Sunday, February 14, 2010

you know your child has a cochlear implant when...



This post is dedicated to my fellow mommies and daddies of kiddos with cochlear implants. I've been thinking about this list for a while, and it's my way of expressing what has become our "normal". I know many of you will be able to relate, even with a special kid without a cochlear implant. Please add to my list in the comments section!

You know your child has a cochlear implant when...

...his hearing aids made better chew toys than amplification devices.
...you're on a first name basis with the employee at Sally Beauty Supply, because you buy so much wig tape.
...you momentarily wonder why anyone would try to teach the alphabet in the bathtub when your child can't hear in the bathtub, and then you remember...
...you worry about rough play, tumbles, jumping, etc. because his coil might fall off.
...you have a fear of plastic slides.
...you carry along static guard and dryer sheets when you go to the park.
...you find yourself pointing out every sound that you hear (while pointing to your ear), even all those lovely potty sounds.
...you pop his coil off once and a while and yell really loudly, to make sure that he really can't hear without it.
...you've ever gotten strange looks or questions while in public.
...you know what "ear gear" and "critter clips" are.
...you never leave home without extra batteries, a back-up processor, a remote control, or extra wig tape.
...you've discovered a contraption, like an aloksak or food saver bag, to allow your child to hear while swimming.
...children without cochlear implants start to look stranger than those with cochlear implants.
...you decorate your child's CI to make it look "cool".
...you've ever been driving and gotten hit in the back of the head with a flying processor.
...you've had to search high and low for a processor that your child has mysteriously hidden somewhere, maybe even having disassembled first.
...you know few, if any, other kids (or even adults) with cochlear implants. You've made most of your connections through the blogging world, or on facebook.
...you've traveled far and wide to meet up with other families of children with cochlear implants.
...you've taken the John Tracy Clinic correspondence course.
...you are a member of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Hand and Voices, or the American Society for Deaf Children.
...you've ever received or know of others who have received hateful comments from a member of the Deaf community.
...you check the Ling sounds every day, and get worried if your child doesn't respond.
...you refer to his processor as his "ear".
...your child takes off his "ear" because he's mad, frustrated, or doesn't want to hear you anymore.
...you spend at least 2 hours a week in formal therapy, but all playtime is unofficial therapy time, and you're always looking for a teachable moment.
...you narrate everything that you do, and even elicit strange looks at the grocery store from your repetitive comments like "up, up, up you go", "do you want a piece of cheese? hmmmm, cheese? I like cheese. Do you like cheese?"
...you marvel every day at how the simple act of attaching the magnet allows your child to go from 0 to 95 in an instant.
...you've adopted the "I love you" sign as your family symbol, even if you don't use sign language with your child.
...you can't imagine life for your child without it.

14 comments:

Melanie said...

LOVE this! Can I copy you and make my own list!??! LOL@ Sally Beauty Supply. My Dad is a hairdresser and he buys wig tape for me by the case. :)

PolyglotMom said...

Please do, Mel! I can't wait to read it!!!!

Lone Star Family said...

Love it! I took a picture of K just like the one on this post the other day too funny!

tammy said...

That's great! Love it!!

PinkLAM said...

Great, funny list! Here's what I'd add
-Your child has two birthdays- the day he was born and the day he first heard!
-Your child amazes all of his friends by "magically" sticking paper clips/and or magnets to his head.
(This one probably only applies to brands/models that use disposables)
-You receive disturbed looks when you mention that you/your child goes through "a pack a day." That look is followed by one of confusion when you say you were actually talking about batteries. :)

Naomi said...

I have another - you have excused yourself countless times from a conversation by saying "sorry, I need to change my daughter's batteries".

Mom to Lily said...

Love this post. How about you can reach to the back of the car to reconnect the coil. Thanks!

Julia said...

The last one ("You can't imagine your child without it") totally resonated with me. How about, "You've ever vacuumed under the crib while your child was napping." Or, "You've interrupted a phone conversation to say, 'Hold on, my child is beeping.'"

Jigna B said...

and how we sneak up behind them just to make sure they can hear

Anonymous said...

I love it, I am going to steal it and add to it! :)

Lindsey S. said...

Hi Lucas' Mommy! I'm new to your blog and was just catching up on some of your entries. I don't have a child with a CI but I work at a children's hospital in the Otolaryngology department and I'm going back to school to be an audiologist. I just wanted to say "hello" and let you know that I think what you're doing for Lucas is fabulous. He's very lucky!! You should be very proud of yourself :)

Anonymous said...

As a teacher of the deaf/hoh I have shared only a few of these scenarios, but as I was doing laundry the other day I thought...

You know you're a TOD when you find batteries in the dryer lint trap on a regular basis.

monica said...

Tell me more about plastic slides and dryer sheets....

Amy said...

Great post! Thanks for the laughs.