Children Wearing Glasses

[Guest]

Hi

 

I was just after a bit of advice about children wearing glasses during pe.

 

My daughter has a turn in her eye and wears glasses for that but also to aid her vision.

 

She has quite a strong prescription so her eyesight without them can't be that great.

 

She's in year one now but when she was in reception she had huge confidence problems about not wearing her glasses because of her turn due to some nasty comments she had received from other children during swimming so her teacher was more than happy to let her make the decision whether she wanted to keep them off or take them off and she supported DD with whatever decision she made!

 

However, since she started in yr 1 her teacher has been very insistent that she is not allowed to wear them during pe stating health and safety reasons! DD has since had eye corrective surgery so her turn is not as bad as it was but is still visible and her lack of confidence is still there.

 

I have understood to a degree about the health and safety reasons however the final straw came today when DD told me she (and others) were not allowed to wear their glasses today for their school christmas play?????!!!!!!!!

 

Now I don't know if there are any regulations/guidelines about wearing glasses for pe but surely there should be no reason why she shouldn't wear them for the play? what if she needed to read something or get off the stage quickly in an emergency!!

 

While this has bothered me somewhat I have also been thinking about the pe thing and yes I understand that if she got hit in the face by a ball it would hurt if she was wearing her glasses but it would hurt anyway - glasses or not!

 

I personally feel there would be more of an issue of her not being able to see the ball and get out of the way if she didn't have her glasses on!

 

Let's be honest, if they had a child in a wheelchair they wouldn't make them get out of it so surely they're not being very inclusive by making dd take her glasses off. They're putting her at a disadvantage by making her take them off

 

So I wondered what everyone else's policy is on this please

 

Thanks

Edited December 8, 2009 by Jennielw

[Guest]

Goodness me I find this quite shocking! My son (year 2) wears glasses, and so do a lot of his year group, he chooses to take his off for football/sport as he is a rough and tumble boy and deliberatly falls over!! But plenty of his friends leave theirs on for sport and have never taken them off! He attends a sports holiday club and they wear them there as do the instructors. I think I would be inclined to complain, this sounds very un-inclusive to me, especially the production part!

 

Clare

[Gezabel]

Not often that I am lost for words but I am on this one!

 

Your daughter needs to wear her glasses - end of strory. I totally agree with what you say about PE and I would be toddling in to have a word!

 

I cannot think of any reason whatosever for your daughter being asked to not wear them for the school play????

 

Good luck in getting it sorted and let us know the outcome

[Guest]

I am VERY short sighted and very reliant on my glasses. I even feel that I cannot hear or think right without them on so this is a horrible story for me. If it is a health and safety question, I know that I would be very unsafe without them on, no matter what I was doing. If it was my child I would be absolutely furious.

[Guest]

It also occurs to me that I have heard stories about parents not being allowed to say that their children are not allowed naps at a nursery because it is Ofsted's opinion that the rights of the child are more important. I think your child's right to wear her glasses would definitely come into this category as well. So if you don't get any joy from the school why not ask Ofsted's opinion?

[Upsy Daisy]

I don't recall ever being advised by the optician that my daughter should not wear her glasses for any sort of sports. Surely the lenses are designed to be safe for children doing all sorts of activities. What about running around in the playground for heaven's sake?

 

I can see no reason why a child should be asked to remove them for any part of the school day unless the optician or the manufacturer has recommended it.

 

I can certainly see no reason for them to be removed for the school play. That is not inclusive practice and I would be addressing it with the teacher as soon as possible.

 

That really got my goat! Can you tell?

[JacquieL]

I would have thought that not wearing glasses, which are given to correct or enhance eyesight, would be the H & S issue as the children would not have clear vision without them. After all the children need to see what they are doing. As far as the performance is concerned, I think I would go and enquire if it is correct the children have been told not to wear their glasses, and if so the reason for that. What I said or did next would depend on the answer. I can't think of any reason why they would need to take them off at all.

[Guest]

Thank you all for your support! I was worried I was being unreasonable so now I am armed with lots of ammunition!

 

I know they were told to take them off for the play because another parent/friend told me her daughter told her the same thing, she's in a different class!

 

So would you all go to the teacher or would you go straight to the head?

 

I don't want to cause trouble but I don't want dd to get concious about wearing her glasses, she's only 6 and if someone tells her she's not allowed to wear them for a sch play she's going to think there's something wrong with wearing them. Plus I don't want her to be bullied in the future because she can't catch a ball because she can't see it!

[Upsy Daisy]

Thank you all for your support! I was worried I was being unreasonable so now I am armed with lots of ammunition!

 

I know they were told to take them off for the play because another parent/friend told me her daughter told her the same thing, she's in a different class!

 

So would you all go to the teacher or would you go straight to the head?

 

I don't want to cause trouble but I don't want dd to get concious about wearing her glasses, she's only 6 and if someone tells her she's not allowed to wear them for a sch play she's going to think there's something wrong with wearing them. Plus I don't want her to be bullied in the future because she can't catch a ball because she can't see it!

 

I think I would approach the teacher first but be quite clear that your daughter has her glasses for a reason and you expect her to be fully supported in wearing them at all times that she feels it is necessary. After all the teacher has no way of judging what your daughter's vision is like without them so she should not be deciding when your daughter wears them.

 

If you don't feel that the matter is fully resolved in this discussion I would approach the head. I think your daughters well-being and self-esteem are far too important for you to leave this matter unresolved.

 

Good luck. I hope you get this sorted out quickly and easily.

[Guest]

Reference the school play. is it being filmed, photos taken etc? That might be the reason for it (reflections off lenses etc). For special performances we sometimes ask if older children can manage without them (but only those who can see reasonably well without glasses and find other ways round it if necessary).

 

As for PE how ridiculous! my son always wears his glasses for sports including rugby and Tae Kwondo. You can get special goggles that fit around glasses if wanted but he has never used them and has never had a problem.

 

As for who to approach as it appears to be a whole school issue, so I would go to the head.

[Guest]

I have always left it up to the child to decide. As others have said some childrens eyesight would be so bad they could be a danger to themselves and others!

Basically it would depend on the childs vision and with young children I would consult parents too.

[narnia]

my daughter wore her glasses all the time at school, during sports as well.............................she would have been MORE of a danger without them, frankly!!.....as to not wearing them for the christmas play, is the woman mad??There is absolutely NO reason for her to suggest this, so stand your ground and insist that your daughter keeps them on, I certainly would!

[Sue R]

I am VERY short sighted and very reliant on my glasses. I even feel that I cannot hear or think right without them on so this is a horrible story for me. If it is a health and safety question, I know that I would be very unsafe without them on, no matter what I was doing. If it was my child I would be absolutely furious.

 

Jane, you sound just like me!! And so does Narnia's daughter

 

I think I have never heard anything more non-inclusive, in fact almost discriminatory!! How can your daughter enjoy, experience or achieve properly if she is being so undermined and placed at such a disadvantage!!

 

I hope you get this teacher to understand your views and the points we have all made - she probably has the best of intentions, but doesn't seem to have thought this through...?

 

Sue

[Rea]

Good grief!

Not very inclusive is it?

I'm sure I've seen a professional footballer on TV wearing glasses and with the money generated in football and the lawyers surrounding the game, I can imagine the H&S is completely foolproof. And we've all seen plenty of films, plays with the players wearing glasses.

Your daughters teacher just might not realsie how much she relys on them and how shakeable her confidence is. I'd have a chat with her.

[Guest]

OUTRAGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

My daughter wears hers all the time - like your daughter she has a strong prescription and without them she'd struggle to see her feet during PE! She always carried a spare pair in her school bag as she broke them on such a regular basis. Quite often they came home, in pieces, in an envelope!!

 

Glasses are a medical need not a fashion accessory. I don't care if they cause a reflection. How dare they make any child feel that wearing them "spoils" a photo or dvd!!!???

 

I'm SO cross I may come and complain to the teacher/school with you

 

Good Luck!

 

Nona

[Guest]

This is madness. Like everyone else has said - if you need to see clearly then you wear them! Teachers aren't expected to take their glassess off to teach PE so why should children have to? Ok if it was something like learning a forward roll then perhaps the child may be wise to take them off but otherwise they need to see!

 

I have a little boy in my class who wears glassess, but also wears an eye patchover his stonger eye to help correct the weaker eye. He wears the patch most of the day - only taking it off when he does any close up work, or when he's trying to see the board, or when he does PE!!!

 

I wear my glasses all day every day. If I take them off to clean them the children firstly tell me I look different, then they ask me if I can still see. It opens up quite a discussion point. One child actually used my glasses last week (while they were still on my face!) as she wanted to find out if the magnetic latters would stick to them. Opened up a great dialogue about what my glasses were made of and could we find anything else magnetic. I looked like a fool with magnetic latters stuck over my glasses but the children thought it was hilarious and learnt something! Celebrate glasses... don't make the children take them off!!!

[Sue R]

I looked like a fool with magnetic latters stuck over my glasses but the children thought it was hilarious and learnt something! Celebrate glasses... don't make the children take them off!!!

 

What a glorious vision that conjures!!!

[sunnyday]

I wasn't going to comment - because everyone has said it all already! But then found I was so incensed (Sp?) I just have to!

 

I had glasses at age 8 - I found it very difficult at school - some 'mean' comments, but I really enjoyed being able to see!

 

During my teenage years I never actually 'saw' a film - there was no way that I would let a boyfriend know that I needed glasses

 

As soon as I was earning my own money I changed to contact lenses........now that I am much older and need varifocals I have gone back to glasses! :wacko:

 

I have had many children through my pre-school with glasses - I have never once asked them to take them off - that, to me, is nothing short of outrageous Instead, I heap praise and admiration on my 'glasses wearers' "don't you look lovely", glasses are just like magic aren't they" etc. - you get the picture!

 

Can I come and talk to this teacher with you? Perhaps not - I couldn't be trusted! :rolleyes: It is just this sort of attitude that makes children believe there is something 'wrong' with wearing glasses :unsure:

 

Good luck with it all and stand your ground........now I need to have a lay down in a darkened room!

[Guest]

Thank you all for your lovely comments and support I am going to speak to the teacher after school and just say "is it right that ***** was asked to take her glasses off during the school play" and then make my plan of attack. I also am planning to go early to obtain copies of their equal ops, health and safety and inclusion policies to see where in there it says glasses will be removed. I'm guessing I wont find it!

 

I am so upset because both my daughters love wearing glasses and they look beautiful in them! But if she's told she cannot wear them for a play with no reason whatsoever (although imo nothing can excuse it)

 

she is going to think there's something wrong with wearing glasses, even if it is a reflection thing etc for photography that is no excuse and it will make her concious about wearing them!

 

Plus due to being made fun of without her glasses she is very worried about taking them off and her teacher is aware of that so to stick her on stage with no glasses on in front of 100 odd people is appaulling! Not to mention if she wanted to look for me in the audience and couldn't see me that might upset her at 6???

 

It's just occurred to me that she had her glasses last year and was not asked to remove them for the play - something to do with a more understanding teacher I feel!

 

I'd love you all to come with me and speak to the teacher. I know I will probably get upset and no doubt cry so I'm not sure it will have the desired effect!

 

Thanks again, I'm so pleased to know that I'm not being unreasonable and over protective! I think I'll deal with the school play thing and then get on to the subject of pe!

[Guest]

I'll be with you in spirit!!

 

Take a deep breath, stand your ground and don't apologise for being upset about it. Your emotional response may be just the thing to make this teacher re-think her approach.

 

Glasses are so funky and fashionable at the moment that some of my teenage daughter's friends want them just to look cool! (Thank heavens I have a friend who works in an opticians or I'd need a 2nd job to pay for her designer frames )

 

Why should your daughter be expected to change her appearance for the school play? Her glasses are worn out of necessity, not vanity and are part of who she is. I hope after a "little chat" her teacher will appreciate this!

 

Let us know how you get on,

 

Nona x

[Upsy Daisy]

I'm have the same sort of emotional response when fighting my child's corner in this way. I can't count the number of time I have been in tears at my daughter's high school this term and when I feel unprofessional I remind myself that it is because I am in the role of the parent, not the professional. If you get upset it's because this is a deeply personal issue for you and you understand the enormous impact this teacher's mis-judgements could have on your daughter's self-esteem. Hopefully you emotional response will serve to emphasise the importance of this issue.

 

Don't forget that even though we won't be there physically we are all lined up behind you in spirit supporting you and your daughter all the way.

[sunnyday]

Don't forget that even though we won't be there physically we are all lined up behind you in spirit supporting you and your daughter all the way.

 

We certainly are!

[narnia]

absolutely!

[Guest tinkerbell]

The other side of the coin was at my school yesterday.Twin boys who wear glasses were all dressed up ready to do the dress rehearsal and were not wearing their glasses...I asked them where their glasses were and they said their mummy didn't want them to wear them for the play...their mummy also didn't want them to wear them for their school photograph what message is that mum giving??

 

Tinkerbell

[Guest]

That's awful! Those poor boys. She's giving them the message that glasses are wrong in some way surely!

 

My dd has had her glasses since she was 3 and she's now 6. They are part of her and who she is and she looks absolutely gorgeous in them! She looks strange to me when she takes her glasses off and if there ever comes a time when she has contacts or doesn't need glasses it's going to take a bit of getting used to!

 

I went to speak to the teacher tonight and she was unavailable to speak to me! I wonder if she knew what I wanted because we've had a chat about glasses at parents evening and i spoke to the mum of my daughter's friend who was also told the same thing about her glasses and she's asked about it and been told "we'll get back to you"

 

she's got another play tomorrow night and i want her wearing them for that so I will have a chat in the morning!

[Guest]

Haven't read the earlier posts as I am really tired (how lame does that sound?!) but I have always found it really odd when children who normally wear glasses DON'T wear them for PE and/or playtime, but especially PE - surely they need to be able to see what they are doing?!

 

Parents seem to have been the reasoning behind these situations, saying that they don't want the glasses to get broken - I know accidents happen, but most optician's are really good about sorting out children's glasses is they are damaged accidentally (and it really doesn't happen often!)

 

Sounds like your daughter's school are being a little odd!

[Upsy Daisy]

...their mummy also didn't want them to wear them for their school photograph what message is that mum giving??

 

Tinkerbell

 

My husband remembers very clearly having those awful plastic national health frames on his glasses when he was small. His mum told him they looked nice to get him wear them and then spoiled it all by telling him off for wearing them for his school photograph. He still feels very resentful about this 35 years later.

 

I hope the mum you mentioned doesn't make her boys feel the same in years to come, Tinkerbell.

[Guest MaryEMac]

I wear glasses and have done since I was 11 and I am absolutely appalled that a school can treat your daughter in that way. You have my support and will be sending you virtual support for tomorrow.

 

Mary

[catma]

Had a little chat with our PE specialist consultant today. Glasses are fine. You could consider those things that go on the arms and hold them on, (like you have for the beach) but their opinion was how is the teacher differentiating for the fact of the glasses: e.g. ball work - softer ball for example, change of throwing pattern differentiated for partners, coloured ball to aid visual recognition as thrown.... not a problem to wear them though.

 

Cx

[Guest]

Thank you that's really helpful Catma

 

I have had a chat with dd's teacher and now I'm even more concerned!

 

According to her dd was not told hse could not wear her glasses she asked if she could do it without and teacher said yes if she was sure she could see ok!

 

I believed her because I know children can sometimes be a little untruthful so I had words with my daughter about lying etc and not telling the truth but she is adament she was told she couldn't wear them!

 

So now I'm at a loss! I don't want to go in and accuse teacher of lying but i don't want to punish dd if she didn't lie but if teacher is not being truthful then I need to get to the bottom of it.

 

although i know children can lie dd is so upset when I told her off for lying I really don't think she is. I also think it's odd that none of the children were wearing glasses during the performance and they all did on the evening performance!

 

Plus I spoke to my friend who's daughter was told the same and she said her daughter was definately told that by her teachers. She's in a different class to my dd.

 

So what do I do - let it go or challenge teacher? My friend suggested i arrange a meeting with her and dd and say that she is insistent she's not lying and I need her help to get to the bottom of it and then hopefully whichever one is twisting the truth will find it hard to do it in front of the other!

 

what would everyone else do?