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fords8

fords8

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My DS12 has had glasses for several years now. He hates them but he's pretty blind without them. He wants to try contacts. My thing is he's too dirty (meaning he needs to wash his hands more often).........I'm not sure he could handle it.

He has several friends in his class this year that have contacts.

We have vision insurance so I'm thinking about trying it but I'm so not sure.

Thoughts?
 
My nephew started wearing contacts last summer when he was almost 10. Eye doc didn't want to give them but my sis talked them into it and it's been great for him. No problems.
 
DD11 is in 6th grade. She doesn't need glasses, but several of her classmates who were wearing glasses in the past are wearing contacts. Most of them got them in 5th grade.
 
If your child has really bad vision or don't want it to keep changing I would do gas permeable. They are between hard and soft contacts (but are more on the hard side. The ONLY reason for anyone to train yourself to these is so your vision doesn't keep getting worse. (Wish I had known this info early on)
I have been wearing contacts since I was a teenager til now. Every child or person is different. HTH
 
I got contacts in 5th grade ( had glasses since kindergarten). My eyes got worse every year until high school. I think contacts are super nice for kids that play sports
 
I think my dd was 12 when she got her contacts also. I think it is a good age to start.
Have a talk with the doctor before hand about your hygiene concerns and have him talk to your ds. Sometimes coming from someone else makes a difference.
If you go ahead with them, tell your son that if there are any doubts about how well he is following directions, no more contacts and back to glasses.
 
tuppermom6 said:
I think my dd was 12 when she got her contacts also. I think it is a good age to start.
Have a talk with the doctor before hand about your hygiene concerns and have him talk to your ds. Sometimes coming from someone else makes a difference.
If you go ahead with them, tell your son that if there are any doubts about how well he is following directions, no more contacts and back to glasses.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'm really hoping DS can handle this. He has such a great face and beautiful eyes that I hate seeing covered up by glasses.
 
"kids".....no

"teens" or pretty close.....sure


...keep those glasses as backups or for when your eyes act up
 
My DD14 has had contacts since she was 9. She still wears her glasses a lot- probably more than 50percent of the time. She wears them for softball. She got them at 9 because her glasses interfered with her catchers gear. :giggles: She rarely wears contacts to school. I thought she would at HS, but she really likes her funky glasses. :p
 
Both boys tried contacts and did not care for them and wear glasses. I'm fine with that. I think they were too lazy for the routine!:lol:

As for the gas perms I don't think they really prevented changes in prescriptions all that much- I rapidly progressed to nearly legally blind very quickly despite using hard contacts and gas perms. I also thought I heard eye docs don't believe they slow things down at all anymore.

Got mine in 7th grade after my rx tripled.
 
At his age definitely go with the disposable. When I was younger I would lose one. And it would cost some big $$$ to replace it.

I only buy the disposable. I buy mine at either Costco or Sams.
 
Queen4 said:
If your child has really bad vision or don't want it to keep changing I would do gas permeable. They are between hard and soft contacts (but are more on the hard side. The ONLY reason for anyone to train yourself to these is so your vision doesn't keep getting worse. (Wish I had known this info early on)
I have been wearing contacts since I was a teenager til now. Every child or person is different. HTH
Click to expand...

eggzotik said:
Both boys tried contacts and did not care for them and wear glasses. I'm fine with that. I think they were too lazy for the routine!:lol:

As for the gas perms I don't think they really prevented changes in prescriptions all that much- I rapidly progressed to nearly legally blind very quickly despite using hard contacts and gas perms. I also thought I heard eye docs don't believe they slow things down at all anymore.

Got mine in 7th grade after my rx tripled.
Click to expand...



I got my first contacts the summer between 2nd and 3rd grade. The reason? My vision was changing so rapidly that by the time I saw the eye dr. and my new lenses were made my vision was worse and would need a new prescription. Rinse and repeat. Once I was put in hard contacts (no gas perm back then) my vision stopped changing immediately. I also was close to being legally blind by the time I got the contacts. About 10 years ago I had Lasik and I love it.

Anyway, back to the original question. mrsmom, your doctor will be happy to let your son sample contact lenses. My eye doc usually gives my kids a week or two supply to try out. If the brand he gives out doesn't work, he will give us another supply of a different brand. This is a nice way to find out if DS could handle contact lenses with no OOP. I would also have your doc talk to DS about the importance of cleanliness when it comes to your eyes.
 
I had one kid get them in 5th grade and the other, who is a sophomore wanted them, but couldn't do it. He tried two years in a row to get them in and out and just couldn't deal with touching his eye area. Do you know that will be ok with your DS?

DS #1 who has them, got the kind you sleep in and wear for 2 weeks and then get throw away. Originally we had the ones you put in and take out daily, but it was taking him so long to get ready in the morning, we switched. He NEVER gives me much notice when he is running low and I usually have to go pick them out (it's totally out of my way).

I checked into buying at Costco, but you have to get a year's supply and I don't find that good for a kid.
 
#2 son started wearing them 1 week before 10th bday--just for sports--full time in 7th grade--zero issues

#2 son started wearing them freshman year (he got glasses in 8th grade)
#3 son we waited until 7th grade because he was just as you described--dirty--dint wash his hands enough etc..
 
Also, there are often rebates for 6 & 12 month supplies. Just ask the Dr., they should have the forms.
 
Both mine got them at 9.
Ds needed sports glasses and I didn't feel like buying those and continuing to have to change lenses everytime his script changed.

Dd just got them last spring right after she got her glasses. She is a gymnast and they were really bothering her when she tumbled.

Both have gotten into really good habit of washing hands before they work with the contacts. They know that if they don't they could end up with something like pink eye and they HATE that.

We use the 2 week throw always.
 
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