Can Wearing Headphones Damage my Child’s Hearing?.

Ah! The unparalleled tranquility that means you don’t have to listen to One Direction anymore. Headphones do bring some welcome peace and quiet to your household and most teens enjoy listening to music on their smartphones, but when music is played too loudly through headphones, it can result in permanent hearing loss.

According to a study by the Journal of American Medical Association, hearing loss in teens is “30% higher than it was in the ’80s and ’90s”. The study estimates that about 1 in 5 (that’s 6.5 million) US teens suffer some hearing loss from listening to loud music on their headphones.

While you may feel like your hearing is being damaged when your children turn up the volume, you are far safer than when music is played loudly through a headset. The proximity of the transducers to the eardrums is what poses the danger here. Hearing is made possible by tiny hair cells in the cochlea that convert vibrations into electrical signals that travel to the brain. These tiny hairs naturally die out as we age, but can be permanently damaged by too much vibration.

Loud music (or other noise) can result in two kinds of damage. Sensorineural damage occurs in the inner ear when hair cells are negatively affected by loud noises. Each group of hair cells is used to hear a particular frequency of sound. When they die off, that frequency can no longer be heard. High frequency hair cells are the most sensitive and they are the first to succumb to damage. This means that most adults can’t hear frequencies between 3 kHz and 6 kHz.

You can test which frequencies you can no longer hear by following this link. http://digg.com/video/how-good-is-your-hearing.

Tinnitus is a more serious condition in which the hair cells suffer permanent damage. Here the hair cells register vibrations even if there is no sound which results in a persistent buzzing sound.  

How loud should headphones be?

Here are the recommended daily doses of sound that the ear can safely manage.  

90 dbA  8 hrs

92 dbA  6 hrs

95 dbA  4 hrs

97 dbA  3 hrs

100 dbA 2 hrs

102 dbA 1.5 hrs

105 dbA 1 hr

110 dbA 0.5 hr

115 dbA 0.25 hr or less

Encourage your children to practice caution when they are playing music loudly. While it may be okay for very short periods of time, it could result in damage or permanent hearing loss. Listening to loud music while walking, biking or driving can compromise your ability to pick up dangers in your surrounding environment.  As a general rule, advise your kids to always keep volumes below 70%.

picture: 

 Maddercarmine

Encouraging the Reluctant Reader.....How do I get my child to read this summer?

If your child is  reluctant to read, there are ways to make reading a fun and rewarding experience that can introduce them to a wonderful new world. Reading carries so many benefits making it a skill that every child should have. When your child is an effective reader, all those high school and college texts won’t pose a problem and they will be able to spend less time studying. Any book they read will add something to their knowledge base, and improve vocabulary and communication skills as well as reading comprehension. If your child is too busy, they won’t read. Ensure that you make time every week for reading to show that it is just as important as other  activities. 

Read to me!

Reading to your children is one of the best ways to instill in them a love of literature. Reading every day for bedtime or story time when they are younger is a great start. Read campfire stories when you go on vacation, read scary stories by candlelight and listen to books on tape when you take road trips.

You can let them do the reading when they get older. Ask them to read the news to you, read recipes when you are cooking together and instructions when you are building new things or playing board games.

Read what’s right for you

Many children associate reading with schoolwork and don’t want to spend their free time on "school stuff". You can overcome this perception by finding other forms of literature that they will enjoy. Don’t be opposed to buying comics, anime, manga or magazines that they are interested in. Always ensure that the books are age-appropriate.

Get an electronic reader or a tablet for technically-minded students and get them to read blogs and books that they like online. Select books that mirror your child’s interests. For example, if you have a child who is soccer-crazy, get them literature on the World Cup and on their favorite soccer players.

Reward good reading

Make charts or graphs which track the number of books your children read. You can offer rewards for goals reached so that they are motivated to continue reading. The library can be a fascinating place and when students get to select their own books, they may be more likely to read them. Make your library a regular destination, especially over the summer vacation when they offer story times and other free activities that are fun.

Support your reader

Talk about the books that your child is reading. Ask lots of questions and ask them what they think about the characters, the choices they made and how they would have handled a similar situation. Showing your interest may encourage them to think of books in a more positive light.

 You should also lead by example so read books as well and take time to read ensure that the books are age-appropriate. You should also lead by example so read books as well and take time to read together in the park, in your garden or even on the living room floor.

Get an electronic reader or a tablet for technically-minded students and get them to read blogs and books that they like online. Select books that mirror your child’s interests. For example, if you have a child who is soccer-crazy, get them literature on the World Cup and on their favorite soccer players.

Reward good reading

Make charts or graphs which track the number of books your children read. You can offer rewards for goals reached so that they are motivated to continue reading. The library can be a fascinating place and when students get to select their own books, they may be more likely to read them. Make your library a regular destination. Remember that over the summer vacation, the library  offers story times and other free activities that are fun.

If your child struggles to read- either because of poor comprehension or skills-  the summer is the perfect time to help your child get ready for next year.  Reading is not fun if it is a struggle. Tutor DoctorLongmont  can help with our one to one learning environment combined witha convient and flexible scheduling.