I thought I would share with you what it is like to live with a deaf teenager. Mostly, it is pretty much like living with any teenager, EXCEPT, deaf teenagers can take their ears off and then ask questions to which they can hear no answers. See, regular teenagers pretend not to hear their parents, deaf ones really don't hear them. But that doesn't stop them from asking questions that need answers!
I am going to attempt to play out for you a scenario that happened at our house tonight. Chance comes walking up the stairs and said,"I need a pillow. Where is a pillow?"
I reply with, "There is one right there by the couch."
Except, Chance doesn't hear me because he doesn't have implants on and he walks down the hall.
I wait for Chance to walk back through the living room and when he does, I point to the pillow." He doesn't look my way and continues through the living room to the laundry room.
Chance comes back into the living room carrying his new shoes which need to be sprayed with a protective spray before he wears them. I raise my arms and begin to wave them frantically so he will look over at me. It probably looked a bit like an air traffic control person trying to tell a plane NOT to land.
Chance doesn't see me and continues to the edge of the stairs where he puts the shoes down and heads down to the basement.
I call Chance's brother who is going downstairs too, to "get Chance" which is the phrase we use in our house when we need to get Chance's attention and he doesn't have implants on.
A few minutes later, Chance comes back up the stairs. Chance's brother comes running up the stairs behind him and attempts to tap Chance's shoulder to get his attention. He misses. Chance goes back down the hall. Chance's brother runs down the hall and somehow, gets Chance's attention and tells him that I need him.
Chance comes into the room and looks at me. I am talking to his dad so I don't respond immediately, and Chance turns to go back downstairs. Again I wave like a woman possessed. Chance's brother throws his arm around Chance and with his face inches from Chance's says,"Mom needs to talk to you."
Chance then turns to me and says "Whaaaat?"
Wow. All of that just to tell Chance that I needed to spray his new shoes before he wears them tomorrow. It took a family effort, but at last, Chance looked at me and we were able to communicate.
Gives a whole new meaning to the concept of learning to communicate with your teenager doesn't it?
I am going to attempt to play out for you a scenario that happened at our house tonight. Chance comes walking up the stairs and said,"I need a pillow. Where is a pillow?"
I reply with, "There is one right there by the couch."
Except, Chance doesn't hear me because he doesn't have implants on and he walks down the hall.
I wait for Chance to walk back through the living room and when he does, I point to the pillow." He doesn't look my way and continues through the living room to the laundry room.
Chance comes back into the living room carrying his new shoes which need to be sprayed with a protective spray before he wears them. I raise my arms and begin to wave them frantically so he will look over at me. It probably looked a bit like an air traffic control person trying to tell a plane NOT to land.
Chance doesn't see me and continues to the edge of the stairs where he puts the shoes down and heads down to the basement.
I call Chance's brother who is going downstairs too, to "get Chance" which is the phrase we use in our house when we need to get Chance's attention and he doesn't have implants on.
A few minutes later, Chance comes back up the stairs. Chance's brother comes running up the stairs behind him and attempts to tap Chance's shoulder to get his attention. He misses. Chance goes back down the hall. Chance's brother runs down the hall and somehow, gets Chance's attention and tells him that I need him.
Chance comes into the room and looks at me. I am talking to his dad so I don't respond immediately, and Chance turns to go back downstairs. Again I wave like a woman possessed. Chance's brother throws his arm around Chance and with his face inches from Chance's says,"Mom needs to talk to you."
Chance then turns to me and says "Whaaaat?"
Wow. All of that just to tell Chance that I needed to spray his new shoes before he wears them tomorrow. It took a family effort, but at last, Chance looked at me and we were able to communicate.
Gives a whole new meaning to the concept of learning to communicate with your teenager doesn't it?
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