7. TALK ABOUT FEELINGS

Talk with your child about what they think and how they feel. Humans need to connect with other humans to thrive in relationships. Learning the vocabulary of "feelings" helps your child have the language they need to sort through and deal with the many feelings most of us experience. Rather than thinking that you need to protect your child from tough feelings, instead adjust to "I want to prepare my child for tough feelings." As children grow older, they will increasingly need to be prepared to deal with things, and even take the lead in some situations. Life is not easy for anyone, and helping your child navigate life and gain their independence is a large part of what parents do.

Learning to handle life happens best with the love and support of family. For a child with hearing loss, feelings and emotions can be hard to put into words. As a family, encourage your child to talk through, and not avoid, hard conversations. Practice by imagining and talking through scenarios. What you spend your time and attention on, is what your child sees as important to you. Practicing hard conversations will help your child learn to deal with important situations in the future, and help them understand how important they are to you and to others.

8. LET YOUR CHILD LEAD

By swooping in to protect our children when they are capable of using their own voices, we send the message that they need to be protected and are not capable. Give your child the chance to try new things and to ask for help when they need it. You can start small with letting your child get a glass of water or practice putting away clean clothes. With language, you can practice letting your child answer questions from others first, instead of answering for them. These small steps help build positive selfesteem and help your child know, "Yes I can do hard things!"

9. MODEL GOOD LISTENING AND TALKING

We don't always know who around us is deaf or hard of hearing. Let's be sensitive to the needs of others, by looking at our own way of speaking and adjusting to make sure that everyone can understand. These are good habits everyone can use. Speak more slowly, look at people when you to speak to them, turn on captioning in Zoom and other platforms, and lean in to make it easier for everyone to follow you.

TALK IT UP: Reading with your child is a language-rich activity that benefits the child most when done daily. It is also a good way to show how much you value conversation, interaction and language.

There are many other ways to create safe places for your child to learn to listen and talk, and this list is just a start. You know your child, your home, and your environment best. Do what feels natural to you and is exciting to your child. And above all, remember that even hard days create opportunities for language growth. Trust yourself to lead the way on helping your child build strong listening and spoken language skills.•

Additional tips and support for creating a language-rich home can be found at agbell.org.

HOW DO WE HEAR?

Sound comes to us by the ear, but actually we process what we hear in our brain. When the ear is not able to receive sound, it's as if a bridge is out. Something must be done so your child can hear the world around them. If you think your child might have a hearing loss, consult your local Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) provider for further testing and support: ehdi-pals.org.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Gayla H. Guignard, M.A., CCC-A/SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT has served as the Chief Strategy & Programs Officer for the Alexander Graham Bell (AG Bell) Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing since 2015. By training, she is an audiologist, speech-language pathologist and Listening and Spoken Language Specialist Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist. In addition to clinical practice with children and families, she has led state programs in Indiana, including EHDI, and is focused on systems that help improve outcomes for children who are deaf or hard of hearing, including the preparation of professionals in the field. Melody Bertrand is a freelance writer and communications consultant in Alberta, Canada. She has worked with the Alexander Graham Bell (AG Bell) Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing since 2008 in a variety of roles. She currently manages the association's professional content portfolio, providing those who work with children who are deaf and hard of hearing with tools they can use in their practice. Melody has a journalism degree from the University of North CarolinaChapel Hill.