Kids- eye patch?

[keyslover]

DD2 has to wear an eye patch a couple of hours a day to correct a lazy eye. She is almost 4 (end of month).

Any tips or tricks? I did explain why she is wearing it and the alternative is eye drops.

She is pretty self conscious about the patch and doesn't want to tell people about it.

[livinitup]

What 4 year old doesn't want to be a pirate, a little?

[medicmommy]

We chose to do the eyedrops instead because I didn't think she would keep a patch on.

She did have to wear one on surgery day and we made it pirate day. All of us wore them until we got to the hospital.

The ones we had were plain so we decorated them with sharpies but I know they make fun ones too.

[nikki25]

My DD was diagnosed with something similar to a lazy eye at 4 and has been wearing glasses and a patch for almost a year. The glasses were a much more difficult sell as she has to wear them everyday all day; the patch she only had to wear for a couple of hours a day and did so at night time, after dinner while eating ice cream

I agree with a pirate idea and would maybe attach of some type of reward with her agreement/corporation to wear it. And, I would just have her wear it at night or during a time she is in the house to make it more comfortable. I think her wearing it at home will eliminate a lot of her concern.

Good luck!! I

[textbookcase]

Cambria had to wear a patch for 2 hours a day from age 2.5 - around 7 or 8 to strengthen her lazy eye. We just really played up the fun aspect and it wasn't a huge issue. She didn't have to wear it around others usually, since it was just 2 hours a day. We did it when her eyes were "busy" reading, drawing, etc. It definitely helped. She still has a lazy eye, but it is fully corrected when she wears glasses. She will probably have surgery later in life but the patch really helped.

[spitforspat]

BEDAZZLE IT.

I always wanted a bedazzled eye-patch as a kid. I was a weird kid.

[piper]

Ds has been wearing a patch for two hours a day since he was 4. We were having a really hard time getting him to wear it after about a year and spoke to the eye doctor. She suggested that we switch from the bandage style to the style that slips over the glasses. He has been fine with it ever since.


She also told us That the best thing for him to be doing while wearing is not homework but playing some sort of game, either on the computer, iPad, or WIi (not reading or doing homework) so he does get some extra screen time when wearing his patch. He knows that if he wants to take off the patch early he loses screen time.

[jnoellee]

I used to wear one. I got to pick out a sticker to put on it before putting it on.

[flamingeaux]

I don't have any advice, but see if you can get her to put a big, giant googly eye on it. I would have thought that was so funny as a kid.

[hymen]

My BFF's friend has had to wear an eye patch since he was a year old. They gave him special treat when he wore it, like a Popsicle or a special tv show. I think as he got older they also started doing a sticker chart to earn a reward after so many days in a row of wearing the patch. I think they only had him wear it in the evenings at home.

[bex1973]

Morgan wears one for 3 hours each day. She is 2.5 and has been wearing for probably about 6 months. We made it part of her routine, we get to school, patch goes on and then glasses and she knows she gets to take it off when they get ready to go outside. We struggled a bit at first and found it was best for her to wear at school because there was lots to distract her. It really only took about a week for her to get used to it. There are still some days she doesn't want to but reminding her that it's helping her and when she gets to take it off helps.

We bought the stick one kind, I picked out fun ones and she gets to choose which one to wear. This is what we got:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0087RZTJU?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

I would recommend a stick on - there is a bot in her class that has the kind that attaches to his glasses and he is always shifting it around and figuring out ways to look around it.

Good luck!

[FastHands]

I have seen ones where they use the stick-on ones, and at the end of the time wearing them, you move the sticker to a chart -- like the patches eventually make the wings of a giant butterfly, and when it's all filled in, the kid gets a little toy or special ice cream date with daddy or something. I thought that was really cute.

ETA: www.amazon.com/Girls-Eye-Patching-Reward-Posters/dp/B00HCPQ4BU

[keyslover]

Jun 21, 2015 20:49:21 GMT -5 medicmommy said:

We chose to do the eyedrops instead because I didn't think she would keep a patch on.

She did have to wear one on surgery day and we made it pirate day. All of us wore them until we got to the hospital.

The ones we had were plain so we decorated them with sharpies but I know they make fun ones too.

Was the surgery for the lazy eye?

We just started the process to correct the lazy eye.  It has already improved in the 3 months has been wearing glasses, so they are hoping the patch will correct it the rest of the way.  We haven't talked surgery since it we are patching first.  

[keyslover]

Jun 21, 2015 21:19:49 GMT -5 piper said:

Ds has been wearing a patch for two hours a day since he was 4. We were having a really hard time getting him to wear it after about a year and spoke to the eye doctor. She suggested that we switch from the bandage style to the style that slips over the glasses. He has been fine with it ever since.


She also told us That the best thing for him to be doing while wearing is not homework but playing some sort of game, either on the computer, iPad, or WIi (not reading or doing homework) so he does get some extra screen time when wearing his patch. He knows that if he wants to take off the patch early he loses screen time.

What is this and where would I get one?  Is it as effective as the patch?

[medicmommy]

Jun 22, 2015 10:32:10 GMT -5 keyslover said:

Was the surgery for the lazy eye?

We just started the process to correct the lazy eye.  It has already improved in the 3 months has been wearing glasses, so they are hoping the patch will correct it the rest of the way.  We haven't talked surgery since it we are patching first.  

Yes, her vision was starting to get worse and drops weren't working so our Dr wanted to go ahead and do it. It over corrected and she had a Botox injection for crossing. Between the Botox and drops, it is better and really only crosses when she's tired. Vision is 20/25, but equal. We may be looking at glasses in August.

[cookies]

I just saw a story about this on Good Morning America yesterday!

gma.yahoo.com/photos/creative-dad-brings-daughter-s-eye-patches-to-life-1434640982-slideshow/creative-dad-brings-daughter-s-eye-patches-to-life-photo-1434641078362.html

Maybe there's a way you can make the patch fun.

[bex1973]

Jun 22, 2015 10:33:38 GMT -5 keyslover said:

Jun 21, 2015 21:19:49 GMT -5 piper said:

Ds has been wearing a patch for two hours a day since he was 4. We were having a really hard time getting him to wear it after about a year and spoke to the eye doctor. She suggested that we switch from the bandage style to the style that slips over the glasses. He has been fine with it ever since.


She also told us That the best thing for him to be doing while wearing is not homework but playing some sort of game, either on the computer, iPad, or WIi (not reading or doing homework) so he does get some extra screen time when wearing his patch. He knows that if he wants to take off the patch early he loses screen time.

What is this and where would I get one?  Is it as effective as the patch?

The kid in Morgan's class that wears one of these - she got it at the same place she gets his glasses. They sell them online as well. She may do better with not "cheating" but as I said he's looks "around" his a lot. But he's 3 so there's that... LOL

[piper]

Jun 22, 2015 10:33:38 GMT -5 keyslover said:

Jun 21, 2015 21:19:49 GMT -5 piper said:

Ds has been wearing a patch for two hours a day since he was 4. We were having a really hard time getting him to wear it after about a year and spoke to the eye doctor. She suggested that we switch from the bandage style to the style that slips over the glasses. He has been fine with it ever since.


She also told us That the best thing for him to be doing while wearing is not homework but playing some sort of game, either on the computer, iPad, or WIi (not reading or doing homework) so he does get some extra screen time when wearing his patch. He knows that if he wants to take off the patch early he loses screen time.

What is this and where would I get one?  Is it as effective as the patch?

You can get them from your eye doctor or on Amazon. We tried a few different styles before finding one that he likes. They are as effective as the adhesive patches and less annoying, especially in summer