Eyeglasses for Children

I imagine you're going to receive very helpful info. I wanted to share with you that my eleven-year old daughter got glasses for the first time in Nov. I told her I really didn't care for the pair she was so crazy about and took her to another Site for Sore Eyes to shop. She stuck with her original choice. When I bought new ones at the second store in April she wanted to buy a pair she saw there. She said she hated hers and had made a mistake! That store's manager claimed the other store should have allowed for her growth and given her glasses a little larger. The first store in reply said she had left with glasses that fit her well.
I really don't know if this is useful! The second pair she is so in love with is wire rimmed. They may be more flexible and last longer (as far as fit goes).
Other children will want to put the glasses on no matter what we say. Her teacher will have to have a good talk with the students,or do it yourself.
G.

I would definitely recommend at least Polycarbonate lenses. They are impact resistant and come with UV and scratch coating. Also I'm sure if prompted, your eye doctor will direct you toward the best frame for your child. Color and shape are personal preferences but the frame for a 5 year old must be durable, fit on the bridge of the nose, and have some growing area around the temples (or sides). There is an Infant Toddler Clinic at the School of Optometry at Berkeley that is sure to have a wide selection of children's frames since one of their clinic's is dedicated to small children if you can't find what you are looking for. If you happen to need their number if it's not on the internet, don't hesitate to let me know. Best of luck!

My 2nd daughter had to start wearing glasses at the age of 3 and a couple of months. I was advised to get metal frames since they can be adjusted for kids. Plastic frames can't and the bridges of a childs nose is to small for plastic frames. When we first got her glasses she didn't want to wear them so we had to be a strap to put around them so it was harder for her to take them off. Now she wears them with no problems. Good luck!

SEARS is the best for kids glasses. You can take a prescription in from any optometrist and they will fill it. Lenses are free when you buy kids frames, so they are VERY affordable. (Our first pair of glasses w/ lenses for our daughter totalled $79.99 at SEARS. We were quoted close to $400 by LensCrafters and others.)

I have been advised against ANY kind of coating, whether to tint in the sun or prevent scratching. I have been told by optometrists and their staff that all coatings compromise the prescription to some degree, but it is difficult to tell how much - after all, since it's not your prescription, you won't know how it should look if you peer through them yourself.

As to keeping them on her head, we bought a "Croakies" band. (http://www.croakies.com/) They come in cute colors in kids sizes. It's just a soft, comfortable, neoprene band and it works very well. I know of one place in Walnut Creek that carries them. They are usually in more upscale or specialty optometry stores.

As to breakage, kids glasses usually get shatter-proof lenses, so you don't have to worry too much about that. I took my kiddo with me to get her glasses both times. We asked about the frames and then picked 4 or 5 kinds and colors based on quality, strength, and flexibility and let her choose from there. She loves her glasses... and looks really cute in them too!

Best of luck!

Some kids think the transitions coating makes the glasses cool, so if it helps your child wear them more, it's good. Other kids might even think they are cool. Costco has great prices on frames, something to keep in mind in case your daugher loses or breaks hers. Make sure the frames are sized correctly for her face (a good optical dispenser can help you understand what is right). There is a state requirement that they use only plastic polycarbonate lenses in child glasses for safety reasons. The string is a good idea. Also train your child to always put glasses in the hard case when not wearing them and always keeping them either on their nightstand or in their backpack, so you will never be searching for them. Just make it a rule. That's all the advice I have.

My children are older now but when they were younger the transition lenses were very good for outside play! Many plans have special coverage options for young children (if you are a Kaiser member they have additional damage insurance/special packages for children. I recommend having plenty of damage coverage to cover those whoops!

Plastic lenses are available (make lenses lighter weight) and I highly recommend having the special anti scratch coating. There are many types of "strings" that are available that help keep glasses on - optical as well as sporting good stores (for sunglasses) carry a nice variety. They are much nicer than what we remember our grandmothers used.

Hope this is helpful.