[Need2learnDad]

I suffer from a pretty significant degree of hearing loss. Tone is everything to me as far as hearing goes. The deeper a person's voice - the better for my reception and understanding. My 4 year old gets very frustrated with having to repeat himself to me. I think he feels as though I am not listening. Communication in the car is next to impossible, I can't see his facial expressions and lip movements. Everyday I pick him up from daycare, we get in the car and he is sick of me before we can finish the drive home. Once we are home, he would much rather watch tv or play alone with his toys than do things with me until his mom comes home.
Any suggestions on ways I can help lower his frustrations over having to repeat things to me would be wonderful. Ideas of activities we could do where talk back and forth isn't critical would also be appreceiated.

[QueenAngie]

Welcome to the board!

Get one of those little mirrors to monitor children in the backseat while driving the car.
Put on fav tapes or videos for the trip home w/ singalongs.

Why not teach him some sign language?

Also, there must be some good children's books explaining this.
I found one resource guide that may be helpful.
http://www.coda-international.org/Po...af_Parents.PDF

Let us know how things are going.

[abrahamalegre]

since this is a very special case, i think it's best for you to explain to your child as early as four years old about your situation. im sure you can work out a solution which works for the two of you. communication is key

[mrmnmom82]

Do you have enough time to just sit and face each other, before you hop in the car, so he can tell you all about his day? Just 10 min. or so, then get in the car, put on some fun kid's songs!
As for games, you might consider a color themed game, every red car you see, raise your hand or shout the color, or direction the car is, "on the left!" "straight ahead!" Decide the game before you get into the car so you can talk face to face.

[Samual]

Well I'm pleased you are looking at the road in your car instead of your review mirror! When we pick Mikey up from school he is normally really excited, so we tend to sit in the car for a few minutes while he tells us about whats happened at school before we set off home. If you wear hearing aids you can get small microphones that a person ears around their neck so that you can hear them a lot clearer, maybe that would work for you?

[JeanLynn81]

You have gotten some excellent suggestions!

I completely understand your situation. I have over 65% loss in both ears, and I wear hearing aides. Do you wear them? If not, I can suggest a few resources you can try in order to be able to afford a pair.

Angie suggested sign language and I completely agree. But the asl can be difficult for a young child, so my suggestion is to make up signs of your own that he could do easily.It could be like a language that only you two understand, and would help create a special bond. You can google baby sign language for some ideas. I am here also if you need some help. Not only do I have hearing loss, but I have a almost 3 year old daughter who has a speech deficiency. It has been difficult, but we are making progress.

Good luck!

[Need2learnDad]

Thank-you each for the very kind and good suggestions. A precise description of my hearing loss is 90% left ear. 30% right ear.My left ear does not hear any higher pitches, my right picks up a limited degree of high pitches. I generally do very well with one other person in a stable environment meaning a limited degree of background noise. This dramatically improves if the other person in the conversation has a base voice. Understanding a typical woman or child is a challenge that increases proportionally in a group setting. Since this degeneration of hearing is mid-life onset, I have no knowledge of sign language at all. Multiple hearing specialists have told me a hearing aid will not help the problem.
I do like the suggested ideas of taking some time to discuss his day for a few minutes prior to the ride home and talking with him about my difficulties hearing certain voices.
Thank-you again for taking time to offer assistance, the best part of this deal is, as he grows and his voice turns into hopefully my deep base tone - our communication is likely to improve in about ten years.