Why Doesn't Your Child Want to Wear Their Hearing Aids?
If your child has a hearing problem and has been waiting for hearing aids, then you'll have expected them to be happy to get them. While your child may have eagerly anticipated being able to hear more clearly, the reality of aids may not be what they expected.
Rather than happily wearing their hearing aids, your child may be unhappy with them. What's the problem, and what can you do about it?
Things Are Too Noisy
It can take a while for a child to get used to the sounds they hear when their hearing aids are in. This isn't necessarily like normal hearing. Your child may be overwhelmed by hearing new sounds and discomforted by noise levels.
Hearing Aids Feel Weird
While your focus is on hearing benefits, your child is the one who actually has to wear the hearing aids. Putting in aids and wearing them all the time may be uncomfortable to start with, and your child may not like the way they feel. For example, your child may say that the aids are too heavy or that they hurt their ears.
Your Child Is Self-Conscious
Children can sometimes be reluctant to wear hearing aids because they worry about what their friends will think. Kids often don't like being the centre of attention.
You can usually spot this problem by gauging when your child doesn't want to wear their hearing aids. For example, if they are happy to wear aids at home but don't want to use them at school or in social situations, then assume that they are embarrassed or self-conscious.
While you're likely disappointed that your child hasn't taken to their hearing aids immediately, there are ways to improve matters. For example, these tips may help:
- Don't expect your child to wear their hearing aids all the time. Get them to have them in for a short while each day or for short bursts during the day. Make sure that things aren't too noisy when they wear their aids. Your child can then get used to the new sounds they can hear and to wearing the aids themselves.
- Have a chat about how they feel about their hearing aids and how their friends have been reacting. Explain that their friends will naturally be curious to start with but will soon stop asking questions or talking about the hearing aids.
If you continue to have problems getting your child to wear their aids, contact your hearing aid clinic and ask for advice.
