With summer almost here, parents usually take their kids out to fun events. Now, when it comes to summer events, you can expect the outdoor ones to get really loud—massively loud even! Now, you might already understand that you have to protect your ears during these loud events, but it’s even more important that you’re taking care of your kid’s hearing health during these events. Not only can loud noises be painful, but there’s even the potential for hearing loss for your child. So, needless to say, this is no scenario that a child or an adult would want.
So whether you’re planning a family outing to see their favorite band, gazing at the loud race cars on the track, marveling at high-flying planes, or ooh and aah at colorful fireworks, make sure to pack along some ear protection to keep their ears safe and sound. After all, the memories you make together will be even sweeter when you know their hearing health is in good hands. So, with all of that in mind, here’s what every parent can do!
Choosing the Right Ear Protection
This is going to be the most obvious part, but it’s also going to be the most challenging part. So, as you might already know, when it comes to preventing hearing loss: daily habits are what it’s all about. For example, your kid might try to blast the TV or even their earphones as high as they can go. It’s just what kids do (and it doesn’t help that more adults are doing this). So they think it’s normal. On top of that, it can just be hard in general to get them to wear ear protection. But again, if you’re going to these events, they have no choice.
You’re going to be wearing them, and no matter how much they dislike them, they need to wear them, too. So, you need to make sure they wear the right ear protection for their hearing, but you also need to make sure you’re getting something that will work. For the most part, those cheap foam earplugs barely ever do the job. But you could look into investing in some child-sized earplugs or earmuffs, as these can make a world of difference in keeping those tiny ears safe from harm.
These specially designed ear protectors are comfy and cozy, and most importantly, they help reduce noise levels without sacrificing any of the fun. So, what if you have a baby or toddler? Then, 100% of them should wear earmuffs, and there are earmuffs designed for their little heads, too.
You All Will Need to Take Quiet Breaks
Well, if it’s possible, that is—for the most part, it is (maybe not for fireworks shows or airshows, however). No matter how fun it is to see your child being dazzled by the show or activity, you have to keep in mind that – all that noise can add up. Yeah, there can be too much noise. Plus, earplugs and earmuffs can feel a bit irritating if they are on for too long.
So that’s why it’s essential to take breaks and give those ears a rest when needed. For example, if you’re at a concert hall, just go outside in the parking lot for a bit. It’s more about getting far enough to wear the noise; it just doesn’t affect the ears. Plus, this can be a nice way to get your kid to recharge, too.
Lead By Example
If your child sees that you’re willing to wear hearing protection, they’ll be more inclined to wear it too (again, kids are fussy, so they may protest wearing these in the first place). Honestly, it can be hard convincing your child to leave their hearing protection in. So leading by example can work a bit- after all, they like to mimic their parents.