A drawer full of electrical tape and super-glue is no way to prepare for the eventuality of your son or daughter's broken glasses. Kids are tough on glasses. Really tough. I recall the horror of breaking a pair of glasses as a kid in about 4th grade. This was a brand new pair and a soccer ball to the face at recess did them in. I panicked.

I remember the look on my mom's face when she wrote the second check for $100 dollars -- [begin codger]and that was back when a hundred bucks was a hundred bucks[/end codger]. A hundred bucks was six tanks of gas, an overflowing grocery cart, new tires for the station wagon, a really fancy family meal, or a car payment.

It's not like that now -- or at least it doesn't have to be, contrary to what the folks at LensCrafters are telling you.

A few things to consider when buying glasses for children:

1. You're going to get polycarbonate lenses. The benefits are four-fold; shatter-proof, lighter, inherent UV protection, and inherent scratch resistance.
2. You're going to want to order them from 39DollarGlasses because the polycarbonate lenses are standard and you're going to be able to get two pair for $80.
3. Talk to your eye doctor about testing them when they arrive. If she says she won't, find another doctor, this one isn't concerned with your child's eyes -- just her wallet.