This question came in as a comment from Misty on the last post. Danielle was kind enough to write up a reply. -Ann Z
Question:
My 26 month old son chews on the rubber nosepads on his metal frames. I’ve lost count on how many times we’ve had them replaced. Nothing seems to work. The tech at the doctor says that he’s going to have to start charging me for them since we’ve cost them a small fortune. I’ve tried soaking them in vinegar so he doesn’t like the taste and we’ve given him other things to chew on. Nothing has worked. Any suggestions.
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Answer:
No worries, any optician who has dealt with children knows that this happens from time to time. It is just a phase or a new habit. Quite frankly, I know that it is more bothersome for the parent then it is for me. Changing nose pads only takes a few minutes and they cost pennies for me, but as a mom and a dad you have to take the time to come in and deal with the scrapes on your child’s nose because the pads are all chewed up. I know this is frustrating, but there is something you can do 🙂
First, let me explain that there are several types of nose pads. Each one is made out of a different material. I’ll list them here from the softest and more comfortable pads to the hardest pads (or we could say from the chewiest to least chewiest)
- Silicone
- Silicone with metal insert
- Vinyl
- Vinyl with metal insert
- Solid Plastic
- Solid Metal
The plan is to start from the top of the list and work your way down until you find the pad that your child doesn’t want to chew on any longer. I guarantee you child will not be able to chew the solid metal ones. I know the temptation is to go right to the solid metal ones, but I have found this is not the best approach. The softer nose pads are more comfortable and as you go down each level you are giving up some on comfort. The last thing we want is your child to not want to wear their glasses because they are uncomfortable. Once your child stops chewing for a couple of weeks the habit will be broken and you can return to the softer pads.
For Little Eyes 
I got glasses in 7th grade because I couldn’t see far and I chewed on the nose pads! I just remembered that when I was reading. So I guess it’s ‘normal’ to think they are gummy bears. At least if they were metal, they wouldn’t chew on them as much or at least it would do any damage. I chewed on my glasses until I got contacts in high school. I’m now 30 and my 15 month old takes my glasses off my face to chew on them. So it’s come full circle.
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My 23 month old son has miraflex glasses and they are Awesome!! They are all one piece of plastic and don’t have nose pieces, so no worries! I highly recommend them.
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My son’s first pair came without nose pads – there are a few like that so may be worth investigating!
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