Does My Child Need Glasses?

That's a question I get asked a lot (and weirdly, I'm not an optician)

I'm asked a lot because two of my boys wear glasses and the younger of the two has quite noticeable glasses. He's had them for almost two years now but we have had problems along the way.

Other parents seem to want to talk to me about eye problems because they don't know what to do.  I'm not entirely sure, like I say, I'm not an optician but I do know when there's a health problem, as a mother you know when it needs sorting and you know when you're being fobbed off.

Our story is that when he was four, during the Easter Holidays, he was being extremely clumsy.  I've always thought he was a clumsy child but when he kept bumping things, I knew it needed sorting.  We went for an eye test at the local optician that day. 

The eyetest for pre-readers is done with pictures.  The optician immediately spotted a problem and referred us to the hospital.  We got the appointment there at the beginning of June.  It seemed like an eternity.  He got his glasses and could see.  It was great.  Then his head grew.

There isn't a large range of kids glasses available.  The ones that are, are great, fashionable and the latest characters but there's not a size difference.  So the styles that fit my 6 year olds head were actually designed for an 8-12 year old.  The frames were too narrow and he was looking over the top.  I was convinced they had not been made correctly and took the new glasses to a different optician to be checked and they were indeed correct.  It was my son who was not using them correctly.

Thankfully, one dispensing optician found a pair of aviator style glasses which are the correct size for his head and work well with his thick lenses.  Unfortunately, several children were nasty at dinnertimes and said he wore grandad glasses which was difficult to deal with.  We reassured him he looked just like a pilot and that the kids just didn't know what was fashionable.  It worked.

My advice for under 5's

1.  If you think there's a problem, ask your health visitor to refer you for a check.

2. Ask nursery if they feel your child has a problem seeing either close up or at a distance

3. Does Your Child talk to you and others right in your face?  Mine did until he got glasses

4. Choose glasses that cannot be looked round, over or under

5. Get a good fit and when your child grows, take them back to be adjusted

I hope our journey helps and eases any worries you have about your child's eyes.

Hopefully, he will have grown out of needing glasses by age 11 because he got glasses at a young age.

Unfortunately my 12 year old isn't as lucky as his short sightedness was only picked up in Year 5.  He's getting contact lenses, but that's another blog post!

Key Stage 2 Maths Problem

Following on from my rant about Key Stage 1 Homework last week, it clearly paid off for Thing 2.  He's in Year 5 and is currently half way through the maths curriculum for Year 6.

So by the start of Term 2 in Year 6, what will my child be learning?

I'm quite confident that they will find him the work he needs to stretch him and keep up his current status of Interested and Learning.  I do worry however about when he switches to high school.  What will happen then.

My experience of school, albeit ...oh a few years ago now (they did have GCSE's though not O Levels!!)...was that I was bored at school because the classes were easy.  Although I was in the top sets for all my subjects, the class was still the pace of the slowest learner and that was too slow for me.  My mum often bewails how wonderous I could have been had I actually tried at school.  But the thing was I didn't have to try.  It was easy and I took the easy route.

I certainly don't want the same thing happening to my boy.

So, should I get a private tutor for him?  Should I become a pushy mum and try and get him through his maths qualifications early while he is interested?  What is your advice?  

My Homework Hell

I know kids need to have homework and on the whole I know why.

But do they have to have it when they are 4?

Is a reading book not enough?

I understand it is to get them into the habit of doing homework, but with a disillusioned 10 year old as an example, the homework battle is really getting too much to bear.

I've had two conversations with other parents just this week about the dreaded Learning Log.  As a free learning type book with hints on what we should fill it with, it really is becoming somewhat of a parents competition.  Particularly when good examples are put on display for all parents to see.  (although, actually, I was quite proud when my efforts - I mean Thing 2's efforts - were on display!)

And the way I see it is that the best learning logs are rewarded with The coveted Bear and His Diary for the evening.  Even more pressure to put on a good show, to win The Bear they all want!  We've only ever got The Bear when we've gone over and above on the homework front.

I'm drained by it.  My hobby has had to become homework.  Although that said, I reckon I'm almost on to the next stage of reading books!

What are your thoughts on Key Stage 1 Homework?  Is it just me being reluctant to teach or do you feel the pressures to perform?  I'd love to hear what you think