# Glasses for a 9 year old



## lostinutah (Nov 3, 2014)

I am a first time step parent, I have a 9 year old step child, my husband (child's father). We recently had the child's eyes checked, turns out the child needs glasses, and will the rest of child's life. Child's mother, has left the decision up to the child, and my husband is in the same mind set. It super aggravates me because my husband has pretty much the same vision troubles. 
How could I help to convince my husband, and child that, child really NEEDS glasses, to help with reading, and school work? Yes my husband does wear glasses, and yes we can have the prescription for the glasses.


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## EleGirl (Dec 3, 2011)

lostinutah said:


> I am a first time step parent, I have a 9 year old step child, my husband (child's father). We recently had the child's eyes checked, turns out the child needs glasses, and will the rest of child's life. Child's mother, has left the decision up to the child, and my husband is in the same mind set. It super aggravates me because my husband has pretty much the same vision troubles.
> 
> How could I help to convince my husband, and child that, child really NEEDS glasses, to help with reading, and school work?


Does your husband ware glasses?

I would come from the angle that the child cannot make this decision until he has seen the difference that glasses will make in his life. 

Is there a prescription for glasses?


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## Openminded (Feb 21, 2013)

I began wearing glasses at six for distance. My grandson began wearing them at six as well. It's not a decision that should be left up to the child because no child wants to wear glasses. But if you need them then you wear them so you don't stress your eyes by trying to compensate without them.


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## Lon (Jun 6, 2011)

The only "decision" is what style of frames to get.

Has the kid ever tried the proper presctiption corrective lenses on?

When I was 5 or 6 I had perfect vision and very good reading skills. By age 7 I was really struggling in school, it was getting harder and harder and I was falling behind, they had all sorts of meetings about my learning disabilities. When eventually mom asked me to read the address on the house across the street... I didn't even realize until that moment houses even had house numbers, I just thought the (what turned out to be) white numbers was a whitish part of the exterior.

A few days later I was walking to school with new glasses after a fresh snowfall and seeing all the sparkling snow and the thousands of little twigs on all the branches of the trees is one of the most memorable occasions of my life.

He needs the glasses.


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## john117 (May 20, 2013)

Kids this age have an exceedingly cute selection of frames and lens materials to choose from. He should be fine. Take him to a good doc and optical store and chances are he will love what he sees.


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## richardsharpe (Jul 8, 2014)

Good evening all
I have worn glasses most of my life. No question it makes life immeasurably better.


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## Green Eyes (Nov 20, 2014)

I wouldn't leave the decision to a 9 year old. I would let him pick out his own frames.

How well the glasses are received by the child has a lot to do with the attitude of the grownups in his life. My hubby has worn glasses since about that same age, and still wears them. Much better to wear glasses than not to be able to see well. Correcting his vision now might prevent the condition from worsening.


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## norajane (Feb 7, 2012)

lostinutah said:


> How could I help to convince my husband, and child that, child really NEEDS glasses, to help with reading, and school work? Yes my husband does wear glasses, and yes we can have the prescription for the glasses.


Does your husband think the child does not need glasses? That he's faking at his eye exam? That children simply don't need glasses? I'm not sure what the problem is. 

If your husband really doesn't get it, take your husband's glasses away for an hour, and tell him that's how his son sees the world.

Or ask your son to read something on the tv when your husband is there.

Is your child into sports? Tell him he'll be able to see the ball better, and will be able to throw/kick/catch/hit the ball better if he can see.


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## Methuselah (Nov 24, 2014)

Have to agree with the above posts. In your (step)child's formative years, doing poorly in school will have a negative impact the rest of his life. Poor academic performance will follow him forever. He could go (with glasses) from becoming a brilliant thoracic surgeon to (without) pumping gas at 7-11. I would ask your spouse why he does not want the very best for his offspring.


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## Anon Pink (Jan 17, 2013)

Good lord! What kind of idiot parent leaves glasses up to the child!!!


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## VermisciousKnid (Dec 27, 2011)

I got my first pair of glasses in fourth grade. I was a bit anxious that the other kids would make fun of me, but that was unfounded. I don't think that many of them noticed or if they did they didn't care. 

After I wore them for a while I was sold. You go from a fuzzy world where you can't see the blackboard to an interesting world full of details. 

The kid shouldn't have an option in this. He doesn't even know what he's missing at this point.


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## 3Xnocharm (Jun 22, 2012)

Anon Pink said:


> Good lord! What kind of idiot parent leaves glasses up to the child!!!


This was my thought too! Why is this being treated as an option??


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## norajane (Feb 7, 2012)

Anon Pink said:


> Good lord! What kind of idiot parent leaves glasses up to the child!!!


I can't fathom it, especially from a parent who actually needs and wears glasses himself. He, of all people, should understand the significance of being able to see properly!

If it's left up to the child, then _get the glasses_ and have him wear them for school and studies and leave them off the rest of the time. I suspect once the kid can SEE, he will want to wear them because, um, seeing is better than not seeing. As soon as he notices how much more interesting tv and video games are when he can actually see them, the glasses will be on his face.


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## 3Xnocharm (Jun 22, 2012)

norajane said:


> I can't fathom it, especially from a parent who actually needs and wears glasses himself. He, of all people, should understand the significance of being able to see properly!
> 
> If it's left up to the child, then _get the glasses_ and have him wear them for school and studies and leave them off the rest of the time. I suspect once the kid can SEE, he will want to wear them* because, um, seeing is better than not seeing.* As soon as he notices how much more interesting tv and video games are when he can actually see them, the glasses will be on his face.


:rofl: Quote of the day!


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## GA HEART (Oct 18, 2011)

This is a medical need. No 9 year old gets a choice in a medical need. Could be viewed as neglect. Seriously! What if the kid can't see a car coming at him and tries to cross the street!?!? 

I got my first pair at 8. I remember putting them on and being able to SEE. It was amazing.


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## lenzi (Apr 10, 2012)

Openminded said:


> no child wants to wear glasses.


Not true.

Kids sometimes pretend to be blurred during an eye exam because they want glasses that they don't need.


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## Yeswecan (Jul 25, 2014)

Like a few have posted, I was the same. I got my first pair in 6th grade. I could finally see!!!! 

To add, is the dad being a best buddy to his son and not a father first? Leaving the decision for glasses up to the 9 year old is not parenting. That's being a best buddy. His parenting skills need work.


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## Yeswecan (Jul 25, 2014)

lenzi said:


> Not true.
> 
> Kids sometimes pretend to be blurred during an eye exam because they want glasses that they don't need.


Optometrist can determine who is pulling the wool and who isn't. Next.


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## Lon (Jun 6, 2011)

*Re: Re: Glasses for a 9 year old*



Yeswecan said:


> Optometrist can determine who is pulling the wool and who isn't. Next.


With a handle like "lenzi" and an avatar of an eye looking here and there through an opening, I have a suspicion lenzi can substantiate both facts😉


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## Anon Pink (Jan 17, 2013)

:lol:

Good call Lon!


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## CantePe (Oct 5, 2011)

Both husband and I wear glasses, all 5 of our kids will need or already have glasses. My first pair were at 8 years old.


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## Yeswecan (Jul 25, 2014)

Lon said:


> With a handle like "lenzi" and an avatar of an eye looking here and there through an opening, I have a suspicion lenzi can substantiate both facts&#55357;&#56841;


Or it confirms voyeurisms.


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## john117 (May 20, 2013)

Behold the power of Nikon


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## lenzi (Apr 10, 2012)

Lon said:


> With a handle like "lenzi" and an avatar of an eye looking here and there through an opening, I have a suspicion lenzi can substantiate both facts��


You are correct.

I don't think a week goes by when I don't have a patient, usually a young girl, age 6-10 who suddenly got blurred vision in school, usually after a friend or family member gets a nice shiny new pair of glasses.

Usually the telltale sign is that they demonstrate sudden onset vision blur, and they complain of vision both at near and distance which is rather unusual except in cases of high astigmatism, and when I ask them what color glasses they want, they offer up their preferred color without hesitation- they've given it careful thought. 

Once we get them in the exam room, and behind the "refractor" and start flipping lenses, it's easy to get them turned around and even the most stubborn and crafty patient almost always ends up seeing perfectly clearly on the distance and near chart through plano (non Rx) lenses.

To top it off, especially for the gullible parent that really believes the child has a problem, I pull a pair of non Rx glasses off a showroom rack and of course as soon as the child puts them on the vision becomes miraculously clear!

Usually when they find out they're not getting glasses they become hysterical.


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## richardsharpe (Jul 8, 2014)

Good evenign Lenzi
Some years ago there was talk of using laser speckle patterns on the retna to determine what correction was needed. (try it, take of you glasses and shine a laser pointer at a wall (NOT IN YOU EYE!!!!), and the speckle is still sharp even though everything else is blurry. From the direction the speckle moves when you move your eye, I was told that you could adjust you correction almost perfectly (for that wavelength)


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## BrightEyes86 (Nov 1, 2014)

If the kid needs glasses the kid needs glasses. Period. I got my first pair at 14 and I hated it, but I liked being able to see. Now I'm 28 and I can't function without my prescription. When the kid is old enough to decide between glasses and contacts that might be an option, but for now someone needs to put their foot down about the glasses. This isn't a choice between two different colored shirts for crying out loud, this is someone's vision we're talking about.


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