How Hearing Problems Are Harming Your Experiences As A Parent

As a parent, you naturally have a lot on your plate, especially when it comes to communicating with your kids. Whether they’re just learning to talk or are overloading you with a barrage of slang terms you’ve never even heard, it can sometimes feel like you’re speaking different languages. And that can quickly get frustrating.

But, you know what could make all of these common parenting struggles even more frustrating? If you’re also battling with hearing loss. Suddenly, different languages can turn into different planets, and you may find that it soon starts to drive a wedge between you and the parenting experiences that you so sorely want to enjoy.

This can have far-reaching implications for you and your children, which is why, in this article, we’ll consider the instances when hearing health gets in the way of your role as a parent, and what you can do to stop that from being the case.

# 1 – Piling on the Health and Safety Worries

Ever since having kids, you’ve probably come to know mom stress well, especially when it comes to worries about keeping your kids safe. There isn’t a mom alive who hasn’t stressed about outdoor risks, including cars, uneven sidewalks, and the risk of losing a child somewhere along the way.

But when you’re experiencing undiagnosed hearing problems, these largely peripheral worries may come right to the fore. After all, loud outside environments can make it even harder to hear what’s happening. This could see you failing to hear a car while helping your children to cross the road, or assuming your child is with you even when the familiar patter of their voice is ominously missing.

Worse, you’ll be so aware of these potential risks that you might slip into avoiding going out on your own with the children at all. That can lead to endless days indoors which, as you’re probably well aware, simply aren’t good for you or your youngsters!

# 2 – Communication Difficulties

As discussed, communicating with little ones isn’t always easy, especially when they’re young and still learning about language. Even parents with amazing hearing might end up misunderstanding what their children are trying to say, but the risks of this happening are especially high if you can hardly hear on a good day.

Admittedly, the immediate risks of this problem aren’t as extreme as, say, crossing the road in front of a car. But don’t underestimate how important communication is when you have children. Once they can understand you, the ability to have open and honest conversations about things like feelings and strong emotions is key to helping children regulate. More generally, there’s nothing better than sitting down and hearing all about your child’s day.

Skipping these things, or failing to reciprocate conversations that you simply can’t hear, could lead your child to act out for your attention. There’s also a risk that, when you can’t hear exactly what’s being said, you might end up agreeing to things you don’t necessarily mean to, and then finding yourself unable to back out!

# 3 – Working Harder Each Day

A day in the life of a parent is never easy, and you probably juggle so many balls at any given moment that some inevitably fall by the wayside. But, you know what could leave all of your balls flat on the floor in no time? Undiagnosed hearing loss, of course.

When you can’t hear what’s happening, your brain automatically has to work harder to fill those sensory gaps. Over time, this can increase your risk of problems like memory loss and even dementia. In a daily sense, this need to work harder to follow everything that’s happening can leave you feeling even more exhausted by the end of the day.

Considering how tired you already are as a parent, that’s something you’ll want to avoid at all costs. Which leads us nicely onto the next question –what can you do to avoid these issues?

The Importance of Hearing Tests

We understand that the problems we’ve outlined in this article so far might have left you a little on edge. After all, you want to fully embrace every parenting experience that comes your way, rather than having to sit things out or miss them completely because you didn’t hear what was happening. Luckily, there is a simple step that you can take to improve the situation, and it comes in the form of booking a hearing test.

Like a dentist for your ears, an audiologist is on hand to test and diagnose all things hearing-related. During your appointment, they’ll likely complete various physical examinations, as well as conducting specific hearing tests and asking for a complete history.

Depending on what they find, they’ll likely recommend a variety of treatments, which might include –

• Earwax Removal: Sometimes, compacted earwax can lead to muffled or distorted hearing and requires professional removal to address the problem.
• Tinnitus management: If you’re experiencing tinnitus, which might include a ringing, buzzing, or whistling in your ears, an audiologist may recommend tinnitus management methods like sound or psychological therapies.
• Hearing aids: If you’re experiencing permanent hearing loss, an audiologist may recommend hearing aids. While this treatment can seem like a daunting change, a trained professional can talk you through everything from different types of hearing aids to what’s new in hearing aid tech, in order to ensure the ideal solutions for your parenting lifestyle.

Honesty is Key

Getting professional hearing help is vital, but you may still have a long treatment road to follow. That’s why our last piece of advice is to simply be honest with your children about where you struggle. Even at a young age, kids can be incredibly understanding and should adapt easily to your needs once they know what those are. For instance, you could ask them to look directly at you while talking, or to avoid asking too much of you in loud environments. 

Over time, these small steps can make a huge difference in helping you to fully embrace those parenting experiences at long last.