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Family Bulletin Your Incredible Hearing Machine This month in THE GREAT BODY SHOP, your child learned about the ear. The lessons were: Lesson 1: Sound and the Ear Lesson 2: Taking Care of Your Ears Lesson 3: Hearing Impairments Lesson 4: Sound and the Environment
Washing Warning
Discuss your child’s favorite group/musician. Listen to the music and read the lyrics often accompanying the recording. At least twenty major publishers have voluntarily agreed to print lyrics on the packaging. The Parents’ Music Resource Center, founded by Tipper Gore, was one of the groups which pressured the music industry to label recordings.
Ear Wiggle Many animals have muscles that help them prick up their ears to hear something better. Humans have ear muscles, too, but all our ears can do is wiggle!
If the outer ear is dirty, use only a damp washcloth to clean it. The inside of the ear does not need to be cleaned. A cotton swab or other object poked into the ear can easily damage the delicate eardrum. Earwax is a protective coating which traps dust and dirt and helps prevent the skin of the ear from becoming infected. Generally, the wax will dry up and flake out of the ear on its own. (The movement of the jaw while chewing or talking helps the earwax flake off. To feel this, gently put the tip of your finger at the outside entrance of the ear canal and move your jaw.)
Is That My Voice? Have you ever heard a recording of your voice and thought “Is that me? Is my voice really that high?” The reason for this is that you generally hear, or “feel,” a great deal of your own voice transmitted through the bones of your face and head. Since bone is a very dense material, it transmits low frequency sound better. Therefore, when you hear your voice it sounds lower than it sounds to others.
Music Monitoring Parents should be aware of the volume of their children’s radios, stereos, or headphones. The American Academy of Pediatrics warns that loud noise can cause permanent hearing loss. The Academy also recommends that parents monitor the lyrics of songs. Some lyrics are extremely graphic, and some advocate violence, suicide, drug use, and the degradation of women. Active monitoring of the volume and song lyrics of the music your child enjoys can keep your child’s ears and mind healthy. Be aware that any noise over 100 decibels (about as loud as a power saw) can permanently damage ears. A typical rock concert is about 110 decibels. If your child goes to a concert, insist he/she wear ear plugs. You might be more successful in getting kids to turn down the volume by mentioning that even musicians warn about the dangers of too-loud music. Make sure the music in headphones isn’t so loud that it drowns out conversation. page 8
Read All About It Rally Caps by Stephen J. Cutler and Jodi Cutler Del Dottore Ten-year-old Jordan is injured in an unfortunate accident while trying out for the Little League team. At summer camp he forms a friendship with a deaf Italian boy, Luca, who wears a cochlear implant. Through their friendship, Jordan regains the courage to return to baseball with a passion.
Copyright © 2015 The Children’s Health Market, Inc. series green SI409
