Lily and her preschool class took a "field" trip to the Spring Creek Prairie. It was a beautiful day to listen to the frogs and birds, the wind and even the trains.
The prairie guide provided a lot of instruction and guidance to the children during the tour, so we used the FM. We were surprised when the guide told us that she frequently uses an FM with kids out there. It was incredible to observe how much teaching involved whispering. Thank goodness for the FM.
The two pictures below are of a "Velcro" plant that sticks to the kids' shirts and a snail. Of course how can you hold and examine a snail without talking about its similarities to a cochlea.
We have had a lot of discussions lately, driven by Lily, about her CIs and cochlea. Various questions like why she has a CI and we don't, when can she stop wearing it, why she says "what" all the time, if her ears still work a "little," what advantages she has that kids with ordinary hearing don't have, etc. Even questions comparing herself and her buddies.
I found myself explaining genetics to a four year old when another parent's explanation of "that is just how God made us" didn't satisfy Lily anymore. Sometimes these discussions break my heart and sometime I think it makes her stronger and more confident.
When she moves to a new environment with new kids, they always have lots of questions. One little girl came up to me last week and said Lily had "plugs" in her hair. Lily just says, "They help me hear" and moves on. It's impressive to watch her make friends and build relationships in an instant. At any park she'll find a kid and say "Do you want to be my friend" or "Do you want to play with me?" She never fails to leave somewhere without a new "friend."
What was I so worried about?
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