4 tips to protect your child’s hearing

We all worry about our kids, and one more thing to worry about is their hearing, especially with phones and tablets pumping sound directly into their ears through headphones.

If you’re worried about your child possibly doing damage to their ears, here are four ways you can protect their hearing.

Teach them how loud is too loud

Any visit to a daycare or primary school will soon make you realise just how loud kids can be.

When they’re not screaming in each other ears they’re singing and shouting as loud as they can.

It’s important to let kids know how loud is too loud, especially when listening to ear/headphones.

As a general rule, if you can hear someone’s music as they listen to it, then it’s too loud.

Teach children that if they can’t hear someone calling their name when they have their earphones in, then it’s too loud.

Invest in quality headphones

Headphones and earphones might be used synonymously, but there is a difference.

Earphones are the small buds that go into your ear canal, while headphones go over the top of your head and sit over your ears.

The difference is huge when it comes to hearing damage, especially for children.

Headphones are not only more comfortable for kids, but they also have clearer sound which stops people turning them up louder.

All headphones and earphones come with information on the box showing exactly the range and frequency of the noise produced, so if you want to protect your child’s hearing, do your research!

Use hearing protection when needed

You don’t have to be at a heavy metal concert to think about hearing protection, especially when it comes to children.

Any large gathering can be noisy enough, especially things like firework displays.

Hearing protection like earmuffs or ear plugs can be used to protect your child’s hearing.  Earmuffs are a good choice for young children, even infants.  Older children might prefer ear plugs.

Either way, get them on!

Educate your child about hearing loss

Kids aren’t stupid and they don’t like being told what to do.

Simply ordering a child to put on their hearing protection or to turn down their music usually results in a rebellious denial.

It’s much better to educate your kids and explain to them the reasons and mechanics behind hearing loss.

Explain to them they have little hairs in their ears that pick up sound vibrations, and if the sound is too loud, then these little hairs stop working.

If that happens, then they can’t pick up any sounds, never mind loud ones!

If kids understand something, they are more likely to care about it, and that’s part of the struggle if you want to protect your child’s hearing.