‘Getting to understand the world, through my son.’ By Immy.

I have a nearly 2 year old son, who is a massive inspiration in my life – he just does the most amazing things that I fall in admiration over. Since he was young, he’s always taken an interest in the ‘things-that-are-in-Mummy’s-ears’. Though I have notice he’s taking it all in more-so now as he’s learning new things. He’s learning that I’m a type 1 diabetic and take injections – he very often hand this to me and says ‘jection, mummy’. (Don’t worry, it has no needle actually attached to the pen, until you apply it, and I always take it off and discard it safely, immediately after use! (Just so no-one thinks I’m a terrible parent!))

Now, since he has been able to wander around my bedroom, poking his nose into everything laying around, he seems to have taken a huge interest in these two odd looking objects, very often sitting on my bedside cabinet on the side of my bed. My hearing aids.
I always find that as a parent, discovering the best and new things about your childs’ growth and intellect; is to watch them in secret. I do this very often and I always love the result!

So I do exactly this as I roll over in bed and have one eye closed, and I simply watch him pick up my hearing aid, with his dummy in his mouth, holding his favourite toy in one hand and he just stare intensely at the aid. He moves it around every so often, looks at the switches and ear mould, but doesn’t do anything to them, and then I watched him try and put it in his ear. It made me laugh to myself, because I can totally understand why he would try – It’s something that Mummy does and has. I do try and tell him about them by saying things like ‘Mummy, needs them to hear.’ and ‘Mummy, can’t hear things like you, so I have to put them in my ears so I can hear you talking.’ – He appears to understand by saying ‘Ooh’ back, or at least he’s pretending really well!

I know he’s trying to learn about them as when he stays at my mums or ‘Nanna’ he always looks in her ears when she picks him up. (I suppose it doesn’t help that she’s also a type 1 diabetic too – He must be thinking everyone who has injections must be deaf and wear hearing aids!) So, It is really amusing, but secretly I’m proud that he’s curious about them and noticing the little things.
It’s also amusing when we have cuddles and then my hearing aid whistle, because he gets up and looks at me and giggles, and then pokes me in the ear. Yep, he’s worked out they make noises occasionally!

 However I must admit, when I was pregnant, I did have fears that I wouldn’t understand his needs, or understand what he wanted from me when he spoke, (as many children mumble) or worried I wouldn’t hear him in the night if he cried, but my husband helped very much in that area, and we also brought a very visual baby monitor – which is still very much vital and has been a success. Despite these things what I didn’t realise is that you have a strong bond with your child and you grow up with them. It’s not just them learning and growing, it’s also us as parents too.

I have learnt what he’s trying to say to me, I knew by pointing at objects and simply getting to know him as a young boy, that he’s developing into. It’s nice to know, that my fears were nothing but silly, but for a Deaf person, hearing is difficult enough as it is without all the obstacles that seem to come our way. Saying this, I enjoy motherhood and even more my son. I’m just glad to know that it hasn’t affected our relationship, but added to it – I can’t wait to tell him more about them as he gets older and tell him how I hear the world.