little four eyes

AmblyopiaKids had a fun post last month about some fabulous shirts she’d found that feature glasses.  It seems like glasses are becoming more and more trendy – at least when they’re featured on characters on t-shirts.

Stella, in her shirt featuring a skull with a heart eye patch. From lifeandtimesofstella.com

Then yesterday, Amber wrote a great post on her blog about her daughter, the little fashion visionary, Stella, and the shirts they’ve found celebrating her eyewear – both glasses and patches.  She also noted that JCrew has a pair of glasses frames for girls listed for sale on their site.  It’s unclear from the site whether or not the frames are meant to be fit with prescription lenses, or used as purely cosmetic accessories.   I have to say, if they aren’t meant for prescription lenses, I would have a hard time justifying spending the money on the frames.  After going through so many struggles just getting Zoe to wear her glasses in the beginning, it just seems crazy to me to pay money to go through that and not get the benefit of better vision.  On the other hand, it certainly says something about how glasses are viewed if they’re offered as purely fashion accessories now.

Anyone else find any interesting glasses-related kids fashions?

As a self-proclaimed expert patching parent, I have decided to assess the patches in our stash and share with you the ones that we are no longer using. The first 2 up for grabs are for patching either eye.  The lime green has sparkles and is made of felt (fit great when she was 2 and 3), the stripped on is made of a softer non scratchy fabric (it is a little too big and not girly enough for a 4 year old girl with oval glasses).  The next 2 are for  the left eye and are both made of felt (my daughter didn’t like them as much and said they are scratchy)  The pink one is for a smaller child (maybe 1 or 2) and the purple would be more for a 3 /4 girl.  All 4 are very similar in size, my pictures don’t really show you that well.   I also have multiple Ortopad sticky patches for girls (under 3 years old).   All these patches described are already in individual envelopes waiting for a name and an adress to be sent to.  Please only ask for 1!  (ajre nchin@yahoo.com (without the space)) I will update the post as the patches are spoken for.  Sorry only US residents and there is no guarantee that the postal system will safely deliver them to you =)

For all you parents who lovingly patch your little ones.  Make these, give them away, but just don’t sell them!  These are inexpensive, light weight, covering, re-usable, and have a smooth texture.  They can be personalized to fit your child’s personality and the shape of their glasses. The idea came to me late one night from trying all the patches on the market and they have worked well for Elly and hopefully may work for you.  It was designed for those of you in Miraflex in mind – hopefully it will work!  It can and should be adapted to best fit your child’s needs and glasses.  I can make each patch in less than 3 minutes and could make at least 50 of them for less than $5.00.  If you can tie a knot and push a needle back and forth, you can make these!

Materials

craft foam, needle, thread, scissors, knife, tape, and the pattern

The following tutorial will demonstrate how to make a right left eye patch.

1. First cut out your foam pieces, add any extra fun pieces that you may want.  Remember, the more you add, the heavier your patch will be.  Linked here (Patch Pattern) is a pdf pattern of the main patch pieces.

2.  Assemble the pieces and hold them together with your fingers to make sure you are making your patch go the right way.  Sew your embellishments on to the rectangular section first.

3. Then, using a simple knot and a straight stitch, attach the rectangular piece to the main patch on the bottom.

4.  Fold the V in until the edges are touching and stitch through all 3 layers; top, front, and over the glasses pieces. (see, your stitches don’t have to be pretty!)

5.  Then place a square piece of tape on the triangular side.  This is to make the opening where the temples go through just a little sturdier.

6.  Using a knife or other sharp object, make a hole large enough for the temples to fit through.

And you are done =)    Well, with the patch part… here is how they go on the glasses.  I told Elliana that it was my job to put them on and off for the safety of the glasses.  These patches will fit snugly and I put them on slowly.  I made 2 patches and they each lasted me over a month when put on by a parent.

First slide the temples in between the main patch and the rectangular piece.  If you have cables, making sure the ends get in the smaller hole is a little tricky.  Those with Miraflex, I think you can take the band off.  If not, e-mail me and I will think of something.

Then pull through until the patch sits comfortably on the glasses.  I trimmed with my scissors around the nose piece so the patch sits inside of the plastic and a bit from the top so it rests comfortably on their forehead (thats why it is easier to make the pattern bigger and cut to fit).  If you have the regular nosepiece, then you could make a vertical slit for the nosepiece to fit into

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Last and not least, have your child try their glasses with the patch on.  Make sure it is not rubbing or irritating, trim with a scizzors to make it a perfect patch for your child.

Almost forgot… we learned the hard way… DON”T use red or dark pink like my pictures.  When they sweat the color comes off and turns the skin pink.  I would use light pink, blue, white, yellow and other light colors.  If you do make a patch, please send me a picture to post.  I have a couple more that we have been using daily – pictures of them to come later!

Zoe’s had glasses for over 2 1/2 years.  By now, I should know that I can’t get shirts with anything but the loosest neck over Zoe’s head without taking her glasses off first.  But I still forget on a regular basis (and yes, I forget to take my own off when I’m getting dressed – slow learner here).  Normally, Zoe reminds me, but today we had a particularly awkward encounter trying to get her swimsuit on with her glasses still on her face.  I’m pretty sure it looked pretty hilarious.  I expect I’ll remember to reliably take her glasses off right about the time she is able to get all of her shirts on and off herself.

We haven’t had an open thread in a while.

Some kids use glasses as teethers, some hide or break them, some fight patching tooth and nail, and some of us struggle with the changes that glasses and vision problems can mean for our children, or with rude comments from strangers.  What are the biggest struggles you’ve dealt with in having a child in glasses (or contacts, or patching, or other vision problems)?

“Remember, Princess Peepers wants to let you know that you’ll always be a royal princess inside and out, no matter what! Just be true to yourself! “

It is this kind of message that Pam Calvert, author of Princess Peepers write on her website that makes my heart all warm and tingly.

The book Princess Peepers is a great addition to your home library if your pre-schooler or kindergarten girl is feeling a little bummed about wearing glasses, or needing a pick me up on the importance of wearing glasses.  In this whimsical little modern fairy tale, the princess has chosen to remove her glasses which leads to a few vision blunders.  She finds herself in all the wrong places, but doesn’t realize it because her glasses are not on.  Instead of headed towards the ball, she finds herself headed for the tower.  In the end, she ends up falling onto a horse, I mean prince.  They both put their glasses on and in fairytale fashion, live happily ever after.

Elliana really gets a kick out of this book and has made me read it every day for the last 5 days. I had to explain some of the vocabulary and we talked about the book as we read it.  She LOVES princesses and really got the humor in the book.  It is a lot of fun to hear her laugh when I read the funny parts!

After reading the book, Pam Calvert’s website http://www.pamcalvert.com encourages princesses (and princes) to send in their pictures for her to post.  She also has different activities to make and do; glasses cupcakes and decorate cardstock eyewear.  She does visit schools for author talks and lessons – which has me super inspired.  I would love to have her present in our city and am going to contact our public library to see if and how I can make it happen.

This story came in from Jennifer. -Ann Z

When I found out Bo has Accommodative Esotropia and would have to wear glasses, I was not concerned about how he would handle it.  I was concerned about how his brother and sister would handle it.  I have Triplets.  When Bo got glasses they were a little over 1.5 years old (they are currently 2.5 years old).  In August Bo will be wearing glasses for a year.  I can not even begin to count the number of frames he has had.  Just this week two pairs have been broken.  JUST THIS WEEK!  His glasses were broke over the weekend and he had an eye dr appointment on Wed.  So, I dropped his VERY broken glasses off. Since they were unfixable they had to order new frames.  Then, this morning I had to drive the hour back to the eye glass place to drop off his other pair and of course they are beyond fixable and another set of frames is being ordered.  He now wears a pair that the eye glass manager was nice enough to make us for free, but since those too are broke, they are ducktaped, holding the arm in place.  We live in a very small town and have to travel an hour one way to the eye dr and eyeglass place.

Bo, Anna, and Alex. Bo wears glasses for accommodative esotropia.

Having 3 toddlers the same age with one having something that the other 2 do not, is a major adjustment and hassle.  They have always had the same things and gotten the same things.  If one gets something, the other 2 get the same thing.  They always go everywhere together (I am a SAHM with no help and my husband does not get home until 6pm).  So, when Bo got glasses he did not want them and Anna and Alex did.  It is a constant battle.  I must ask a million times a day “where are you glasses?” and “where are Bo’s glasses?”  I will found them in a bed tangled up with sheets, or at the bottom of the basement stairs or stuffed somewhere.  MOST of the time whichever one hid or threw them will find them and bring them back to me.  BUT, times like this week I leave the room for less then 5 minutes (or even just turn my back) and I find them in pieces, looking like they have been run over by a truck.  Two pairs have ended up like that just this week.  Bo is great about putting them on and taking them off and handing them to me.  They all know his glasses is my button to push to get me upset.  If Anna or Alex get mad and Bo is anywhere near them, they sling his glasses off his face.  Anna and Alex also know this is the way to pick on Bo.  He has always been the quite one and the one to be picked on.  And taking his glasses is how they pick on him.

And then when I am told Bo will have to wear a patch an hour day my first thought was “great, stick a big sticker on his face.  Something else for the other 2 to be jealous over”.  We have tried everything from giving Anna and Alex play glasses and stickers, but nothing works.  I can’t turn my back or leave the room for a minute without worrying about his glasses.  I don’t want to have to take his glasses off everytime I leave the room.  Nor do I want to have to drag him with me.

We have been luckly enough to have found a wonderful group of people working at VisionWorks.   We had no vision insurance when Bo first got glasses.  The glasses at the eye dr were going to run about $300.  When all was said and done (taxes, warranty, special lenses, scratch resistant–yeah right!) I got 2 pairs of glasses at VisionWorks for $180.  They have been great, not making us pay for replacement frames and even ordering him an extra pair for free.  Like I said before, I can not even begin to count the number of frames we have been through.  His prescription is due to change in August and I am looking for sturdier glasses.  The ones at the eye dr can be twisted and rolled up into a ball and they bounce back in place.  My thought is to get those on the insurance and then get a replacement pair (or two) at VisionWorks.  I am very open to thoughts and suggestions on sturdier glasses!

It is an ongoing battle and I can only hope that it gets better as they get older. That one day (sooner than later) Anna and Alex will learn to leave Bo’s glasses alone and that Bo will learn not to let them take them off.  I know I have probably made my children sound like horrible monsters, but I promise they are not (only when it comes to the glasses)!

There are benefits to being awake nursing a baby at 3:00 in the morning, one of which that I have time to think by myself (well, without a chatty 3 year old)  This is the patch that I came up the other night / morning.  It is light weight, covers 98% of all light, easy to make and inexpensive.   All you need is the pattern, some craft foam, scotch tape, a needle and thread.  Would anyone be interested if I made you a tutorial?

I should have taken Zoe in to get her glasses adjusted a long time ago.  Her blue glasses have been leaving red marks on her nose for quite a while now, but she wasn’t complaining about it.  Her red glasses have been looking crooked for almost as long, but again, she wasn’t really complaining.  Then last weekend, she refused to wear her sunglasses, which she normally loves, because they “hurt her eyes.”

Zoe's crooked glasses - they were a little high on the right side and didn't sit square on her nose. (ok, I'll admit, I mostly just wanted to post this picture because I like it)

So we finally got in on Friday with all three pairs in tow.  I know from experience that middle of the day on a weekday tends to be pretty quiet, so that’s when we went and there was only one other mother-daughter pair there (coincidentally, they were picking up the same frames as Zoe has, but in different colors.  We complimented them on their good taste).  The guy who was working laughed as I pulled glasses case after glasses case out of my purse, but he was happy to do the adjustments.  I had been a bit worried about bringing in the sunglasses, since those didn’t come from the store, but I explained that we got them elsewhere, and he was fine doing the adjustments on those as well.

Both the blue pair and the red pair were too tight, and the red pair was crooked as well.  The optician said she must have had a growth spurt.  Lesson learned:  If she’s getting red spots on her nose, we need to get her in for an adjustment.  Happily, we learned that they could be adjusted to still fit for a good long while. We’d been worried that Zoe was going to need new frames again, but we’re good with these for a while still.  The sunglasses were too loose, but they’re fitting well now, too, and Zoe wore them with no complaint the last two days.

Zoe happily told everyone she saw on Friday and Saturday about getting her glasses adjusted, and that she got stickers from the glasses shop as well.  I worry that she’ll one day put two and two together and realize that if she bends her glasses, she’ll get to go to the shop for glasses adjustments and a sticker.

It has been a while since we have had to atropine drop.  Last week, the ophthalmologist had us use the drops in both eyes for 3 days to get the most accurate measurement that they could.  These days were a reminder of why we ended up switching back to patching.

So, you may ask, how in the world do you get the eye drops in.  Well, we line up all the babies who are also getting their eyes dropped (for pretend)  Then we practice on them, telling them it will hurt a little and praising them for holding still.  When I get to the end of the line (Elly)  I hop on, hold her arms down with my knees, pry her eyes open with my left hand and drop with my right.  This is all done swiftly and in less than a second all the screaming, huffing, puffing, kicking, thrashing, you name it, is over.  I then tell her how brave she was and life moves on.

She really hated her glasses for about a week and a half until the atropine wore off, was a bearcat in her disposition, and expressed her distaste in the drops.  The good news is that the reading was the most accurate so far and resulted in a prescription changed.

Yeah eye drops and yeah no more eye drops.