A couple of months ago at her well-child check-up, Princess struggled at the eye exam. I watched her fidget and cheat to pass off one eye. The medical assistant quickly brushed it off and told me she passed and was fine.
WHAT?!? Did you really just watch the same thing I did.
Over the next couple of weeks I would test her with each eye at various things in the house to see what I thought. She definitely struggled with one eye, but then, she had always wanted glasses.
I decided to make an eye appointment much to the chagrin of my husband.
It was quite an eye opening experience. As I sat there and watched her struggle to read some things and even get inches in distance from it, I really started to panic that she might actually be almost blind in one of her eyes. Yikes.
Turns out she has amblyopia of her left eye. Basically a lazy eye, or truly "lazy brain". So, she has to have glasses, with the left lens being quite a bit thicker than the other. She was so excited to get her glasses and knew exactly which ones she wanted. THE PINK BARBIE ONES! Of course.
Glasses on kids are quite an interesting thing. It is one of those things that makes them a little different than most. I tried to warn her that kids might make fun of her and some may not like them. She just didn't see how that could be an option. She loved them and thought she was pretty special as she got to carry her hot pink "purse" barbie glass case out of the store.
Then it started to happen. Her little friend told her she looked "weird" in the glasses and she didn't like them. It was new to see her in them, so rightly so. She started to question herself in them. There are definitely days when she has a harder time wearing them others, but for the most part she has been good about it. I am just hoping it helps. The doctor said we might have to do patch therapy at home if it doesn't improve.
It is amazing at the age of 5 how one can become self conscious so quickly. Kids can be mean, but I don't know that it is always done knowingly. If something is new or different it is hard to know how to react. If anything, it has helped taught me to help my children to recognize these things and to be sensitive to it. I think kids more than anything just tend to ignore those things that are new, but that doesn't always make the situation better. So many adults would recognize the fact that she had glasses and that they liked them. But I felt like had a child said that to her, she would have been floating on cloud nine. I think she just needs some acceptance from those her own age.
It is amazing how hard it is for children to reach out of their element and to say something like this. My own kids are horrible at it. I just hope that with a little time and coaching, my own kids can move past this fear and reach out to someone who might need a little pick me up. A compliment can go a long way.
3 comments:
So sorry...ugh, kids! I think she looks adorable!
She looks so cute, but that breaks my heart. I think one of the hardest little things for me with kids so far has been having to watch them go from totally confident happy to having the "world" (basically other little kids) step in and say some dumb little thing that crushes their perfect little happy state. But, I know what you mean about it making me want to teach my kids more about saying only kind things. Whenever one of them gets a haircut, inevitably kids at school will say, "Why did you cut your hair!" or something. Once in awhile, some kid will say, "I like your new haircut," and i am so impressed and grateful for that kid because it makes such a difference and, like you said, kids usually don't think to say things like that.
I love her glasses and I hope they help too! Kids can be mean, but you're right, especially that young, it's probably unknowingly. Tell little Princess (and T-man and Special K) that we miss them!
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