so lately our lovely girl has been questioning her hearing loss. for a few months now the questions have been increasing and associated with some tears. she asks, "why am i the only one of my friends and family that wears hearing aids?" she will ask at night before bed why she has to do all this extra work like taking them in and out before showers and the pool, having to deal with the batteries dying, and "why do i have to remember to wear them for school when other kids don't have to worry about that kind of stuff?" we have been talking to her recently about being responsible with them because she has been leaving them in places lil' bro can get them or just on the couch. and she recently just had her first sleep over and i think she noticed that her friend didn't have to worry about these issues. i tell her there are worse things in this world, and that everybody has some type obstacle that they will have to overcome in their lifetime, but she is only 7 and she will not comprehend that for quite a while. i have let her just sob in my arms telling her that it is ok to be frustrated and it is ok to cry once in a while. then we talk about just being happy for what we have and all of the good things that surround us. but what i am most worried about is the future of her school career. kids can be hurtful, and i am dreading what is to come. i am praying that if she stays with the kids she is starting school with now and they know who she is as a person it won't become an issue, but we never know once middle or high school starts. and then jason comes across this video clip. i could not believe the timing and how perfect the message was.
after showing it to her with a lot of explanation, she was very happy. a few minutes later she came up and said, "mom i wish they had little hearing aids for american girl dolls so i wouldn't be the only one in our house wearing them." love, love, love her to pieces.
i would love to hear what you think, especially if you think there is something we have overlooked that could help.
4 comments:
What can I say? Maddie is such an amazing and talented girl, and I am so proud of her. Loved the video. As soon as American Girl Dolls comes out with hearing aids, I will get them. I love her soooo much!
you always know how to bring me to tears. you're right when you say, "everyone has something to overcome." sometimes, the ones we can see are the easiest, but we just don't know it... that cheerleader is such as inspiration. maddie is an amazingly bright & compassionate little girl. we can't wait to see all that she accomplishes! xxoo, m
Oh your sweet girl.
That is hard.
My friend Jenny (who I met through blogging and her blog is on my side bar titled Smith Squad) might be a good person to talk to . Her middle son was born premature and has hearing loss. He wears hearing aids and goes to a special school to help him with his speech. Jenny and her husband seem to have handled it very well and their outlook with their son is very positive. If you had lots of q's I am sure she would be so happy to talk to you!
It sounds like you said all the right things to her.
Kids can be so cruel, but she sounds like an amazing little girl.
:)
Hi Heather, I am totally stalking your blog, and glad I did! Tears rolling down my face, I TOTALLY get it. You know I had a 7 year old little girl ask me the same questions, and I too was SO afraid of what the future had in store for my Alyssa. Although there were curious kids in elementary,(totally normal) we always told Alyssa to address their "whys" with the same answer as why some where glasses. Glasses help them see, hearing aids help her hear. Most kids actually thought it was "cool" that she had special bionic ears :)...and now about to go into the 2nd Semester of 8th grade and soon to be in High School(yikes!) NOT ONE kid has made fun of her hearing loss, not even here in middle school where kids, (especially girls,lol,can be SO mean!)She has learned to embrace her hearing aids and educate others others if they have any questions :) We continue to encourage her and let her know NOTHING is impossible!!! and to go for her dreams! Ironically, She is an incredible musician/songwriter, yes even though she has a moderate to profound hearing loss!
Maddie is going to be great because she has great supportive parents!!!
If you ever need advice or a word of encouragement, I'm here to help
:) Lisa
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