# Serious Problem! Kiddo keeps BREAKING MY GLASSES!



## Reikagoth (Oct 31, 2006)

Ok, I'm in a horrible mood!

My DS wakes up a little before me every morning, and this morning, he found my glasses on the endtable...

and ripped both arms completely off... again.

I've tried buying sunglasses and switching the arms, he broke the switched ones off...

anyone know if I can just get the arms replaced by a studio???









I need either new glasses, or new arms... I can't deal with the 'electrical tape' fix...







:

My prescription is out, too, so if I get new ones, I'll have to get a whole new prescription and everything... and I really don't have the money for all of that.

Any ideas how I can break him of this destructive habit without bruising up his bottom???


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## Past_VNE (Dec 13, 2003)

How about setting your glasses where he can't reach them?


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## Dreaming (Feb 8, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Past_VNE* 
How about setting your glasses where he can't reach them?

Yeah this.

I hope that "bruising his bottom" isn't an option in any case.


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## Dreaming (Feb 8, 2004)

I wanted to come back and give you the link to the Gentle Discipline forum here at MDC.


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## Past_VNE (Dec 13, 2003)

Thanks, Dreaming....you're thinking more clearly than I was.


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## bobica (May 31, 2004)

ditto. classic child-proofing is definitely required.

also ditto on bruising his bottom


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## Houdini (Jul 14, 2004)

Another vote for putting them out of his reach.

Why on God's green earth would you need to 'bruise his bottom' because you failed to put your glasses where they are out of his reach?


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## momuveight2B (Mar 17, 2006)

The entire family wears glasses, mom, dad, grandparents and all the kids. I had one that was in eyeglasses at age two. Part of having glasses is taking responsibility for them in our family. We are fortunate to have good insurance that covers them up to $500 once a year. If they are damaged beyond repair then they get replaced with the cheapest thing possible from WalMart. The kids learn real quick that they do not like nerdy glasses.

If the glasses get broken the only person responsible is the wearer in our home. Routines of leaving them in their case at recess or putting up safely at bedtime are a must.

I have a special nook in my headboard where I put mine each night, always the same place and have not had a problem with co-sleeping or broken glasses. I don't know where my husband keeps his??? but again never a problem.

One of the reasons I must always be so careful to keep mine in the same place is I can not see to find them if I put them elsewhere.

We gently teach our children from the age where they begin to sit up and grab at glasses on our faces that they are not to do this. We hold their hand gently and tell them no. Of course in the beginning this requires some agility in avoiding their quick little hands.


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## Aliviasmom (Jul 24, 2006)

Do you really need to have your glasses rightthere? I can't see didly without mine but I have them on a tall dresser across the room, out of dds reach. On the rare occasion I am watching TV in bed and am too tired to get out of bed to put them away, I bury them under pillows. I learned my lesson about keeping my glasses where dd can get into them...I ended up paying for BRAND-NEW glasses and lenses OUT OF POCKET.

Hope that helps!

PS I seriously hope you were joking about "bruising his bottom". And even if you were, it's not funny in general, and VERY not appropriate for this community. Please refrain from "jokes" and comments like that.


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## Reikagoth (Oct 31, 2006)

: Ok, just to clarify, no bruising his bottom wasn't an option, and never will be.

As far as putting them up... well, he's a climber, and I'm in a very small room. We've tried the hold the hand, and say no method... he smacked us... that led to longer holds, and firmer 'no's'... but it didn't solve his love for glasses.

He's a good kiddo, don't get me wrong, but this issue with my glasses is just wearing me out.

I've tried putting them just about everywhere. On the endtable - broken... on the top of the desk - broken... My room is so crammed together that there just isn't any place up high that I can put them...

So, I need some ideas to teach him not to break them anymore. (The last spot I tried was in a little gap between the mattress and wall (mattress is on the floor), covered with a pillow... that's the spot he got to this morning...









And no, that wasn't a 'joke' or meant to be as one... it was my dp's take on how we should handle the situation.


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## momuveight2B (Mar 17, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Reikagoth* 
:As far as putting them up... well, he's a climber, and I'm in a very small room. We've tried the hold the hand, and say no method... he smacked us... that led to longer holds, and firmer 'no's'... but it didn't solve his love for glasses..

Then you put him on the floor and walk away or offer a toy or something more interesting than glasses.

As far as the small house goes and no place to put anything check out the forum on decluttering and organizing. I am certain you are able to come up with a creative solution that does not put the responsibility for your glasses onto dear child.


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## lerlerler (Mar 31, 2004)

Another practical solution... while you figure out where to put them out of reach

Zennioptical.com has $19 glasses.... and they don't care if your Rx is out of date.

OR, they have titanium glasses that are UNBREAKABLE.. they are about $40 and a good investment -


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## 4evermom (Feb 3, 2005)

I gave ds an old pair of glasses (put them on my bedside table where I usually put mine) at that age. I also decided if I had another child I would seriously consider getting contacts!


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## sarathan (Jun 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Reikagoth* 







: Ok, just to clarify, no bruising his bottom wasn't an option, and never will be.

As far as putting them up... well, he's a climber, and I'm in a very small room. We've tried the hold the hand, and say no method... he smacked us... that led to longer holds, and firmer 'no's'... but it didn't solve his love for glasses.

He's a good kiddo, don't get me wrong, but this issue with my glasses is just wearing me out.

I've tried putting them just about everywhere. On the endtable - broken... on the top of the desk - broken... My room is so crammed together that there just isn't any place up high that I can put them...

So, I need some ideas to teach him not to break them anymore. (The last spot I tried was in a little gap between the mattress and wall (mattress is on the floor), covered with a pillow... that's the spot he got to this morning...









And no, that wasn't a 'joke' or meant to be as one... it was my dp's take on how we should handle the situation.

Seriously, there must be SOMEWHERE you can put them where he can't reach them??


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## Houdini (Jul 14, 2004)

You could always invest in some sort of locking box to put them in....it would be cheaper than buying a new pair of glasses.


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## Dreaming (Feb 8, 2004)

I would get a small shelf and mount it up high.
If thats not an option, you could wrap your glasses in a cloth bag (or even a piece of cloth from an old tshirt) and pin it up high on a wall or clip to a nail.
Also, you could keep them in the bathroom on top of the medicine cabinet or on the top shelf of your bedroom closet.

there is a storage solution somewhere.
it cannot possibly be hopeless.
think outside the box and you'll come up with something.


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## wasabi (Oct 12, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lerlerler* 
Another practical solution... while you figure out where to put them out of reach

Zennioptical.com has $19 glasses.... and they don't care if your Rx is out of date.

OR, they have titanium glasses that are UNBREAKABLE.. they are about $40 and a good investment -

May try this site. My DDs are very hard on my glasses. I'm talking about when they're on my face they rip them off







. They are so messed up the lenses pop out all the time and I'm constantly rescrewing the frames back together. It's a pain. So do I just send them my old prescription?


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## sadean (Nov 20, 2001)

Quote:

anyone know if I can just get the arms replaced by a studio???
If you don't care whether the arms match and if the break is in the arm and not the joint or frame around the lens, yes, you can get the arms replaced. I have had to do that on several occasions with several pairs of glasses (I am hard on them and my children have gotten them on occasion) and have never actually been charged for the replacement arm. I took them back to the store where they were purchased (in my case, Pearl Vision). Like I said, the replacement arm usually didn't match the other one, but they always tried to use a similar one, so it wasn't completely noticable.


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## 425lisamarie (Mar 4, 2005)

Honestly I would either get some of those flex ones....I don't really have that problem with mine because they don't seem to want to play with them.

How about sticking little hooks, even nails partially nailed in around the house so you can just hang them up? I actually do this for DH because he needs them first thing in the am and HE is always the one losing/breaking them. I put one above his chair by the couch on the wall, and one above his bed. Of course do it high enough that kids can't reach...and I probably wouldn't actually use a nail but something plasticky. I just use the stick on things


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## kaspirant (Apr 28, 2006)

Leaving them in the bathroom with the door shut.

DS loves my glasses too...I'm going back to contacts. However...shut up in another room...kinda makes it impossible for him to break them.

I'd also give him some toy glasses to play with...maybe some cute Harry Potter costume ones. DS kept destroying my cell phone. I had to replace it 3 times in a year. I gave him one that was broken...now he has his OWN cell and mine hasn't been touched.

HTH


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## Reikagoth (Oct 31, 2006)

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I'll have to talk to DP when he gets home... We can't put nails in the walls, or put them in another room since we're living in DP's mother's home right now. She's horrible about things like that. I can't even leave my shampoo in the bathroom because it 'clutters it all up, and makes it look sloppy'

We might try getting new arms stuck on, and if not, I'll just have to get a new prescription and all... I can't seem to find my old one, or I would be going with that site.


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## Dreaming (Feb 8, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Reikagoth* 
Thanks for the advice everyone.

I'll have to talk to DP when he gets home... We can't put nails in the walls, or put them in another room since we're living in DP's mother's home right now. She's horrible about things like that. I can't even leave my shampoo in the bathroom because it 'clutters it all up, and makes it look sloppy'

We might try getting new arms stuck on, and if not, I'll just have to get a new prescription and all... I can't seem to find my old one, or I would be going with that site.

Get those hooks from 3M that you can pull off the wall without leaving a mark. They sell them at Target (and I'm sure many other stores both IRL or on the web) and they only cost a few dollars. You can put it up high on a wall in your room. Simple.


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## LynnS6 (Mar 30, 2005)

They sell locking 'boxes' for storing medicines, like this:
http://www.onestepahead.com/product/...11756/117.html

I'd invest in one of those and put your glasses in there when you go to bed. Even if your son is baby houdini, it'll buy you a few minutes to actually get yourself out of bed after he climbs out.

My brother was like this -- in a family FULL of glasses wearers. My parents and older sisters STILL tell stories about how many pairs of glasses he managed to break. And he wouldn't just go for the bows - he'd put his hands on either side of the bridge and break them in half.

The ONLY solution was the keep them out of his reach. He even took the glasses off my dad's head once (he was riding on Dad's shoulders) and broke them before my dad could react!!


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## lalaland42 (Mar 12, 2006)

I have flexible glasses and that has helped but the biggest help is I taught DD to bring me my glasses in the morning. She is very big on property rights so she says "mommy's glasses" and jabs me in the eye trying to help me put them on. IMO, that is better then playing with them and breaking them. -Glasses are expensive! Even with the flexible glasses, I have to get them adjusted once every couple of months.

DH can't see anything without his glasses so sometimes he puts them under his pillow with his head on top.


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## formerluddite (Nov 16, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Reikagoth* 
I'll just have to get a new prescription and all... I can't seem to find my old one, or I would be going with that site.

if you can remember where you got the prescription, try calling them and seeing if they have it on file.


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## Aeress (Jan 25, 2005)

You could try explaining what your glasses do. My dd thought they were a toy until we talked about eyes=see, ears=hear etc. Once she connected the basic concept of eye=see, I told her mommy's eyes don't see without glasses. She seemed to get the concept and hasn't touched mine other than to hand them to me..."momma, glass, see, eyes."









Now, accidentally knocking them off of my head is another story....


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## UUMom (Nov 14, 2002)

Subbing to see how many more reasons there are to keep putting this burden on a one yr old baby. I already get how there is no way around this and no way to keep him from breaking the glasses.

I'd suggest putting them under the bed in a little box, or in a drawer under underwear, but I am sure there is a reason that won't work.


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## LEAW (Aug 5, 2004)

You can go to any place that makes them and ask them to tell you what the prescription is, they have a machine that looks back and reads the lens... especially the bigger chain places (lenscrafters etc) and teh discount stores (sams/walmart).

But really, it's up to you to be responsible for your glasses. I have had glasses on my face since I was 5, and I've broken many pairs. It's been a long road for me, I'm clumsy and I NEED them, if I drop them in the morning my dh has to help me find them.

At the moment mine live on a bookshelf 2' above dds head at night, dh puts his on the kitchen counter, which is fine now, but I'm sure she'll reach them soon.

If you are cosleeping, why is it that you don't hear him getting up? When dd slept with me (she sleeps with dh now) my first reaction in the morning to her stirring (even before she was awake) was to reach for my glasses no matter how much I wanted to keep sleeping. I don't have a backup pair, and I don't have contacts, so I MUST be the responsible one and keep track of them.

The 3M hook is a great suggestion, you can hang them in a cloth bag up there. Or on a hinge for a door, tie the bag there. OR the shower rod, or the closet rod, or the light fixture, hook a hanger on the light fixture and hook the bag to that. Top of the window, the drapery rod, top of the mirror in the bathroom, I promise there are places your child can't reach.

How about putting htem in a rubbermaid or tupperware food container? My dd can't possibly get those open, I know 5 yr olds who can't get them open... you'd hear the glasses rattle around in the plastic and wake up before he got it open. OR you could sleep on top of the plastic case, your pillow would be enough to cushion your head.


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## StrawberryFields (Apr 6, 2005)

How about putting them in your underwear drawer? Surely you would wake up before your 1 year old was able to open the drawer and find and break them. Or inside your closed purse.


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