On the episode where Jan first got her eyeglasses, her problem was being unable to see at a distance, thus contributing to her bad grades and her crashing into "the anniversary gift picture". On the episode "Goodbye Alice Hello" where they were in the eatery trying to win alice back, Jan squints at a menu shes reading up close and Alice says "Dont squint Jan, put your glasses on" which would suggest Jan was farsighted. Did Jan need "bifocals" perhaps? :D Just a thought.

Yeah, you're right.

She also appeared to be near sighted when she ran into the anniversary picture in the garage with her bike.

On the episode where Jan first got her eyeglasses, her problem was being unable to see at a distance, thus contributing to her bad grades and her crashing into "the anniversary gift picture". On the episode "Goodbye Alice Hello" where they were in the eatery trying to win alice back, Jan squints at a menu shes reading up close and Alice says "Dont squint Jan, put your glasses on" which would suggest Jan was farsighted. Did Jan need "bifocals" perhaps? :D Just a thought.

Maybe, like me, she had an astigmatism (weirdly-shaped eyeball) where glasses can be a benefit both for seeing distance and for reading. I'm near-sighted myself, and I have to wear glasses to drive, but I can see perfectly within a six-foot range. Still glasses help me read when I have to do a lot of reading, and since I'm fast approaching my 40th b-day, I'll likely need bifocals in the next 5-10 years. She may have also had such bad eyes that she needed bifocals, but since she only wore glasses in maybe three eps, she may have had bifocal contact lenses. Mike could've spent all the money he saved by keeping a house w/ just one bathroom (and no toilet) for all those kids.

I just remembered something else about that episode...

It is true that Jan's sitting in back of the room kept her from being able to read the blackboard, but if you'll recall, Jan also couldn't read the letter her teacher wrote to Mike and Carol, even though she was holding the letter in her hand...remember, in Mike's den?

Jan: (reading from letter) "Dear Mr. and Mrs. Brady...In the post...past...few weeks, Jan's work... "
Mike: That's enough honey
Carol: Jan where do you sit in Mrs so-and-so's class?
Jan: In the back, why?
Carol: Jan, I think you may need glasses.
Jan: GLASSES????

So I guess Jan not being able to read the menu without her glasses wasn't a total contradiction, as she also couldn't read the teacher's letter either.

Hi! That's a good question and also reminds of the question I have about Brandon Cruz (Eddie Corbett) and his eyesight during the 3 years he was on "Courtship of Eddie's Father". I noticed that he had a tendency to squint when reading, just like Eve Plumb, who played Jan Brady. Another thing I often noticed about Brandon Cruz was he only squinted with one eye and one eye sometimes wandered in or out, indicating the possibility of strabismus or convergence insufficiency. I think he was also nearsighted. He never wore glasses on "Courtship of Eddie's Father", except in the closing segment of episode # 69-"It's All Write With Me", but wore them pretty much all of the time off the set, switching to contact lenses at age 21 and I heard he was planning on having LASIK to correct his vision about a year ago.

Always A Brandon Cruz & Brady Bunch Fan,

Liz

I imagine she was probably almost as nearsighted as I am--I can neither see a book, nor my computer screen, nor anything else further than about six inches away, without glasses. That would make it hard for her to read both a menu or letter and the blackboard in school, even without astigmatism (which I only recently developed, despite having had poor eyesight for about 30 years).

I imagine she was probably almost as nearsighted as I am--I can neither see a book, nor my computer screen, nor anything else further than about six inches away, without glasses. That would make it hard for her to read both a menu or letter and the blackboard in school, even without astigmatism (which I only recently developed, despite having had poor eyesight for about 30 years).


Same here, I can't read the top letter on the chart (no I'm not kidding!) and without my glasses I have to hold things so close that I close one eye so I don't see double. Note that Jan pulled the note closer to read it but had trouble when they made her hold it at arm's length. none of the examples cited really suggest she was farsighted!