5 Year Old Needs Glasses!

HI! My son is 2 and wears glasses. He has horrible vision and is extremely nearsighted. The first few days can be tough because the glasses are new and novel, but once he realizes what he can see with them on, he won't want to take them off. My son wears his all day long. It is really amazing how fast they adapt. I know it if expensive, but I would recommend getting his glasses from his Ped Optho b/c they will take extra time to help fit them to him and are more experienced with children. Good Luck!

Hey S.! I have a 7 year old daughter that has worn glasses since she was 2 yrs old. I thought to myself...how in the world am I going to get to a toddler to keep glasses on. So, one of the first things I did was have my husband who wears contacts keep his glasses on all day so she could see daddy wearing glasses. I also called my dad to come up and visit b/c he wears glasses too. I was amazed how easy it was. Her eye doctor said she would keep them on b/c she will be able to see. He was right....she kept them on all of the time...even at night. I cried b/c all I could imagine was my baby struggling to see. Like I said earlier, she is 7 and still wears them. She is farsighted and it has gradually improved every year. I think kids are precious in glasses! Good luck!

If you are in Miami-Dade/Broward ... Bascom Palmer has the BEST opthamologists in the NATION. My son sees Dr. Craig McKeown, a Pedi Opthamologist there and he was great with him.

Bascom Palmer website & clinic info: http://www.bpei.med.miami.edu/site/default.asp
Info re: Dr. McKeown: http://www.bpei.med.miami.edu/site/find/find_results_doc....

Best of luck to you!!!

My 7 yo daughter also needs to wear a patch - and it was a HUGE battle every day. I recently came across a site that was created to help this - they have a DVD called the Eye Patch Kids, and it is a bunch of puppets that make a cool club that you can only belong to if you wear an eye patch. http://www.bjortandcompany.com/

We also discovered a bunch of sites that sell eye patches for kids - our favorite is Anissa's Fun Patches - http://www.anissasfunpatches.com/ - these are MUCH more comfortable, as they slip into the glasses themselves. We ordered a set of 4, and my daughter loves having some control over choosing which patch she will wear today.

I had given up on the battle before finding these, but your child's vision is too important! Do some searching around on the web - there are LOTS of people whose kids have this, and so many different approaches to getting kids to wear the patches.

Good luck!
J.

PLEASE CHECK INTO VISION THERAPY!!

I'm going to talk to you as if you were my sister.....

PLEASE PROMISE ME that you will will follow up with a qualified Vision Therapist to check and be sure his vision development has not be disrupted! 20/20 vision is not enough, especially with amblyopia.

I recommend Dr. Dana Dean at the Center for Vision Development in Old Town or try another Behavioural Optomistrist recommended by PAVE (Parent's Active in Vision Education - they have a website). I know Dr. Dean does a free screening. Others might as well.

Vision development issues are very common with amblyopia. My daughter was 4 when she was patched and had glasses given to her by the head of the department at Children's. She's bright and when she had trouble reading I, of course, went to him. He told me it was the school's problem. It was not! After months of struggle and research we found she had a number of visual development issues brought on by the amblyopia.

After 1 month in Vision Therapy she doubled her reading scores! I was flabbergasted by what I found out she just couldn't see and the actualy physical pain reading caused her. Her case is not uncommon, and far too many children go undiagnosed.

Vision Therapy was a miracle for my family.

PLEASE CHECK IT OUT SIS! Better to find out he doesn't need vision therapy with a free screening than to find out later. You've got nothing to lose.

OK - Lecture over. Thanks for bearing with me. Now, here are some helpful links:

Website to buy patches: http://ortopadusa.com
More about vision therapy: http://4eyesight.com/vision_therapy.html
PAVE: http://www.pavevision.org

S., pls. try again with the PPO. Have the Dr. write a note explaining the need for the glasses. Make a copy and send the original to the insurance co. I hope you keep at them w/this. Most PPO will say no the 1st time, but be persistant. All they can do is say No the 1st,2nd,& 3rd time.

I don't know if this will work persuading your son to wear glasses or not, but let him know that Superman would wear glasses when disguised as Clark Kent. I think that what helped Superman with those xray vision!!

Just a thought about 4 eyes . . . tell him to let the other kids know he can see better with 4 eyes than 2, so he knows what they are up to because he's watching them! All of them!

Hope some of these ideas work for you. Being a mom is the most wonderful, heart-wrenching & loving job I ever had as a Mother. Now I'm a grandmother & still feel the same as I did when my children were young, just I get to do it over with a little more experence. - k

This is soooooo familiar! We took our daughter to her 4 year well child check up & discovered that she could see nothing in her right eye. We were shocked. She had exhibited no symptoms. She was diagnosed at better than perfect vision in the left & 20/150 in the right. We were also told that she would probably not get much vision recovery since we found it so late (4 years). We found Dr Gross in Dallas. He is amazing & never gave up hope that she would get better vision with dilligent patching. She is now 7 years old & has 20/35 vision in her right eye. We started with 4 hours per day patching & have now gotten to 1 hour per weekday with weekends off. To get her to patch,we would let our daughter decorate her patches with stickers & markers. We usually keep patch time to when we are at home. She still gets embarassed when people ask "what happened". To get him to like his glasses, I dont know. Our child liked them because she could see with them on. Maybe make it a game, pretend they give him super hero x ray vision! I dont know what area you live in, but Dallas Youth Optical is simply awesome. They work very close with our doctor to make sure that the fit & prescriptions are exact. They are very good with kids & very patient! Bill uses puppets & to entertain the kids. Glasses are never cheap. Unfortunately we get a new lens prescription about every 8 months. My suggestion is to spend the money up front to get the titanium frames that bend & take a beating & just have the new lenses put in them each time. We live about an hour from the Optical shop so he mails me the new lenses. They are so helpful. You really need to have a pediatric optometrist & optical shop that are speciallizing in childrens vision. At 5, Griffin can still make progress with his vision, but it will take patching & wearing the glasses properly to get there. Also, I had read an article in Parents magazine about Amblyopia. The doctor in the article suggested that a child that plays a video game or has computer time while wearing the patch will get more exercise out of the eye because they are really having to focus. That is what we do when we are patching. Ryleigh has gotten more vision in that eye than Dr Gross ever excepted. I truly believe it is because of the computer time while patching. You may use it as a bargaining tool to get Griffin (adorable name) to patch. There are websites that sell decorated patches & a seller on Ebay that makes fun lense covers & reward charts. Just type in Ambyopia in the search box. I have probably rambled on but I wish I had had this forum when we discovered our Ambyopia. I hope this helps. Dr Gross phone 214/521-9300. If you are not in this area, he can probably refer you to another doctor.

Being a grandma, I have seen a couple of our little ones go through needing different items to aid them in their life. I have found that if you point out their favorite TV heroes who wear glasses, they sometimes give in.
When Superman is trying not to give away his identity, he wears glasses as Clark Kent. Sponge Bob wears glasses!
If it is feasible, getting a tint for wearing them in the sun may make him feel cool. All movie stars wear sunglasses.
Last but not least, take a picture of him with them on, put it on your My Space and let family and friends write to him telling him how cool he looks. Alot of times if it comes from anyone except parents, it carries more weight.

I have a 4(tunr 5 this sunday) year old who was born with stigmatism and has seen a specialist since he was about sixmonths. His eyes would cross and has surgery on bi=oth eyes. he has used glasses since he was 2. Its hard everyday. At school the teachers help by asking "where r ur glasses today so you can see how beautiful i look", but really after he started wearing them and relizing he sees differntly(better) in them he makes an effort to put hem on and keep them on. I have gone though 4 pairs in 1 year so I suggst investing in Flexon, Easytwist or Flexure brand glasses and make sure they give you a warranty. Also I should warn you that when my son get angry he attacks his glasses first(throws them, bites them and twists them). Good luck.
ps our specialist has recently opened an in office optometrist place so you might want to check you local specialist offices or try payless optical. I started by calling around everywhere and asking for the specific brands.

My 5 year old has been wearing glasses since she was 3. I got her to wear them telling her they were sun glasses that turned into regular glasses(we got her transitions). This worked for a little while. Also, when she would ask for a movie I would say "Only if you wear your glasses."; when she asked to color I would say "Only if you wear your glasses". So anything they love, say that.

Also, find someone in your family who wears glasses and contacts that your child admires. Have them wear their glasses around your child.

Have them help you pick out frames they think are cool.

My daughter wears them all day now and has for some time. It is a part of her.

Plus, I would check your insurance information and resubmit your request...they may cover it when it has been reviewed.

M

I agree with the ladies here. Find people or characters he likes that wear glasses. I was in the optical business before I had my son. I found the BIGGEST mistake parents made was not letting the child pick out their own frames. Sometimes you could sense that the parent didn't want the child to have glasses and they pick up on that. Look for a frame with spring hinges or even one made of a "flexible" material. You know how little boys can be. Good luck! H.

I'm can totally relate. I have a daughter who needed glasses at 5 years old. She's 8 now. She picked out her own frames , had the "cool" case and even knew kids in her class with glasses as well. She still felt "not as pretty" as the kids without glasses. There is a product called Paragon CRT. It's a corrective contact lense that is worn only at night when the child is asleep. It reshapes the retina temporarily. When the child wakes up the contact lenses are removed and he sees almost 20/20. The vision will, however, return to it's original state at the end of the day. The pro's are he can't lose the contacts because he's not wearing them when he's awake and he's not wearing glasses. The only set back is the cost. One pair last a year ( in most cases) and cost around $1,600. Ouch!! I know that's a jaw dropper. Some insurances pay a portion. What you are really doing, is paying for your child's self esteem, which is priceless. Talk to your child's pediatric opthalmologist to see if this is an option for you situation. God bless.
A.

I started wearing glasses when I was three years old. I dont know what my condition was, but wearing them did become an issue when I started school. The teasing. My mother helped me by letting me pick out my frames ( only had 2 or 3 choices) and stressing that I had to wear them all the time. The "Where are your glasses?" seemed to never seize, so I left on my glasses.

Finally in 3rd or 4th grade I accidently lost them. Wow, was I in trouble. I didnt get punished but I had extra chores for who remembers how long. Then she started to point out rock stars and doctors and actors that wore glasses.

The day I went to the eye doctor and was told that I no longer needed glasses, I cried. I was happy more than sad, but yeah a bit sad. I was in jr. highschool and puberty had helped correct the muscles in my eye. I put nonprescription lenses put in my frames and had to slowly get used to not wearing them.

My freshman year in high school, I started at a new school and didnt wear my glasses. I would pull them out for my friends, many of whom still wore glasses, and they would freak out at how small my first pair were. I finally donated them to the Lions Club when I learned about them.

My husband and one of my sons wear glasses and they love to see the tiny frames at opt's offices and my kids giggle when my grandmother show them my little kid pictures where I am wearing my glasses.

For my son, wearing his glasses never was an issue. It was a matter of this is what you are going to do. He is in middle school now and is pretty near sighted. He will probably always have to wear glasses, but he doesnt seem to mind. He hasnt lost his either, so I dont make it a big deal.

It shouldnt be a big deal, just a way of life, a fashion statement even. Of course, do all that is possible to help his eye condition, my mom did, and now as an adult, people are amazed at how far I can clearly see.

M.

My son had to get glasses at age three. His vision was 20/120 and 20/70. We did the patches several times and the drops and he has to wear glasses still (now 8). From my experience the other kids think it is really neat and that seems to encourage him to wear his glasses. From what I have found, there is no cheap way out. Most of the time the glasses are around $200. The key is to be sure you have a really, really good warranty. Also, I would highly recommend the care of an Opthamologist. Good luck!

As you were told, there are now "spongebob" frames, "spiderman" etc. I didn't know this until I just took my 5 year-old to get her first pair this last week. She was relatively easy because her best girlfriend at school wears glasses so she already thinks they are "cool." Certainly someone else in his class has them? If not, there is an "Arthur" book called "Glasses for D.W." Arthur wears glasses and his little sister thinks it is cool to wear glasses so she pretends that she can't see and imagines all the cool kinds of glasses she would wear. I don't know if it is still in print, but we have so many books, I think I could part with it if you would like it. Just e-mail me directly with your address and i will send it to you.

H. Fife

I'm 27 now, but started wearing glasses around 4 years old. I had a lazy left eye as well.
Some things I remember:
I HATED wearing a patch and had to wear it all day. For one, a little girl at my daycare called me "3-eyes" which of course at 4 years old is very hurtful. Another reason was it hurt to take that sticky patch off. My dad would "pat" the patch before putting it on in the mornings so it wasn't quite so sticky and hard to get off in the evenings.
I also loved it when he would wash my glasses for me and they were warm and clean when I put them on ... we lived in Alaska, what can I say? :)

Also, around 12 years old, 7th grade, I started wearing contacts. That helped "straighten up" my eyes a lot. (I never had surgery or anything like that.) My eye would still wander some, but mainly just when I was really tired.

I know this is a ways off for your son, but I also remember when I went for my driving test. 2 things I had trouble with.
I had to look in this little contraption and read a list of 7 numbers. I only saw 4. I realized later that if I closed my right eye I could see the other three. basically it was like this (154(6)723) where you could see the 6 in both eyes but the others only in the right or only in the left. I guess since my right eye is dominant I only used it. I also had trouble with the depth perception test.

Hope this helps you!

We discovered my son needed glasses when he failed his reading TAKs in Third grade. He had been memorizing books that the teacher read and faked his reading. We took him into get his eyes checked and yes, he had trouble seeing close up - I don't remember the numbers now but our Optomitrist recommended getting his glasses at EyeMasters. They had kids glasses for $100 and if you watch the adds you can get two pair for $100 which is what we did. He didn't like them at first either but he really likes the Harry Potter series. So, we compared him to Harry Potter and the little boy in the Spiderwick stories and he hasn't complained about wearing them since then.

Good Luck!

My daughter was diagnosed with a cataract in one eye during her Kindergarten year. Actually Dad figured there was an eye problem when she could not read the street signs while waiting for the bus; they played reading games at the bus stop.

I took her to the local optometrist which noticed the problem. He directly sent me to an Opthamologist. Since then, the medical insurance has kicked in.

My daugher was reluctant at getting glasses, too. But we took her to Lenscrafters and let her pick out any frame she wanted. Lenscrafters had a great deal (back to school sale). I can always get frames and lenses from them for only $100; this includes the non scratch and non breaking lenses.

I hope some of this helps.

Hi. My name is T. Butoryak. I have two daughters, 8 yrs old & 3 yrs old. My oldest needed glasses when she was around 4 yrs old. We had noticed that when she concentrated on seeing, her left eye would cross. So we took her to the eye doctor & found out that she has a astigmatism in her left eye. She has worn glasses since she was 4 yrs old. My husband & I explained to her that wearing the glasses would improve her eye sight to the point that when she got older she may not need to wear them. We asked her if she wanted her eye sight to improve & of course, she said yes. We explained to her that the only way her eyes would improve is to wear glasses. It was alittle easier for us because I have worn glasses since I was little. My husband just recently in the last year has had to get glasses as well.

My husband is a firefighter as well here in Texas. What fire dept does your husband work at?

If you haven't seen a pediatric opthalmologist yet, I highly recommend Dr. David Coats. He is the Chief of Opthalmology at Texas Children's Hospital. He performed surgery on my son who had a strabismus diagnosis. I was referred to him by several people who worked at Texas Children's and another parent who has a child with a similar problem.

About the not medically necessary from the insurance - you need to file an appeal and fight it. Work with you Dr's office to make a case that it is medically necessary. I've had to do this in the past with other issues and if you bother to go through the appeal process you often have a chance. Most people just give up and accept the insurance co's answer.

http://www.texaschildrens.org/findadoctor/displaybio.asp?...

I don't know who your pediatric opthamologist is but we use Dr. Siatkowski at McGee Eye Institute. He is great, my son needed surgery and he prayed for him prior to the surgery.

Hi I dont know if you visit your ophtalmic ped. but somethings happens with my 5 years kid and I want to share the info with you. When my child ped tell me that he need glasses I didnt go to the opth, I went to a neurologist ped. because my child birth was 6 week early and I realize that something wrong because my early birth. And you know what? He did not need glasses because it was a little non balance in some neuron and with medications she fixed.Thanks God.At this moments my child have 9 years old and do not have glases. Hope this info help you.

My daughter had to get glasses 3rd grade. She wasn't so sure that she was going to like that either. So, we made a day of it and we went to every optical shop in town, a total of about 7 or 8, and we "re-visited" a couple of them. Yes, glasses are expensive. However, this is the way I look at it.....it's an "extension of his/her face"....meaning, when you walk out the door with your nose on your face every day, your child walks out the door with their nose AND a pair of glasses. I honestly was completely exhausted by the time we selected my daughter's glasses that time. But, she finally got the ones she wanted and she felt very comfortable and confident. I realize she is older than your little one, but just consider how cruel kids are and know that whatever the expense, every penny is worth it because just as sure as you "build your child up" at home and "pack them full" of as much confidence as you can, there is always going to be some other little child that's out there to see if they can undo all of your hard work. I wish you luck. Oh, and one thing I did learn is that transition lenses rock! My daughter actually has them and she loves it because she doesn't have to worry about carrying different glasses with her.

Hi S.,

Here's my experience with amblyopia. Took my 5 yr. old dau. to my (adult) ophthalmologist (eye doctor, as in M.D., medical doctor, not optometrist) since she failed the eye test at school, and by the way, I believe it is not correctable past age 8, because it will permanently affect their depth perception (which one needs for driving!).

The ophthalmologist patched the strong eye so the weak eye could develop better vision. Unfortunately, he OVER-PATCHED her (for too long), so then she had reverse amblyopia and he wanted to reverse the patching. I finally got SMART and took her to a PEDIATRIC ophthalmologist in Austin. Yes, she had to wear glasses, and yes, she had to wear eye patches longer until all was well, and the school counselor helped out with the teasing from the other kids. She ended up being able to get contacts at a younger age (10?) because she was so responsible about putting them in/ taking them out/cleaning them, etc. She was also MOTIVATED because she was tired of wearing glasses. Re. your insurance: check around because this IS a medical condition that insurance SHOULD pay for, but they may not pay if you don't take her to a MEDICAL DOCTOR, i.e. a pediatric ophthalmologist. Good Luck! jenifer

My son started wearing glasses the day before first grade started. My husband and I both wear glasses, and maybe for that reason our son didn't resist them because of how they look. He thinks they make him look smart- definitely truth in advertising :-), so I have nothing for your main question. BUT- at least at our Optician's, they have a box of frames for kids that cost less. They keep them behind the counter and brought them out when I asked if they had some low-cost frames. I did that because I was worried about the glasses getting lost- I lost a few pairs as a kid. We have had to hunt for them in the house, but he's been good at school. Try to get your child to have only a couple of places he puts the glasses when they are taken off. He broke one pair when they fell off at Field Day and he stepped on them- if you get special sports glasses I guess that won't be a worry. When my son broke those glasses, he was just a few months from his yearly exam and probable new prescription, so I took him to a big (Eyemart?)optician with cheap frames. They weren't as good, but they were OK for short term. Make sure to get frames with hinges on the ear pieces that can bend back- they have a spring, I think. I also like frames with silicone nose pads- they don't slip down your nose as much and are comfortable. The optician should adjust your glasses as many times as necessary, for free. Good luck. Try encouraging your son to appreciate how great it is to SEE properly!

You need to appeal to your PPO for coverage. Amblyopia is not something to forget about! My 57 year-old sister in law has it and it wasn't taken care of when she was younger. Because of it she has no depth perception and can't drive, so she must use public transport (no bus service where she's currently living) or find people to take her places. My cousin was diagnosed young, had glasses, patches and a surgery or two and is now a adult wearing contacts, but fully functioning. My nephew was diagnosed at 4 and tried the patches and glasses. They made it a point to let him help pick out his frames (they have all sorts of child friendly names and makers now days) and he was more willing to wear them. I will suggest that you go for the more flexible (titanium?) frames for younger kids because they will get dropped, sat on, crashed into, etc... It's worth it to go through the struggle now to allow him to have better vision for the future!

L.

My daughter, 5, will start Kindergarten in fall. She was diagnosed with Amblyopia at age 3 by a pediatric opthamologist AFTER my pediatrician noticed a pale red eye reflex at her WELL CHECK (there is a reason for these afterall)!!! I am proud to say that she now has 20/30 vision in her right eye (the 'ucky" eye, as she calls it) We have been doing drops, which she has learned to accept to be as important as brushing her teeth. We have since gone back to drops every four days instead of every day. There is hope, do not be discouraged! You just have to INSIST that glasses are worn, drops are taken or privileges are revoked. Yes this makes you the tough one and YES you will have to rely on his teacher to also ENFORCE this, but it is just as important as "brushing your teeth". Have faith that this will resolve the problem, remind your son that if he follows the steps that he will only have to wear those "uncool" glasses for a short while, but if he doesnt follow the steps, he will have to wear them forever if he ever wants to drive a 'cool' car.
Good luck!

Look Insurance by law are to cover glasses you may need to force the issue. Glasses are medical necessary Surgery is the next step. Another suggession contact Lyons club if non locally try to find one that is closest. My cousin lot older than myself got an eye transpant from the lyons group and my Uncle had a well paying job.

I am hearing impaired and have been that way for yrs. Nonthing was found until I was an adult. If found nothing was done about it. My state gave me 2 aids almost 20 yrs ago and I am almost 60 now. The original aids were going bad and the state would only buy one. I choice the best ear over the aid that was almost out because I could not afford to lose what I had in the right ear.

Then I followed up searches for Sertoma here in AR. None in my county. Found one in an county 200 miles away. Now my hearing DR was in the county next to my found Sertoma. With special circumstances The Crawford County Sertoma bought my left aid for me and I am able to save hearing in both ears.

I am telling this only to let you know that help is out there. Also these programs might be able to help force the insurance to cover. After all poor eyesight is a medical problem. M. from AR

Hi–
This is a bit of info off the regular path and I hope it adds to your strategy for resolving this challenge.
Emotional trauma, including birth trauma, fighting/divorce, second child, or simply the transition to pre-school or kindergarten can trigger eye sight challenges. Yes, it is one solution to patch and put on glasses but it also may beneficial in the long run to get to the root of the issue and integrate the trauma so the eyes no longer re-act to the trauma and continute to look through the lens of trauma that has been manually corrected thru the lens of the glasses. There is much documentation on this from different sources.

As for patching the 'bad eye', I have found that the eye is usually not 'bad' but still having strong emotions around certain events ...so that 'eye' is still suffering. The eyes are wired to the brain, left to right brain and right to left brain. There are new energy psychology processes to work with the trauma as well as helpful brain 'gymnastics' ...some more permanant processes, others only temperary relief that will balance the two hemispheres so that learning, behavior or health issues do not crop up later. Many times other challenges seem separate but are the same problem just manifesting another way.

This is an emerging field of study but gaining popularity as the results are solid.
Feel free to e-mail me off the site if you are interested in a quick and easy way to test for eye-trauma.

Warmly,
L.

I have 3 girls, 2 need vision help, one refuses even at 13 adn the other is extremely self disciplined about her contacts. The middle one has the worst eyes, just extremely far sighted and we discovered it at around 3 yrs. We always thought she didn't want to be hugged when it was just that she couldn't see our faces!

Kids that young think everyone sees like they do and that thy see just fine. They don't know what they're missing until they start using corrective measures. If the vision is bad enough and glasses correct this, they usually become very responsible with them because they like how they see through them! Start recognizing all the people they know with glasses or contacts, there are more than you think usually. Present all the accessories that go with glasses to make it more fun. Point out all the current super hero's that wear glasses, Superman, Spiderman, etc. It may appeal to him to associate glasses with inteligence, at his age try everything! Tell him they are his own personal magnifiers and take him in the yard to relook at simple things like grass, leaves, rocks. Anytime my daughter gets a new prescription to this day she does this to rediscover her world. (Be careful with the rocks, they will burn the motor out of the vaccum!)Another trick I used is to show him the pairs he can choose from and let him choose them, regardless of what you like, he will wear them more readily if HE likes them. And believe me, I've run around with everything from solid purple, solid red to half black/half yellow!

Note** when he starts to wear them, he will get a slight headache and stomach ache. In the beginning the kids get nauseous, it passes with time but they are real symptoms. If he takes them on and off alot the symptoms will stay around longer, it's just the body adjusting.

Glasses are expensive! TSO has some cute ones but they cost. Some Walmarts carry reasonable priced ones. Ck with the Lyons Clubs-they can refer you or maybe even outfit you for nothing.

I always advise Opt. eye exams once a year along with the Pedi well exams! It doesn't matter if they can't read yet. The tests for the little ones have shapes and pictures instead of letters. It makes such a difference!!

Hello S.~
It looks like you've gotten some great advice, so I'll try not to repeat the others. I have a few ideas to add that have worked for us. Depending on his eyes, and your doctor, he may have to patch to strengthen the 'weak'eye. I have a 12yo son who has been wearing glasses since he was 2, for amblyopia too. He had to wear a patch with his glasses.

When he struggled with puting on the patch, we'd let him help us set a timer for the 3+ hours he'd have to wear it. For some reason, it took the pressure off the patch a little and put it onto the timer. We'd remind him that he could take the patch off when the timer went off. He'd be so excited when that timer would beep. In fact, the whole family would get excited for him.

Which brings me to my next idea. The doctor visits. We'd make it an event. Since he had to go every 4 months, we'd bring the younger siblings along and go some place special after each appointment. His favorite was Chuck E Cheese's. The siblings began looking forward to my son's eye appointments, which in turn led him to become more positive and excited as well. They'd check the calendar to see when the next one was scheduled. It doesn't have to be expensive. Just something different and special.

The preschool teacher can help with the students in his class. We showed the kids in my sons Kindergarten what it was like for my son to patch the good eye and try to see with the bad one. We treated it like a science lesson. We patched each student and had them cover their "bad" eye....they were basically unable to see anything. We had them try simple tasks in that condition. Then we came up with ideas on how to make the patch fun/cool. One idea was to decorate (color) them. It helped to have them involved.

Good luck! And keep persevering! It'll pay off in the long run.

My daughter has had to wear glasses since she was 7 months old. We did have problems with her wearing her patch but they ended up having to dilate her right eye so It would force her to use her left. Once she put on her glasses she realized how much better she could function and we have never had any problems with her wearing her glasses. She is now 5 year old and she is absolutely adorable in her glasses. Hopefully your son will put the glasses on and see the improvement in his vision and that will encourage him to wear them.

HI!!

I have 3 1/2 yr old twin girls that both were glasses. Kilee has severe austigmatism and amplyopia, she had to have glasses just after turning a year old. We had to have her RX changed every few months for the first year and now every six months. She sees Dr Golden in Carthage. He specializes in children. I just think the world of him. You should give him a call. I don't know how it is coded over there but it is "medically necessary". If you want his phone number just let me know. (or if you have any questions!!)

I'm not sure where you live, But my daughter is 3 and needed glasses just before her 3rd birthday. She had a eye turning and they said it can be corrected by glasses, so the same might happen to you son!
Lens Crafters 50 % and they are wonderful. And if you end up needing a second pair because you son ends up breaking them, like my daughter it's not a fortune get a new pair. The new pair frames costed 30.00 to just get the same frames.

Good luck and Lens Crafters is working good for us!

~Kris

Hi,

When my son was seven we discovered his amblioplia. He is (without glasses) legally blind in one eye. Instead of a patch his eye doctor has us put special eye drops in his eye which would blur his "good" eye in order to strenghten the weak one. We did this for about a year and his weaker eye got way better. The doctor was amazed. We liked that option because we didn't have to battle with the patch. I was worried about him getting glasses for 2 reasons. 1. Would be gentle with them? and 2. He wouldn't like the look of them or being different. But I tell you, as soon as he got his glasses they never left his face except to sleep, bathe, or wrestle with his sister. Being able to see things clearly was all the motivation he needed. Also, until he got glasses I never realized how many people in this world wear glasses-especially kids. We got some really cool looking wire-rimmed frames that look stylish even with the "coke-bottle" lens. (He has one very thick lens and one thin one.)His friends all thought the glasses were cool and wished (god forbid) that they could wear glasses too. My kids luckily have state sponsored health care so we get one free pair a year. I recommend getting some with ear pieces that have more of a hook, so they stay on well. Best of luck!!!!!

Jen

Hi S. - I found out a few months ago a little secret. My friend has 4 kids & all of them need glasses. Her insurance wouldn't pay for them & she can't afford it & she was really upset. She spoke to the office staff about not having the money to help her children. One of them called her once she left & told her there is a way to get the glasses for free. (I guess its an underground secret!) If your insurance won't pay, take your child to their school & have the nurse give them an exam. (Also take the paperwork from your Optometrist to the nurse) Turns out all schools have some form that if the child is in need of glasses & his/her vision will hinder their learning, the school/state MUST pay for the glasses regardless if you have insurance or not. They handed my friend 4 forms, 1 per child. She took them back to the Eye Dr & from there they placed the order. Within 3 weeks all 4 kids had their new pair of glasses! No co-pay no nothing.

Good Luck!

My son was 8 when we found out he first needed glasses. He was nearsighted, so it was only for distance. I was working at LensCrafters back then, so I whisked him to the store where I worked on a slow Sunday. We picked out his frames and the lab manager let him watch his glasses be made. I adjusted them for him, and my co-workers were all very into making him feel great about the whole thing. I think a combination of the very positive attitude to wearing glasses that he was exposed to, and the firsthand knowledge of how his glasses would work and how they were made really helped. Not to mention the fact that he could see so much better!! By the way, he is now 21, still wears glasses, and still looks adorable with his glasses!!

The first time I had to find a frame and fit them to a toddler that was 18 mos old just about broke my heart. But when the mom brought him in to get the glasses, and he put them on and was able to really see for the first time was truly priceless. I will never forget the look on his or his mom's face. Nor will I forget the way that little guy looked at his mom. I saw him seeing her clearly, in a way he had never seen her before, it was very moving. Then that little guy was all over the place touching things that literally to him had not been there just moments before. It was beautiful.

The fact that he needs a strong prescription may be the magic "pill" that you are looking for. As you can tell from above, not to mention all the other stories I could tell you about kids who needed glasses that were first time wearers.

Since he is resistant to the idea finding cartoon characters that he likes, sports figures that he admires, or better yet a favorite relative that wears glasses will help him to relate. Once you start looking you will be amazed at how many people wear glasses and all the cool styles that are available. It has been many years since I was with LensCrafters, but I am sure they still have a good frame selection for little ones. Also, LensCrafters associates tend to have good hearts. I would suggest contacting a store manager (of any place that you end up taking him to) ahead of time and explain that he's a first time wearer and that he is resistant to the idea of wearing glasses. Ask them if they would be willing to let you bring him in at a time when they aren't too busy, and have someone (who is good with kids)really devote time to finding the right frame for him based on his prescription and his liking. Plus, if possible, that can take him through the process of how his little glasses will be made.

Be prepared once he gets his glasses that he may have a time getting adjusted to seeing "normally" after 5 years of what he was used to. Also, he is 5 so he will probably be tough on the frames. Make sure the frames are well made and/or the replacement policy is acceptable for breakage and/or loss.

I hope this is helpful to you.

On a side note, I also have 2 young sons, 4 1/2 and the youngest just turned 3 today. My littlest guy sucks his thumb and tends to hold his hand over his eye. I have noticed that his eye has begun to stray. So my next big thing is finding a Pediatric Opthamologist and getting this resolved. Unfortunately we have only been in TX for a year and I don't know of any good ones. Who did you take your little one to?

Try sam's club or walmart to fill your prescription as they are much cheaper than the eye stores. they have frames also, but not sure how many kid ones.

My daughter went through the same thing. She was 8, so it was a little easier. Once she started wearing them out, people (especially at the church we were visiting) would actually compliment her on how nice they looked on her, how pretty the glasses were. This helped A LOT. She also got a lot of attention at school, and she loved it. We took pictures and let her see them and e-mailed them to family. She liked that too. Hope this helps.

Wal-Mart has kid's glasses that come with a one year replacement/repair warranty free of charge.

I am in the same boat just that my son has had to wear glasses since he was 2. That was difficult needless to say. He is now 4 going to be 5 in july. So your son is defianlty not the only one. Its gonna be hard to get him to wear them but he is at the age where he is learn and knows better. With daniel it was a so repeatative. We had to constantly keep putting his glasses on. Daniel was very sneaky to where he would wear his glasses and start looking over the rims to watch TV so he wouldnt have to look through them. We just kept on him constantly to keep his glasses on. And now its no problem they are like second nature to him now. I'm not sure this helps at all but good luck it will all work out you will see. And Just a sugestion, See if the teacher will work with you on making him feel really good in class about wearing his glasses. (maybe by introduceing him with his"really cool glasses on in class" The other kids will think they are cool to". Have a good week.

N. Watson

Check out Dr. Fortenbacher at Wow Vision in St. Joe, MI. My daughter age 10 is going there for vision therapy so she won't need to wear the glasses. The therapists make it so much fun and she never once complained about the glasses they gave her to wear for a week. They have a website which talks a lot about vision problems that go undetected because the 20/20 eye test used was developed during the Civil War period and has not been updated for all of the other eye problems there are. I wish they didn't do the basic eye test in school because it gives a false sense of security.

Hi. My daughter has had glasses since she was 15 months old. Our pediatrician tested her at 12 mos then again at 15 mos because of her dark eye color. At first she was resistant to the glasses. She even broke her first pair at $300. It didn't even occur to me to include her in my vision insurance. She is now 2 1/2 and happily wears her glasses. She was diagnosed with astigmatism and poor eyesight. At her most recent opthamologist appointment, her astigmatism did not change, however her eyesight got a little worse. My suggestion since he is 5 is to start finding photos of familiar people he knows that have glasses (i.e. the little Einsteins, friends, local magazine) and just start pointing out to him that glasses have become a popular trend. As well, after getting used to the glasses he will notice (you as well) how much of a better student he will become. That's my .02cents worth. (My husband is als a Firefighter)

Been there! Daughter (now 11) had lazy eye issues and wasn't noticeable until Pre-K. Poor girl had to wear patch over good eye for couple of years (with glasses) to force other eye to work. It did help significantly. She still wears glasses. I had to convince her by telling her how much worse it would be if we let it go without treatment. Yes, insurance can be an issue, but choosing the right doctor and having the correct coding are worth the extra effort. It will be expensive otherwise! There is hope for his future because you are taking an active role in his treatment now...don't give up!

Please run, don't walk to a pedi opthamologist. We found out at 7, that my now 13 year old had amblyopia. Patch, Patch Patch!! My son was 20/200 and now is 20/65... by 8 yrs almost 9 his muscles had matured and patching didn't help anymore, had we only found it earlier. Dr Hittener at Texas Children's in Houston is the best around here. I can't encourage you enough to please see an opthamologist. Insurance is also different because opthamologist are consider medical doctors where optometrist aren't and you can use your health insurance vs vision.

Please feel free to email ____@____.com if you would like more info on what we went through. My son and glasses is horrible and even now with contacts it is a battle! He would even cheat and put the patch on his other eye to get out of doing it...so I know exactly what you are going through.

We had absolutely no clue that he had problems, when they first put the patch on , he resisted saying that was his bad eye...I cried because I never knew he knew he had a bad eye. He played sports and had eye exams starting at 3 (school and pedi office) He cheated every time!! My husband just happen to get vision insurance and appts were free so we went! Thank Goodness we did! They send baby homes with all this information but nothing about having their eyes checked other than at the pedi office. I even went and got certified to do vision checks at school because I was on a mission, but once you see how those kids are hearded through, you can't be accurate at all!

This is a great resource and I encourage you to get signed up:

http://www.preventblindness.org/children/eye_patch_club_i...

I bought pirate patches for my son's classmates and the teacher was very supportive in helping them adjust to him wearing it at school.

You don't know me, but I can't beg you enough to see the pedi opthamologist...you have a lot of time and he could recover a lot of his vision.

Feel free to contact me!

Good luck!

Hey! I just saw your question from Feb. but wanted to respond. We have paid $400+ for each pair of glasses for our son and it is common for youngsters rx to change fairly often (every 1-2 years). I decided to give a website a try and risk loosing a little $ and we LOVE their glasses. When I put a $400 pair right beside them, the only thing missing was the name brand that does not show at all on the less expensive pair. I would have honestly tossed them away if me or my son didn't like them or they didn't look nice, but they have the same hinges, styles, etc. I had the website pair shipped to my office so several of us could look at them before taking them home. The other folks in the office couldn't believe them and will order their next pair from them too. If you don't know what style might look best, take a few minutes and walk in to a Walmart optical dept. and try some on. Take a pic with your cell phone to remember what it looked like (mostly for the shape of frames) then go home and order. If you have a rx you can order online at www.39dollarglasses.com Give it a look!

My pre-k daughter's eye was crossing so we took her to a pediatric ophthalmologist last September. She has Amblyopia. We did patching for about four months. In six months we'll have a check-up. It is my understanding that it cannot be corrected after they reach age 8 to 10, so keep taking him to the doctor. The one lense for the "bad" eye is much stronger. Our first lenses came from Lense Crafters at $160! They did give us a free change during the first 90 days, so I guess that saved us some. They have held up well. They also do free adjustments as much as we need. I also feel like we got a good fit and look for her.

A friend recommended 19dollareyeglasses.com. I have a pair on the way. They were under $25 including shipping and had lots to choose from. We picked something similar to what she has.

We told our daughter that it would help her eye get better and look "pretty" (she's all about being a pretty princess). She also wanted to play basketball and we told her that not wearing her glasses could keep her from this. We do try to point out all of the people we know that wear glasses. It's really not that uncommon at the young age. She was also allowed to pick the color (pink of course). Make sure the glasses are comfortable for him. They shouldn't be digging in on his nose. We also asked everyone to be supportive and tell her how beautiful she looked. I heard that once they reach age nine or a bit older they can start getting contacts?!

FYI: My hubby and I are both 40 and do not have glasses. Our older child doesn't either. This was all new to us. However, grandpa has a crossed eye that never was corrected and so does an aunt. They are both on my husbands side so I blame his genes!!

my son got glasses when he was in kindergarten. he chose a thin rimmed frame so the kids wouldn't make fun of him. he sees really bad out of one eye, so the dr. had him wear an eyepatch over his good eye since he would squint and not use his bad eye. he only wore it at home. now, he weasr a blue frame that he picked out. we still catch him looking over his glasses and he's in 3rd grade now. good luck!

You have gotten so many great responses. I will try to keep mine short. My son has the same problem. When he was four we went to the Optometrist and he prescribed glasses. My son couldn't see as well as we thought he should so we paid "out of pocket" for a second opinion. That doctor sent us to an opthamologist (sp?). My son needed stronger glasses. So, the insurance company also told me they were not medically necessary and that I had to wait a year. The new doctor sent them info and I appealed it. After a few phone calls, we got the new glasses. Don't accept the insurance company telling you that they are not medically necessary. Any eye doctor will tell you they are. I take my son to Design for Vision and they also had a hand in helping to get the insurance to pay up. They are great!

I have two sons who wear glasses.They are 11 and 6 years old. They both were diagnosed at age 5 with astigmatism and farsighted. I get their glasses at Sam's. They are the most affordable and I can take them for adjustments anytime. Also, they have good prices in August so, I usually get two pairs for each, just in case.

I never had a problem with them. My oldest's first pair of glasses were Harry Porter's, I think that made it easier. The youngest was anxious to wear glasses because he saw his brother wearing them all the time and he wants to be like his old brother. I think as soon as your child sees the difference it makes on his sight he will want to wear them all the time.

Good luck!

My 6 y.o. daughter also has amblyopia. Just diagnosed Nov. '07. I had noticed her left eye "wandering" out somewhat and she started squinting her left eye closed. Her teacher said she complained it was blurry when she read - so we took her to the ophthalmologist. I believe they said her vision was 20/100 in left eye and 20/30 in right eye. I was told that at times as early as 7 years old, some childrens eyes stop developing - so a lot of kids can't be helped after that. We bought her really cute patches, and at first she didn't seem to mind. She complains about them now. We basically just tell her if she doesn't wear it - she could be blind later. We let her pick out her own glasses - she got some really cute Guess ones. She doesn't mind her glasses at all - it's the patch that bothers her. She first started out having to wear patch 3 hrs a day. Then at her first doctor visit - she was doing so well - she decreased it to 1 hour a day. Then next visit - it got worse again - so she is back up to 2 hrs a day. We go back in April, so fingers crossed... Hope all goes well w/ your son. My 9 y.o. got her glasses at Pearl Vision and we got my 6 y.o. at Eye Masters. Eye Masters had a huge kid section - and at the time, we got one pair and got 2nd pair free.

I have four children and my two oldest children were diagnosed with the same problem. Your child's case is VERY mild, by the way.

Both my son and daughter wear glasses called Silloettes....basically, just the clear lenses and flexible sides. You really don't notice the glasses.

Allow your son to look at glasses and have some control over which ones he wants to wear. Try to be upbeat about it. It only took a year to correct my son's condition...now he WANTS to wear his glasses because he thinks they are cool.

Good luck!

I have a little brother whom had to start wearing glasses at this age, what we did for him was give him a super heroe complex- we looked up all the super heroes, Superman/clark kent,(website bout heroes and glasses-- http://www.samcci.comics.org/_articles/rise+fall_02.htm) that wore glasses and told him to pretend that he was one of them, then when he would go to school and if the kids asked why he wore glasses he would always tell them he was an undercover super heroe or super spy... The kids would play along and thought it was cool, some would even ask their mom if they could have glasses... very cute! It helped encourage him to wear his glasses in a fun way! Good luck!

Yes, I have amblyopia in one eye. I'm 65, and effectively have only one eye. My folks used an eye patch on me when I was in first grade, but I hated it so they weren't really insistent. They should have been.

Tell your 5-year-old that he can wear glasses now and when he's old enough he can get contact lenses.

Cathy

My son went through the same thing. He also just started patching his eye a few hours a day. Rather than the sticky patches, check out patchpals.com. They are on my website this week as site of the week, the are great - www.mommywarriors.com
A. - mom of four great kids!

Hi-
I am not yet a mother but my husband was just over 1 when he began wearing glasses. I know from stories that his father got some plain, like reading glasses from the drug store and wore them any time they were together. One day his fater was working and did not have them on and his first question was, "Daddy, where are your glasses?" Also, with his condition he could not see anything, when he got his glasses he asked what leaves were. He could never see the leaves on the trees before. I also have worn glasses since I was in 6th grade. I know my sight is not nearly as bad as my husbands, but I do know from him that seeing is so very important. Once he could really see there was not question as to weather he would wear the glasses or not.
Hope this at least gives you a little bit of help.

hi S.,

I have found myself in a similar position. I just found out yesterday my five year old requires glasses. However he did not say anything. We have a massive family history of eye problems and I started noticing when I told him to look at something he would look at it for maybe and second and it was like he could not keep his eyes there. He was also having trouble in school when it came to time for individual work. I decided I would take him to the optometrist to rule out vision problems at school and just as a safety precaution because of the family history.

Luckily for me he is excited about the glasses because he has seen that his Mommy and his Baboo (grandmother) where glasses along with his Auntie and his friend Emy(she is a good deal older than him but he thinks she is the coolest thing ever)! I am more worried thathe sees it as the novelty for now and that he won't wwant to wear them when he actually gets them! Are there any tips for getting him to wear them consistantly?

I am also here in Texas and my little boy of 2 yrs old has cross eyes...he was not having trouble seeing but the cross was starting to become apparent the last 6 months...He has taken to the glasses somewhat...of course it has only been a couple of days...Stickers and treats are okay to sustain wearing of the glasses...letting him know that it is very important and will help him see the reat of his life...my little boy has strabisimus (16 percent on left and 24 percent on right)... I am very distraught because I did not notice the turning in of the eye and the doctor was very critical...I really was never tole that you should have your infant checked at 9 months...my family does not have issues with thier eyes and so this was a shock too...I am dealing with this as best as I can and understand that God has a purpose for everything...I just pray he puts his healing hand down on both my sons eyes and my heart...good luck to you and hope God helps you too

My daughter has eye issues that are more related to her brain and the nerves that are damaged. I take her see Dr. Lydia Banuelos who is a really good pediatric opthologist thru UMC. She performed surgery on my daughters eyes and they were excellent. I bought my daughter 2 pairs of glasses for $99 at Eye Masters in Park mall by the food court. Pretty cheap and nice glasses. Good luck!

Shellie_ I have worked for Peds ophthalmologists for 15 years now in the Metro Detroit area. Glasses are not the end of the world! As you can have a dominate hand (right handed)some kids have a dominate eye that the brain chooses to shut down the weaker eye. Or sometimes, amblyopia is caused by astigmatism in the weaker eye (how the eye is shaped). If it astigmatism, that is routine vision and not medical and it can be hard to get visits and glasses paid for. If it is amblyopia from the brain, it is non routine vision which falls under the medical realm and should be fought for by your doctors office(my usual job, one of many!!!). Also, direct patching on the eye and not the drops is the best and most effective way to go. It is hard to do but you can retrain the brain to use that weak eye. I am sorry but bribery works. He does not see well at all out of the eye so he will not be happy but if you can do it everyday with a rewards system, he will appreciate not having to go to the peds dr as an adult for eye muscle surgery(as I see in my office everyday). Keep up the hard work. Also, it is very important that you follow up with the ophth dr because you can have reverse amblyopia(you make the strong eye weak with patching). That's why there is alot of follow up-not just to make a buck. M. Also if you have a flex spending account or HRA or HSA thru work, utilize them for glasses, refraction expenses not covered by your ins.

Well I think u should take your son to the eye doctor and introduce him to cartoon charater eye glasses. Maybe you will have a better chance of getting him to wear the glasses

Hi, I know you got many responses, but I just wanted to share the name of my 3 yr old daughter's ophtomologist- He and his assistant are terrific with the kids and made the visit a breeze. She actualy may have to get surgery...but in any case, his name is Dr. Abalone in Arnold ###-###-####.
good luck! M.

I'm not sure if you found an pediatric opthmalogist yet, but I highly recommend Dr. Jennifer Mullon at Lexington Eye. My son, who's 3.5, has been seeing her since he was a baby at theri Westford office. We have been very there.

S.:
I would go and see a Pediatric Ophthalmologist and will it could possibily be covered as medically covered. I work in the health insurance. Go to Childrens Eye (Dr. Baker/Roarty group); they are the best in MI. They know are excellent with children thats all they do.. They can work with your son on glasses being ugly...
Good luck!
L.

I was 7 when I had to get glass's...I hated them untill one day a teacher told me how sophiscated I looked in them .that none of the other kids was as special as I was, mabe I might be a teacher one day like she was..that changed it all for me.

The eye doc at SuperTarget has Spongebob glasses. Sometimes they run a kids glasses price special.
If your son nedds the glasses tell him he doesn't have a choice in wearing them and the Dr said he must wear them.
Good Luck.

That is great you got a resoulution! We noticed our oldest daughters vision problems when she would try to balance and struggled. Next time you need glasses we just opened our store in The Colony. We have grown our lab APV Optical for the past 6 years and now branched out to retail. After being the pharmacy for local eyedoctors we were ready to see some relieved eyes ourselves. We do all the work onsite so turn around time is very short, we have an onsite board certified optician, my sweet hubby, and have a great selection of childrens & adults frames, sunglasses, and lenses for all needs. Next Easter will be better you won't be able to stop him from gathering some eggs ;).

I know you got tons of responses..but another trick..my 5 year old son has glasses and there is a hair product called Eric's Hair Gel for kids and the boy on the bottle has glasses!! So, now my son likes to gel his hair back and he is SOO COOL like the boy on the hair gel with the glasses...two for one deal, he cares about his physical appearance and washing his hair to gel it back AND he wears his glasses!! GOOD LUCK!!

If you live in Dallas or near by call H.I.S. Bridge Builders, ###-###-#### and see if they can help you. The eye examine is free but the glasses cost $15.00.

Hi S.,

My daughter just had to have glasses last July, she was only 5. She only has about 50% usage out of her left eye, had trouble in school. My daughter hated them at first but everyone always told her how smart she looked, how grown up she was when she wore them. Or just how pretty she was. You could tell him how handsome he looks, or how strong he is with his glasses.

My daughter has had her glasses for almost a year now, and I have never heard her say that another child called her names. Matter of fact there have been several other children in her class, whom have recently gotten glasses.

It just takes time, and you have to be creative on how you tell him, what he looks like in them. Once he realizes he can see better or do better in school, you will see the difference. We have not had any problems since.

One more thing we went to the local university to the College of Opthamology and had to have her motor skills tested, because she had been to the opti and never spotted she had a problem. We then took her prescription to Wal-Mart and they were much cheaper and they did a good job.
Hope this helps.

Michele

Not medically necessary? Maybe put the request in writing and ask again. Some insurance companies say no the first time for everything. At least that is what I have heard.

I would also get a second opinion it sounds like he needs a patch too.

Great Pediatric Ophthamalogist is Dr. Kim Cooper in Burlingame, she specializes in Kids and has one of the best kid selections on the Bay Area. As for the expense of a pair of glasses, depending upon the RX, get at least one good pair of glasses, and ask if the office your in offers a second pair discount, I use to work with Dr. Cooper and I do believe they offer a second pair discount and take VSP insurance.
Good Luck,
L.

Wow, I'm really glad you posted this question, my 5 year old just had his physical and has 20/70 in one eye, our pediatrician didn't seem very concerned but recommended we bring him to an optomologist for further testing. I was planning to ignore that advice since we have never noticed him having trouble seeing we assumed he just had difficulty recognizing the letters on the chart since he is just now learning to read... Now I will definately make an appointment for him!