3 Ways You Can Decorate Your Child's Hearing Aids
As a parent of a child who wears hearing aids, you'll know it can be a struggle to get your child to keep their hearing aids on. There are a number of reasons children pull their hearing aids off, including finding it difficult to accept they need hearing aids, not wanting to feel different from their friends and feeling self-conscious. It can be difficult for children to make the connection between wearing hearing aids and their speech and language development and academic performance, so parents often have to get creative and find ways to make their child's hearing aids exciting and attractive.
Allowing your child to customise their hearing aids by decorating them can help get them interested in wearing their hearing aids, and they may even want to show off their cool superhero-emblazoned hearing aids to their envious friends. Here are three ways you can decorate hearing aids:
Removable Tube Decorations
The plastic tube that connects the earmold to the microphone section of your child's hearing aid can be decorated with colourful plastic twists or charms. The twists simply wrap around the tubing and are available in a wide variety of colours, so you can order a set to match school or sports team colours or a set to match a party outfit. The charms are attached by removing the tubing from the earmold and sliding the charm onto the tube in the same way you would put a ring on your finger. There is no shortage of charm themes for your child to choose from, so whether they're into cars, animals, cartoon characters or superheroes, they'll enjoy choosing what charms to add to their hearing aids each morning.
Colourful Earmolds
Children need earmolds replaced frequently as their ears are still growing, but they don't have to be plain beige or transparent. Earmolds can be made in different colours and with a range of fun effects, such as glitter or marble, so at your child's next fitting, let them pick the colour of their earmolds. If you want to stick with transparent earmolds, a small picture of your child's choosing can be placed inside them.
Specially Made Sticker Kits
There are sticker kits available that have been cut to fit common styles of hearing aids worn by children, including behind the ear models and those with the receiver in the ear. The stickers peel off easily, so your child can customise their hearing aids as often as they like.
Allowing your child to decorate their hearing aids can give them some control in an area of their life they may be finding difficult. If you're concerned your child is struggling to come to terms with their hearing loss, speak to their audiologist. They can give you additional tips and support and can arrange a referral to a counsellor, if necessary.