The other day I was being thankful that Charlie didn't have the heart defects frequently encountered with Ds. Now this thread reminds me to be glad he's always been pretty compliant about wearing his glasses, though he does have his moments, more moments lately than a few years ago.
But you guys are not alone. This is far from the first time I've seen such discussions. A couple of miscellaneous tips, get a Chums retainer or make a retainer from fishing line and safety pin. Won't help keep the glasses on the face but might deter throwing or hiding or losing glasses. Little kids sometimes helps to keep their hands busy with food or toys. Big kids might be coerced with requirement to wear glasses to look at book or view video.
There's lots of advice out there on the web and to be dug up in archives. Me, I dunno if any of it is all that helpful. Good luck in finding whatever works for you and your kid.
But here's some stuff for whatever it's worth:
From
my.webmd.com/content/article/63/71994.htm?z=4051_00000_7003_to_02<<Eyeglasses for Infants and Children
Having a successful visit to the eye doctor is only half the battle of improving your child's sight. Convincing your child to wear their prescription glasses is the other and quite possibly most difficult. Here are some suggestions from doctors at The Cleveland Clinic to help you find the right eyeglasses for children, and to help your child adjust to wearing them every day.
Make sure your child's eyeglass frames fit. Your child's eyeglass frames should fit properly, without pinching the ears or nose, or weighing down the face. Check points of contact periodically to make sure that there is no skin irritation.
Make sure the prescription of the eyeglasses is correct. If your child is looking over the eyeglasses or complains that he or she cannot see with them, the prescription may be incorrect. An optician or eye doctor will be able to determine the optical accuracy of your child's eyeglass prescription.
Start gradually. Start your child wearing eyeglasses in only small amounts of time, gradually increasing the length of time.
Make them routine. Putting eyeglasses on and taking them off should be part of their daily routine. Encourage them to put them on in the morning when they dress and taken them off at night before they go to bed.
Offer positive reinforcement. Be sure to use positive reinforcement when the child does wear the eyeglasses.
What Do I Do If My Child Refuses to Wear Glasses?
If you child refuses to wear his or her eyeglasses, make sure the prescription is correct. If the prescription is correct, try using positive reinforcement and explain why it is important to wear eyeglasses.
What Should I Do When My Child is Playing Sports?
Thousands of injuries happen to children's eyes each year while they are playing sports. Almost all of these injuries could be prevented if protective eye gear is worn. Protective eye gear comes in both prescription and non-prescription lenses. Children should wear this gear if they participate in any number of sports including:
Baseball/softball
Basketball
Soccer
Hockey
Tennis
Karate
Racquetball
You child may at first be reluctant to wear protective gear, especially if the rest of his or her teammates are not wearing any. Some ways to persuade children include allowing your child to pick out a style he or she may like or to wear protective eye gear yourself when playing sports. >>
From
www.ehow.com/how_4585_child-wear-glasses.html<<How to Get Your Child to Wear Glasses
Sometimes it's difficult for children to understand why they have to wear glasses when most of their friends don't. Here's how to help keep those glasses where they belong ' on your child's face!
Steps:
1. Do your best to help your child understand why she needs to wear glasses; even some toddlers can understand when you explain that the glasses will help them see better.
2. Let your child help to choose her own frames by offering a selection of frames within your price range. Children won't wear glasses they hate.
3. Avoid buying glasses for your child to grow into ' these will be uncomfortable, as well as less effective than glasses that fit properly.
4. Resort to bribery if necessary. Offer pretty stickers as an incentive to wear glasses, or as a reward for keeping them on for a certain amount of time.
5. Make it clear to your child that certain activities require glasses: If your toddler or preschooler brings you a book, insist that she put her glasses on before you read it.
6. Find some stories or picture books that show children wearing glasses or that deal with the issue of getting glasses.
7. Try to avoid conflicts and battles of will; if your toddler takes her glasses off after half an hour, wait for a while before putting them back on her.
8. Clean the lenses regularly ' your child is more likely to keep them on if she can actually see through them. Show her how to clean them herself if she's old enough.
Tips:
If possible, get polycarbonate lenses ' they are scratch-resistant and durable.
If you don't wear glasses regularly, consider getting some empty frames to wear around your child, just to show that you will willingly wear glasses too.
Warnings:
If redness or sore patches appear on your child's nose or temples, take the glasses in for readjustment.
If you need to bribe your child to keep her glasses on, don't use food. This could lead to food-related emotional issues later in life.
Don't forget to check screws and other fittings regularly to make sure the glasses don't fall apart. >>
Here are some books that might help:
Agapanthus Hum and the Eyeglasses
By Joy Cowley, illustrated by Jennifer Plecas, paperback, 44 pages, 2001, Puffin Books, ISBN: 0-399-23211-7
The Good Luck Glasses
By Sara London, illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers, paperback, 29 pages, 2000, Cartwheel Books, ISBN: 0-590-97212-X
Arthur's Eyes
By Marc Brown, paperback, 32 pages, 1979, Little, Brown and Company, ISBN: 0-316-11063-9
Luna and the big blur : a story for children who wear glasses / by Shirley Day ; illustrated by Don Morris.
New York : Magination Press, 1995.
Summary: A young girl who hates her glasses learns to appreciate them after spending a day without them.
Baby Duck and the bad eyeglasses / Amy Hest ; illustrated by Jill Barton.
Cambridge, Mass. : Candlewick Press, c1996.
Summary: Baby Duck is unhappy about the new eyeglasses she has to wear, until Grampa helps her realize that they are not so bad after all.
Blueberry eyes / Monica Driscoll Beatty
Santa Fe, NM : Health Press, 1996. ISBN: 0929173244
Summary: A little girl finds she needs glasses and eye muscle surgery.
Can you see the chalkboard? / Alvin Silverstein, Virginia Silverstein, and Laura Silverstein Nunn.
New York : F. Watts, c2001.
Summary: Describes the human eye and how it functions, various visual problems and how they are corrected, and how to take care of one's eyes.
Chuckie visits the eye doctor / by Luke David ; illustrated by Barry Goldberg.
New York : Simon Spotlight/Nickelodeon, c1999.
Summary: Chuckie isn't seeing too well and must visit the eye doctor and get his first pair of glasses.
The cross-eyed rabbit / written and illustrated by Claude Boujon.
New York : Margaret K. McElderry Books, c1988.
Summary: A visually-impaired rabbit comes to the aid of his two brothers when a fox threatens their lives.
The eye book / by Dr. Seuss, writing as Theo. LeSieg ; illustrated by Joe Mathieu.
New York : Random House, 1999.
Summary: A boy and rabbit both have two eyes that see all kinds of things, from blue and red to a bird and a bed.
Oh, and one last thought (not serious, do not try this at home, don't listen to me, my liability insurance is not paid up), when the going gets tough, the tough get duct tape.
-- Cheers, Bob (both me and my older son wear bifocals)
Soooo makes me think maybe just maybe Lauren's perscription is not right for her.
I feel what you're going through. I'm no help, sorry...I'm going through it, too! Good luck! 