses, she has hated to take them off for any reason at all, even briefly. She is 9 now, and even when she has them off so I can do her hair, she can't get them back on fast enough. I think they improved her vision so much that even at 2, she associated wearing them with the incredible benefit they provided her.

Now she considers them a fashion accessory and is so proud to wear glasses. Whenever anyone (her doctor/grandparents, mainly) mentions future laser surgery to her, she is appalled at the concept, because wearing glasses is "part of her style." Which I find awesome :).

[MountainMamaGC]

Yeah, I hope being able to see trumps the feeling of having glasses on. I couldnt even get her to keep sunglasses on outside, when they dialated her pupils, so I am a bit nervous. We will have to take it slowly if she doesnt want to wear them, I guess.

[squimp]

That was exactly my DD's issue, right when she turned 3.  Suddenly her eyes were crossing.  It's good you caught it early, for sure.  I would be a little miffed that the other eye doctors could not see it, because according to our pediatric opthalmologist, it's the most common eye condition for little kids (ambylopia and far sightedness), and they could tell within seconds what was going on.  Our pediatrician was clueless.  Are you seeing a pediatric opthalmologist? For a child that young, I would.  We love ours.  

Back to your question.  My DD never fought wearing her glasses, she needs them so badly.  She has always done great with them, and it was always presented that she will wear them all the time, no exceptions.  We even have script swim goggles.  She's a +7 in the bifocals and a +3.5 on top.  I bet your DD will be so happy that she can see better.  It hasn't held her back at all - she's a great little gymnast and soccer player and rocks the monkey bars.  

[Rylins mama]

My dd got glasses 4 months before her 4th birthday and we have had no problems at all. She was doing the same thing( crossing one eye in when she would focus too much). She is a +5 in one eye and a +6 in the other. I was worried about her not wanting up wear them but I got glasses at the same time for my astigmatism to make it fun for her and I also let her pick which ever ones she wanted. It's been 5 months and we have NEVER had an issue. She wears them to sleep and I take them off her. She puts them on before she even cones to my room in yhe morning. She only takes them off for bathtime. She covers her eyes while I clean them even cause she can't see without them. Her eye has never crossed with them on and were already getting a prescription change due to her doing so well.

[BelCanto]

Hi - so glad you persisted! My ds got glasses when he was 2 because his eyes were turning in. He fights everything and I just knew wearing glasses was going to be a HUGE struggle. BUT....it wasn't! I couldn't believe it! One thing that was actually easy for us. The first week was a little touch and go. I just let him wear them as long as he would tolerate and continued to explain that they were to help his eyes. He did well and after a few days took to them really well.

Best of luck to you both!!

[MountainMamaGC]

This thread made me feel better about the situation. They were shipped yesterday, so they should be here on Monday. My daughter is now asking about them regularily, so at least she is interested.

[BelCanto]

She'll do great!! :)

[kythe]

My dd also started wearing glasses at age 2.   Her pediatrician readily gave us a referral to a pediatric opthalmologist when I said that her left eye was turning in.  She had trouble remembering to wear her glasses at first.  She treated them like a toy, wearing them when she really wanted to see something, then throwing them on the floor or in her toy box when she was "finished".  It didn't help that she had a baby brother who pulled them off her face to "play" too.  But by the time she was 4 and communicating better verbally, she complained of headaches when she wasn't wearing them.

One of the most frustrating aspects to me was the comments from other people.  Before she started wearing glasses, people would make comments about her appearance such as, "Look at those bright blue eyes, she's going to be a heartbreaker!" etc.  After glasses, people would come up to me and say, "Was she a preemie?".  Ironically, she was quite full term but had a preemie friend (born at 28 weeks) who has perfect eyesight.  The stereotypes frustrate me, that people judge even small children by their looks. 

[MountainMamaGC]

They arrived yesterday. She is doing pretty good. Wears them for an hour or 2 at a time and then asks for a break, which I let her have. I think she will prefer them all the time pretty soon.

Here is a cute pic.

[Polliwog]

I love her pink glasses. Where did you get them? DD is four and she's been wearing glasses for about six weeks now. The first week was hard but it was also Spring Break from preschool. Once she went back to school she started wearing them happily and it hasn't been a problem. I don't push it at home. She's wears them about 50-75% of the time when she's home. Hers are purple and I want to get her a second pair. Probably sunglasses.

[zebra15]

My son was 9 when he got glasses (quite a bit older than your kids seem to be) but I think he needed them for quite some time.  He wore them out of the eye glass place and didnt take them off all day and has worn them every day since.  We do need to go in on a regular basis for adjustments. 

She looks cute. 

My DS always wanted 'green' glasses  let me tell you those were hard to find, thank goodness NIKE had some last year  lol....(and thank goodness the green is on the inside of the arms)

[MountainMamaGC]

Originally Posted by Polliwog 

I love her pink glasses. Where did you get them? DD is four and she's been wearing glasses for about six weeks now. The first week was hard but it was also Spring Break from preschool. Once she went back to school she started wearing them happily and it hasn't been a problem. I don't push it at home. She's wears them about 50-75% of the time when she's home. Hers are purple and I want to get her a second pair. Probably sunglasses.

We got them at the store in the optomitrist's office. They are Disney Princess Giselle frames in Pink Cherry Berry. I think. The frames are pink but the arms are purple. They are pretty cute.