In two weeks, my kids will start school again. This is the time of year many stay at home moms unashamedly live for: moments to themselves. Time to pursue a hobby or endulge in massages and Starbucks. Should I get a Mom of the Year Award because I fall into the category of I Don’t … Continue reading
Filed under Lipreading Mom’s Confessions …
The Only Whispers I Can Hear
Would life be better if I could hear better? Would I notice the subtle differences in people’s voices, or the tones used in their speech? Or be able to hear the door bell ring or the microwave beep, or the wall clock tick? Or distinguish instantly who is calling me by listening to voice, not … Continue reading
Depression and Hearing Loss
Sometimes, Lipreading Mom receives comments that are too important not to share with readers. This is one of them. One of my readers–I’ll call him “Ben”– shared how his new hearing loss has caused some depression. This is Ben’s letter and my reply… Dear Lipreading Mom, What do you do about depression? I started losing … Continue reading
Adventures in Tinnitus (1): Make the noise STOP!
Oh, to have a quiet moment. Welcome to the world of tinnitus. It’s a condition characterized by a perceived ringing, buzzing or whistling sound in the ears. Lipreading Mom’s 6-year-old daughter recently shared she can’t hear the teacher at school well because of the sounds inside her ears. Her school audiologist admits there isn’t an objective … Continue reading
Do Hearing Aids Belong in the Gym?
A few weeks ago, Lipreading Mom got her rear off the couch and headed to the gym. Entering the workout center after the long hiatus made me feel naked. I’d left two items from my wardrobe behind: my ear buds and hearing aids. While fellow gym goers suited up for an hour of elliptical skiing, … Continue reading
Lipreading Mom’s 5 Tips for a Happy Holiday with Hearing Loss
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. But for the 1 in 10 people with hearing loss, it’s also the most challenging time for communication. Lipreading Mom should know. I’ve had 10 years of holidaytime hearing loss experience. The whole family is packed around the dinner table, busily chatting about their good fortune and laying … Continue reading
How to Strike Up a ‘Deaf’ Conversation
It’s sad but true. I’ve observed friends, family and strangers with perfect hearing reluctant to talk to someone who is Deaf. I’ve seen this happen in restaurants, libraries, the post office and church. Something Lipreading Mom has committed to doing is to initiate an ASL* conversation with people I don’t know. These are people I … Continue reading
Lipreading Mom Wants Captions!
Well, it’s about time. As I’ve written about on this blog before, I’m among the thousands of Deaf and hard of hearing moviegoers fed up with not being able to understand movie dialogue. Now a group is sueing Cinemark theatres for lack of captioned movies. This is a theater chain that hasn’t yet embraced captioning technology … Continue reading
Why I Write from Home
Staying at home with kids: Is it really for me? Lipreading mom’s confession: I didn’t think so before I had my first child. The office environment suited me well. I was working for a women’s organization and writing for its magazine. There were weekly planning meetings, phone interviews and research projects to occupy five days a week. In fact, I … Continue reading
Slowing Down with Thomas the Train
My confession: For a long time, I was just too busy to be an attentive mom. I was reminded of that fact a few mornings ago as my two-year-old son and I returned home and did our casual routine. Breakfast. Decaf coffee for me. Bible reading time. Checking my e-mail via phone. Routine accomplished by … Continue reading