# Share your experiences of getting glasses as a young child **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 30, 2010, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923 "2010-10-30T22:11:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923/21 "2010-10-31T13:23:51Z")
I was about ten, about 1967. My brother had dorky glasses. My sister had dorky glasses. None of the cool kids had glasses, and I was a nerdy little kid who was already teased about my clothes, my hair…so I hid the fact that I couldn’t see well. I squinted. I sat near the front of the room since my last name started with an A, so I got away with it for quite a while until my mom caught me squinting at a sign at the YWCA. Off we went to Union Eye Care for glasses…and since I was a nerd with no taste, I got the blue cat’s eye glasses. Not a good look. So I wore them at school as little as possible. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923/22 "2010-10-31T14:18:57Z")
I got my first pair at about age 8, in about 1996. No one teased me, and I got to pick out glasses with cool multi-colored rims, and when I walked into Barnes and Noble that night, I could see _all the way to the end of the store!_ No traumatic experiences here. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923/23 "2010-10-31T14:24:19Z")
Such great input here. Thank you. > [@Rilchiam](#): > > It’s unlikely she’ll get made fun of. What’s much more likely is everyone in her class wanting to try them on. Which will be a barrel of laughs as they smear their fingerprints all over the lenses, and put them down **on** the lenses, and bend the earpieces if their heads are bigger than hers… > > Also, she may want to change her hairstyle. Long hair tends to get tangled up in the earpieces until you learn to compensate. Have her wear a braid or ponytail for a while, perhaps. I’ll keep that in mind. She has short curly hair but I’ll probably think about putting her hair in a ponytail to start just in case. > [@TheTerribleTako](#): > > Geek chic’s pretty popular in middle schools and high schools now, so maybe your daughter will have an easier time by then. If not, have her pick out a pair of fashionable glasses that fits her style or make sure she’s responsible enough for contacts by then. She’s picked a pair with pink frames. She loves anything pink. Contacts are not on the horizon until at least high school. I used to wear them but found them the world’s biggest pain in the rear to care for. > [@MissTake](#): > > Her biggest problem has been taking care of them. Luckily, many years ago I worked at an opthalmic lab, and stocked up on lens care goodies. She’s already gone through two cases and a half dozen microfiber wipes. She never remembers to clean them, which causes problems. Excellent tip. I’m glad to hear your niece is doing better now. > [@tumbleddown](#): > > I’m always amused by the very cute frames my optometrist has, especially for little girls, all shades of the rainbow and lots of shapes. I think she’ll be okay. She can get something that’s really “her” now, rather than having to settle. > > Maybe lay in a good supply of pre-moistened lens cleaning wipes, and put some in her school bag and maybe slip one each day into her lunch bag. (Costco sells huge boxes of 500 for \< $10.) Get her into the habit of cleaning the glasses regularly and on her own right from the beginning so that she’s never walking around with smudges and learns quickly to get comfortable with taking care of them. Another excellent tip. Thank you. I’ve forgotten how hard it can be to care for glasses properly. > [@flodnak](#): > > Older Son got glasses at age 8, in second grade. The girls thought he looked soooooo cute, just like Harry Potter!, which of course at that age was not entirely welcome 😃 But it calmed down quickly. > > Will she be the first in her classroom to have glasses? Older Son was, and we told his teacher about it ahead of time. She had a talk with all the kids about the things that make us all different, not specifically mentioning Older Son or eyeglasses, but bringing up the general issue of physical differences. So when he showed up with his glasses the other kids were surprised, but in a way prepared. I thought his teacher handled it very well. > > The eye doctor suggested he start wearing them at the start of a school break, so he had a few extra days to get used to them, both physically and socially. We chose Easter break. If you’re in the US, can you wait until the Thanksgiving weekend? Or maybe even Christmas break? Aw. Your son must look so cute. As far as I know she’s the first person to wear glasses in her class. We have half days for school conferences next week so I think that might be the best time to get her used to them. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923/24 "2010-10-31T15:39:35Z")
> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > I resisted. I went around reading signs from great distances to prove I could do it. > > Then I got the glasses. > > Wow. Trees have individual leaves, and…you don’t necessarily have to be in the tree to see those individual leaves. Almost exactly my story. I was a very good squinter - it took them forever to realize I needed glasses. (This is still a problem for me when it’s eye-exam time, because I know what the letters are even though I can’t “see” them clearly, so I have to make a conscious effort not to cheat.) I wasn’t really resisting them on the grounds of “they’ll make fun of me”. I just didn’t think I really needed them. Well, when I got my first pair of glasses, I must have spent three days gaping at everything because I could **see**. Trees blew me away completely. They weren’t sticks with green fluff on top. You could see individual leaves from far away, and see them all moving independently in the breeze! I was teased for wearing glasses. But also for having frizzy hair, being smart, wearing the wrong color socks… and so was everyone else for their own reasons or for no reasons at all. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923/25 "2010-10-31T16:02:14Z")
I was supposed to get glasses when I was 8 or 9, back in the 70s. The styles were ugly and horrible, and unfortunately for me the way I found out I needed them was trying to read the blackboard in class and failing miserably…in front of the entire class. So they were teasing me about “glasses!” before I even got the damn things. I refused to wear them. I don’t think I _ever_ wore them. I was the best faker ever–I managed to fake my way from about 4th through 10th grade with really horrible vision (while, I might add, getting top grades) before my mother finally let me get contacts. I realize now how stupid I was and should have just worn the damn glasses. But those contacts were _wonderful_, and they sure made the world look a lot nicer! It was like a whole new world for me. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923/26 "2010-10-31T20:18:17Z")
Yeah things are way different now. I had glasses at 8, my little brothers somewhere between 8-10, I can’t remember. Never was teased for them. Of course, once she’s mature enough and wants them (I was 12) she can get contacts. Nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism (when ya got BOTH!), they make contacts for them all. And in a few years daily disposables should be cheap enough too. ---
**Author:** ![pudytat72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@pudytat72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pudytat72)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923/27 "2010-10-31T20:43:43Z")
Getting glasses was a wonderful event for me in 3rd grade. My godfather was an optician and I went to his house to get my new glasses. I could see the 7-up logo on what had been a fuzzy green thing on the kitchen counter. Even now, sitting 3 feet away from a map, without my glasses, I can just barely make out the 1/2 inch tall letters that say “World Map”, and . . .just checking. . . , at 4 feet I cannot read them at all. I have to move in to 16 inches to see the letters as clearly as I see them with my glasses on. I had light blue, cat’s eye glasses to match my blue eyes and I didn’t care what anyone said, I COULD SEE!!! ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923/28 "2010-10-31T22:59:37Z")
I was 7. It was 1974. The optical shop was on Younkers’ mezzanine in downtown Des Moines. I looked out over the main sales floor and I remember thinking WHOOOOA DUDE I CAN SEE ALL THIS SHIT PERFECTLY GLASSES FTW. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923/29 "2010-11-01T17:05:38Z")
The “Trees have leaves!” thing seems to be pretty universal. I got my first glasses at about 8, and it was an epiphany. I don’t even know if anyone teased me the first few days–I was too busy _seeing_ to notice anything else. (In fact, I don’t recall anyone ever teasing me about my glasses, though I was teased about other things about as often as any kid. This was around 1980.) ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923/30 "2010-11-01T19:34:57Z")
I was ten. And I needed them for a while - I have a congenital defect in one eye, which caused the other eye to overcompensate. I was pretty upset over it, but it quickly changed when I found I could see! everything! I told my parents years before I couldn’t see well, but they didn’t believe me until they did the vision test in school or whatever and THEY told my parents. Yeah, my parents never believed me about anything. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923/31 "2010-11-01T19:39:16Z")
> [@LavenderBlue](#): > > Contacts are not on the horizon until at least high school. I used to wear them but found them the world’s biggest pain in the rear to care for. Why so late? Contacts are relatively cheap these days. You can get a year supply for about $80. And the care is nothing. Put them in all purpose solution every night. No rubbing or cleaning, and throw them away after a month. My son started wearing contacts at age 11. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923/32 "2010-11-01T19:41:50Z")
> [@Wilbo523](#): > > Why so late? Contacts are relatively cheap these days. You can get a year supply for about $80. And the care is nothing. Put them in all purpose solution every night. No rubbing or cleaning, and throw them away after a month. > > My son started wearing contacts at age 11. HA! Contacts are NOT that cheap for everyone. My contacts cost over $300. Of this, insurance pays for half a year’s supply, so I have to pay for the other $160 myself. ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923/33 "2010-11-01T19:59:03Z")
I got glasses when I was 7, at that age, all the adults around me told me I looked cute so I believed them and was fine with it. I liked them less around middle school age, but enough other kids wore them that it was never a source of teasing. I think little kids who wear glasses now are adorable, there are so many cute frames to pick from. I got contacts in high school, now with all the disposable choices and easier care I would let a responsible middle schooler wear them. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923/34 "2010-11-01T20:09:02Z")
My daughter started wearing them when she was four. Had not teasing or problems. I wore mine when I was 12. Again, no one said anything about them. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923/35 "2010-11-01T20:10:16Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > HA! Contacts are NOT that cheap for everyone. My contacts cost over $300. Of this, insurance pays for half a year’s supply, so I have to pay for the other $160 myself. You must have a unique prescription. General soft contact lenses that most people wear are relatively inexpensive. Compared to what Xbox and PS3 games costs, they are downright CHEAP. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923/36 "2010-11-01T20:21:56Z")
> [@Wilbo523](#): > > You must have a unique prescription. General soft contact lenses that most people wear are relatively inexpensive. Compared to what Xbox and PS3 games costs, they are downright CHEAP. Sort of - I have a strong astigmatism. I once calculated the odds…my problem is like 1% of the population. When I was a teen I could only wear rigid gas permeable ones. Now at least there are soft ones. But that is just my point, that not all prescriptions are the same. I think it’s great some people can go cheap, but neither mine nor my SO’s are that cheap, and his problem is nowhere near as rare as mine. I wouldn’t trust an irresponsible kid with $300 contacts. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923/37 "2010-11-01T21:27:56Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Sort of - I have a strong astigmatism. I once calculated the odds…my problem is like 1% of the population. When I was a teen I could only wear rigid gas permeable ones. Now at least there are soft ones. You have astigmatism and soft contacts? I didn’t know that was possible. I have gas-permeable due to my astigmatism, which is pretty severe. **Everything** about my eyesight is pretty severe. _:sigh:_ Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923/38 "2010-11-01T21:43:55Z")
**Shodan** - go to a major contact lens website and search by “toric” lenses. Let the poor child have contacts in a few years if they’re not expensive for god’s sake. You’ll help her psyche tremendously. I may not have flossed my teeth while I had braces, but I damn well respected my contacts in middle school. Because if they ripped, I would have had to wear my glasses! ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923/39 "2010-11-01T23:54:30Z")
I got my first pair somewhere around the age of 12 or 13, and didn’t want anything to do with them! But I could remember being about 5 or 6 and being able to see perfectly clearly, so I admitted to myself that my vision wasn’t what it once was. My peers didn’t tease me at all, and a few years later when I got to hang out with my cousin who also wore glasses it helped get over that insecurity. Can’t say as I share the revelation about trees since I had only mild myopia then and had had good vision in the past. Nowadays though with 1.75 diopter astigmatism (apparently that’s a lot), individual leaves are out of the question anymore. As far as hair length, I actually got in the habit of wearing glasses almost all the time before ever letting my hair grow long, and I’ve never had a problem with getting it tangled up. Maybe it’s easier that way, since the wearer can gradually get used to their hair being near their earpieces. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923/40 "2010-11-02T04:09:00Z")
The only real thing I remember about wearing glasses was that I broke them a lot. Even today, the screws tend to want to pop out, but, back then, I almost inevitably got hit in the head with a ball or wound up stepping on them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-experiences-of-getting-glasses-as-a-young-child/558923.md?page=3)