I spent my entire childhood (adolescence, and early adult) years squinting in the sun. I wore lots of baseball caps, but when you have such beautiful hair as I do, you need the ladies to see it. So I squinted. I wasn't pulling down the allowances today's kids do for all of their video games and scooters and cell phones, so my crows feet advanced. Today, my kids (none of whom have succumbed to my vision genetics yet) wear sunglasses when it really bright out. Winter is one of those times (along with summer, fall, and spring).

I still see the bespectacled kids at their school squinting on their way from and to the buses, however. With what we've learned about eyeglasses prices at GlassyEyes, there is no reason that these children shouldn't be able to see in the sunlight like the rest of the kids -- and they can do so with better quality.

For less than $60 at 39DollarGlasses, you can protect your child's eyes from UV rays (and keep those crowsfeet at bay) while providing a nearly bulletproof polycarbonate lens for physical protection.

Believe me, I'll be looking for these the day one of my sons needs them.

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.

If you don't see something you like at 39 Dollar Glasses, consider getting frames elsewhere and having them lensed for roughly the same price -- with the standard polycarb lenses.