The craziness of Christmas
There’s nothing that our family enjoys more than spending time with friends and family, eating special food, and snuggling up together on the cold winter night. Charlotte and I love the chaos, but we make some adjustments for her.
Deaf children may have difficulty with auditory memory. Over the years, we have learned that it is better to talk things out in advance, to check your understanding, to remember names, and to discuss what could happen at an event. This year, we’ll spend Christmas morning with my cousins, aunts, and uncles. Charlotte has never met these family members, so we teach them some tips on how to be deaf-aware, like saying Charlotte’s first name before talking, maintaining eye contact, and not speaking with food in her mouth. Before we leave, we prepare Charlotte and her brothers by talking about their names, how they are related, and what topics they may discuss with her.
Background noise at Christmas is often louder, with background music and lots of excitement. Charlotte will often stop listening to the conversation because she wants to hear the music. We have music in the kitchen and at other times. For example, we sing along with songs and have time to do so.
We plan quiet time, such as watching a movie or reading a book, and we do word searches. Charlotte can then recover from the noise. She can choose to remove the cochlear implant for quietness at home and out with us. We will then rely on signing language for communication. We’ve always encouraged her to make her own choices. She makes her deafness/hearing work for her.
We also try to stay up-to-date with toys and topics that Charlotte or her friends may be interested in. We can then use this vocabulary at home to introduce it and let Charlotte ask questions. It also allows us to test that she understands what she is saying. She won’t feel embarrassed and can ask for the “in toys” if she so desires. Charlotte’s class assistant can be a great help in this case, as she is with the girls every day and knows what they like and dislike.
These adaptations will help make Christmas a great experience for everyone in the family. Planning can make a big difference.
