We have had a very active month with playdates and club meetings. We were very fortunate to get invited to Ben's playgroup, and it was wonderful to meet everyone and let the kids play. My kids were quite cranky from a lack of naps that day- I promise, they're not like that all the time! We are definitely going to try the playgroup again, on a day where both boys have had naps and are in chipper moods!
We had a Jr. Deaf Club meeting tonight at the Optimist Camp in Gerry. It was wonderful to let the kids romp around in the leaves and watch the bonfire, while the adults talked and scarfed down food. It is nice for Nolan to see other kids in hearing aids and cochlear implants, even though he's quite a bit younger than most of the other Jr. Deaf Club members.
One of the things we have noticed while traveling around this month is that Nolan is becoming an absolute beast in the car. He whines, cries, and screams for the duration of the car ride. He's becoming louder in general, having a tendency to yell rather than talk. The car rides are the worst, though, and there is no way to deal with the behavior when I'm behind the wheel.
Tonight, for example, Nolan immediately started screaming, "SURKEY! SURKEY!" when we entered the car. For those not proficient in Nolanese, this translates to "thirsty." He's not actually very thirsty, considering the fact that he just downed two sippy cups full of diluted juice. The cries of "Surkey!" soon change to cries for his shoe, or for a book, or that his ear is bothering him. All of this is at a volume of approximately 100dB. Even Matt starts covering his ears, and the ride is absolutely miserable for everyone involved.
I am at a loss for how to contain this toddler road rage. Taking out Nolan's hearing aids works some of the time, but other times it just makes him increase his overall volume. If anyone has any ideas, they'd be very welcome!
3 comments:
Oh, how I wish we had something for hoh/ci/deaf kids in our area!
The car ride sounds like NO fun! Are you tempted to pull the aids and turn up the tunes??!! Matt would probably enjoy that too! I am always thankful when the boys fall asleep on long car rides. The road noise is frustrating to Tayten and if he doesn't occupy himself with crayons, wiki sticks, or the magna doodle, it is a long, miserable ride of overdramatic complaining.
I really have no suggestions - sorry!!!
First, thanks so much for joining us a couple of weeks ago, and feel free to join us whenever you can. Ben loved meeting Nolan and Matthew, and Nolan's blue swirl ear molds made it onto Ben's calendar that night.
Second, I got nothing for you on the car ride problem. When Ben is cranky, the only thing that works is distraction. For long car rides, we set up a portable DVD player and he watches Signing Time DVDs. You can also get activity tables that strap across the car seat. But you'll probably have to put this one under the heading of This Too Shall Pass.
I think he is trying to get back your attention. While driving , he maybe feels you are not able to give your undivided attention which he is normally used to. Why don't you try telling him in advance about where you are going and about the trip in advance, so he knows about it. you can, on the way, talk about it again as an reinforcement.A little treat promised at end for good behavior along with good speech might just do the trick.Try, all the best.
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