I have often wondered how generations before closed captioning survived animated movies. My memory goes back to the first cartoon I ever saw in a theater. Actually, “Pete’s Dragon” was part animated, part live action. There I was at the age of three with my daddy and big sister, watching a smiling green dragon breathe … Continue reading
Filed under Lipreading Mom’s Confessions …
How Humor Can Heal Hearing Loss…Oh, Yes It Can
Okay, I use the term “heal” metaphorically. But for the past eight years of that rollercoaster ride known as hearing loss, I’ve found laughter to be the most effective remedy for coping with the inevitable. “So I’m going deaf,” I say with a slight chuckle to my family and friends. “What’s new with YOU?” For … Continue reading
Can People with Hearing Loss Be Good Listeners?
Confession: I am a conversation control freak. It has been brought to my attention more than once that I am a Chatty Kathy. Never one to be quiet for long, I often have an anecdote to share, an opinion to flaunt, or advice to dole out. Usually, I blame this on my hearing loss. It … Continue reading
Did I Pass Hearing Loss Along to My Child?
Lipreading Mom has a confession to make: One of my beloved kids insists on yelling at the top of his lungs every chance he gets. At first, I chalked this up to an animated baby expressing himself. His repeated chants of “MAW-MAW-MAW” everywhere we went were charming. In the beginning. When my Little Squealer learned … Continue reading
Three Tips to Help You Lipread Kids While Driving
Like me, you are probably a more conscientious driver with precious cargo in the back seat. One of the most challenging parts of having a hearing loss, though, is attempting to lipread children while you drive. Three things that have helped me as a lipreading mom behind the wheel: 1) Remind your kids that you … Continue reading
Can You Write an Interesting Lipreading Mom Photo Caption?
Occasionally on Fridays, I’ll post an interesting photo from my family archives. If you post here a caption for this photo—something clever, witty, inspirational, whatever—you will be entered into a drawing for an autographed copy of Lipreading Mom’s book, Lip Reader. Please: PG-rated captions only. No vulgar captions allowed. Winner will be drawn and announced … Continue reading
Lessons in Courage from ‘The Help’
“You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” -‘The Help,’ Kathryn Stockett I am proud to call Minda and Stephanie my friends. Both are highly educated, caring women who love their families. Like me, my friends are also lipreading moms. When we gathered last week for a captioned showing of the movie The Help, … Continue reading
The Reason Why Lipreading Mom Is So Passionate About Captions
My 7-year-old daughter wanted to watch a video at Disney.com. It featured one of her favorite singers. I wanted to sing along with my girl, but I couldn’t. The video wasn’t captioned. My toddler-age son was playing a game at PBSKids.org involving a popular cartoon character. Short video clips from the cartoon were included with … Continue reading
Why I Am Sharing About My Depression
It is no secret that being a mom is a ton of work. For all the blessings of raising a family, there are just as many sleepless nights, challenging days, and anxious thoughts. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing moms’ stories about a phenomenon that affects at least one in four women. … Continue reading
How Come I Can’t Hear My Baby?
Let’s go back in time to the winter of 2001 when I became Lipreading Mom… My days were spent holding a blissfully sleeping newborn boy. My nights were spent holding a wide-awake newborn boy since he developed this sleep-all-day, night-owl fascination. When my ears rang uncontrollably, I thought it was a side effect of sleep … Continue reading
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