This Father’s Day Reconnect with Your Kids and Grandkids

If you’ve been recently diagnosed with hearing loss and are now taking the steps to intervene with hearing aids, you might find that an important additional step in the process is reestablishing the important connections in your life. 

Because the signs of age-related hearing loss are often subtle, the degree to which you’ve fallen from normal hearing levels has probably snuck up on you. Asking people to repeat themselves, difficulty interacting when distracting background noise is present and the challenges of holding large group conversations all take a toll on communications. The great news is that connecting with loved ones can only be improved now that you’ve taken proactive steps in restoring your listening life. If you’re a father, you can use this upcoming Father’s Day to spend some time doing just that with your children or grandchildren.

Ask questions

It might seem like an oversimplification, but the art of asking questions is a practice that is sometimes lost when our hearing starts to go. It’s almost like opening a can of worms, because if we ask questions, we are sure to get some answers. When hearing loss has been a factor, we might not be able to hear them! 

Reintroduce this important conversational skill back into the discussions you’re having with your children and grandchildren. No matter their age or stage in life, everyone is delighted when someone they love expresses interest into their lives. 

Join the group 

Another habit you may have adopted while you were living with undiagnosed and untreated hearing loss is avoiding large group conversations. Because most hearing aids on the market these days are incredibly smart, they can adapt their listening programs to the most challenging scenarios — even group conversations. If you have been spending some time adjusting to your new hearing aids, Father’s Day is the perfect situation to take them out for a test drive! 

Take in a ball game

It’s the official American past-time for a reason. It might also be the unofficial activity of Father’s Day. Generation after generation has spent the third Sunday of June at the ballpark. While there is a degree of background noise inherent in this activity, the good news is that conversation is not the focus of the day. The focus is on the action and therefore you can give the reintroduction of conversational skills a day off and just take in the game. 

Spend some visual time together

If you need more than a break from conversation, some real quiet time, consider visiting your local art museum. An inherent reverential hush is part and parcel of these institutions. If you have young kids or grandchildren, the quiet walk of the art museum is a nice tradition to introduce them to. If they’re full of questions, make a game of it by bringing along a notepad and pencil and encourage them to pass notes back and forth. 

Don’t take a high-pressure call

If you have a long-distance relationship with your children or grandchildren, then phone calls might seem like the only way to regularly hold conversations. This can be a highly challenging listening situation if you’re living with hearing loss. This Father’s Day, take some of the pressure off your communications by trying out another method.

Video chat is increasingly easy to use. It’s free, widely available with Internet connection, and the quality is now incredibly reliable. Google Hangouts have a simple video chat option, in addition to the tried-and-true Skype option. Even FaceTime, or other mobile video chat apps, are becoming more reliable as long as strong cellular service is available. This is a great method of catching up with children and loved ones because you’re able to use visual cues like facial expressions, lip reading and conversation mannerisms to keep up with the dialogue. 

Support your local postal service

Another fun option is to use this Father’s Day to launch a letter writing campaign. Send a long note, a fun postcard or a chatty letter to your children or grandchildren. It’s a mode of communication that’s gone out of fashion, but perhaps now that it’s “retro” it’s time to bring it back! More than simply keeping one another up to date, paper letters and notes remain precious mementos for years to come. 

Stay connected with the ones you love by treating your hearing loss. Contact us at Orange County Physicians’ Hearing Services to schedule an appointment today.