Class Blog - Share & Exchange Ideas & Questions to increase understanding of course content and related material.
Monday, October 5, 2015
Family Interactions
What had the greatest influence on the ways that your family interacted and relationships developed? How do you think this would have been the same or different if you had a sibling who was deaf or hard of hearing?
As I had said in class, my parents careers really affected the way that my family interacted and relationships developed. My mom is an elementary school librarian, she always has been. From the time that my twin sister and I were in preschool until we graduated fifth grade, we attended the same school that she taught at. This meant, that we rode to school with her in the mornings everyday and every afternoon we rode home with her, for about a twenty minute drive each way. This time spent in the car may not seem like it would be that significant, but it was. It was time that we had together that we could just talk and be together, just the three of us, and simply just develop our relationship. Seven years of this before we graduated and then shortly after my brother did the same thing with her for six years, just he and my mom everyday. This relationship could be potentially different if I had a deaf or hard of hearing sibling. The biggest factor that would affect this development would be what school my deaf or hard of hearing sibling attended. If they attended the same public school my mom taught at, then this relationship would not be altered that much, just possibly the ways of communication may have. However, if my deaf or hard of hearing sibling attended a residential school, a public school that my mom didn't teach at, etc. then they would lose that time together in the car. This would be particularly true if he or she were to attend a school that housed them because than we would be seeing a lot less of them.
When my parents learned that I was hard of hearing, they decided it would be best for my mom to stay at home with me and make sure I could stay on track educationally. We had less money because of this, but I got a lot of individualized attention. My mom would help me do my regular homework like math, history, etc. Then we would read out loud to each other and practice my speech and lip reading. She often arranged to meet with my teachers and coaches to make sure I was not only being included but succeeding. She came to all my practices and if I didn't know what the coach was saying she would sign what she could or I would be allowed to go to the coach and ask for a repeat, if I still couldn't get it my mom would help. I know that my mom would've been hands on if I had "normal" hearing but honestly being hard of hearing did change our family structure. When my brother was born, they taught him the best ways to make sure I understood him. Eventually my mom did go back to work, but if it wasn't for all the effort her and my dad made I probably wouldn't be where I am today. I would have got discouraged and decided I am not intelligent because I cannot understand what is being said. Because of them though, I realize I CAN understand, I just have to find ways around the fact that I cannot hear well.
Growing up my mom, drove my siblings and I to each of our schools. We are of all ages so at some points she would drive to three separate schools. It was normal for us. None of us really talked in the morning, so communication was limited. The four of us kids rode home on the bus until we were old enough to participate in sports. Then our mom would pick us up and take us home from practice. Our conversations were simple, such as: "How was your day?" and "Did you learn anything new?" A few years of that and then we started driving. After that point in our lives we spent very few car rides together. The majority of the communication happened at dinner time or right before bed. If i had a sibling who was deaf or hard of hearing, I think the only thing that would be different is the mode of communication. I don't live in the part of the country that offers a school for the deaf within easy access. Unless my parents moved us to a place to better accommodate that sibling, not much would be different.
The greatest influence on how our family interacted was my mother. She was the glue that held the family together. When she passed, I could not help but question what would happen now. I believe if there were a child in our immediate family that was deaf or hard of hearing, we would have adapted quickly and made provisions for the child. He or she would have known love and would have thrived.
My family had always been on a rocky road, developing a great relationship with my grandparents as I lived with them most often. We always watched TV, did crafts, and had all the cousins sleep over every weekend. I loved growing up with my cousins just as close as my two siblings. Though if one of my siblings were to been deaf it would've changed alot, my grandpa is hard of hearing always has been but set in his old ways hardly ever wears his hearing aid, so usually alot of hollering and repeating is done. He usually takes his left hearing aid out at dinner the side mamaw sits on we all joked that's because she yapped too much. Though we could caption the TV, all us kids could learn ASL if needed my grandpa would have found it significantly hard missing 2 and 1/2 fingers and my mamaw having arthritis very bad for years of cutting hair. Communication would be much different if hollering didn't work like it does for pap. We could all look and talk directly to the sibling so that we could continue to include that sibling as well. I think we'd all have just as close of a bond as long as we got around communication.
My family had always been on a rocky road, developing a great relationship with my grandparents as I lived with them most often. We always watched TV, did crafts, and had all the cousins sleep over every weekend. I loved growing up with my cousins just as close as my two siblings. Though if one of my siblings were to been deaf it would've changed alot, my grandpa is hard of hearing always has been but set in his old ways hardly ever wears his hearing aid, so usually alot of hollering and repeating is done. He usually takes his left hearing aid out at dinner the side mamaw sits on we all joked that's because she yapped too much. Though we could caption the TV, all us kids could learn ASL if needed my grandpa would have found it significantly hard missing 2 and 1/2 fingers and my mamaw having arthritis very bad for years of cutting hair. Communication would be much different if hollering didn't work like it does for pap. We could all look and talk directly to the sibling so that we could continue to include that sibling as well. I think we'd all have just as close of a bond as long as we got around communication.
Communication. Hands down. As a person who is hard of hearing, I understand the barrier and how difficult it is to communicate with people who don't understand the fact that you cannot hear them. I am an only child, so I don't have any experience communicating with siblings, but I can imagine it would be a very similar struggle. I think that the deaf/hard of hearing child would often feel left out and that would cause a lot of stress for the family.
As I had said in class, my parents careers really affected the way that my family interacted and relationships developed. My mom is an elementary school librarian, she always has been. From the time that my twin sister and I were in preschool until we graduated fifth grade, we attended the same school that she taught at. This meant, that we rode to school with her in the mornings everyday and every afternoon we rode home with her, for about a twenty minute drive each way. This time spent in the car may not seem like it would be that significant, but it was. It was time that we had together that we could just talk and be together, just the three of us, and simply just develop our relationship. Seven years of this before we graduated and then shortly after my brother did the same thing with her for six years, just he and my mom everyday.
ReplyDeleteThis relationship could be potentially different if I had a deaf or hard of hearing sibling. The biggest factor that would affect this development would be what school my deaf or hard of hearing sibling attended. If they attended the same public school my mom taught at, then this relationship would not be altered that much, just possibly the ways of communication may have. However, if my deaf or hard of hearing sibling attended a residential school, a public school that my mom didn't teach at, etc. then they would lose that time together in the car. This would be particularly true if he or she were to attend a school that housed them because than we would be seeing a lot less of them.
When my parents learned that I was hard of hearing, they decided it would be best for my mom to stay at home with me and make sure I could stay on track educationally. We had less money because of this, but I got a lot of individualized attention. My mom would help me do my regular homework like math, history, etc. Then we would read out loud to each other and practice my speech and lip reading. She often arranged to meet with my teachers and coaches to make sure I was not only being included but succeeding. She came to all my practices and if I didn't know what the coach was saying she would sign what she could or I would be allowed to go to the coach and ask for a repeat, if I still couldn't get it my mom would help. I know that my mom would've been hands on if I had "normal" hearing but honestly being hard of hearing did change our family structure. When my brother was born, they taught him the best ways to make sure I understood him. Eventually my mom did go back to work, but if it wasn't for all the effort her and my dad made I probably wouldn't be where I am today. I would have got discouraged and decided I am not intelligent because I cannot understand what is being said. Because of them though, I realize I CAN understand, I just have to find ways around the fact that I cannot hear well.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up my mom, drove my siblings and I to each of our schools. We are of all ages so at some points she would drive to three separate schools. It was normal for us. None of us really talked in the morning, so communication was limited. The four of us kids rode home on the bus until we were old enough to participate in sports. Then our mom would pick us up and take us home from practice. Our conversations were simple, such as: "How was your day?" and "Did you learn anything new?" A few years of that and then we started driving. After that point in our lives we spent very few car rides together. The majority of the communication happened at dinner time or right before bed.
ReplyDeleteIf i had a sibling who was deaf or hard of hearing, I think the only thing that would be different is the mode of communication. I don't live in the part of the country that offers a school for the deaf within easy access. Unless my parents moved us to a place to better accommodate that sibling, not much would be different.
The greatest influence on how our family interacted was my mother. She was the glue that held the family together. When she passed, I could not help but question what would happen now. I believe if there were a child in our immediate family that was deaf or hard of hearing, we would have adapted quickly and made provisions for the child. He or she would have known love and would have thrived.
ReplyDeleteMy family had always been on a rocky road, developing a great relationship with my grandparents as I lived with them most often. We always watched TV, did crafts, and had all the cousins sleep over every weekend. I loved growing up with my cousins just as close as my two siblings.
ReplyDeleteThough if one of my siblings were to been deaf it would've changed alot, my grandpa is hard of hearing always has been but set in his old ways hardly ever wears his hearing aid, so usually alot of hollering and repeating is done. He usually takes his left hearing aid out at dinner the side mamaw sits on we all joked that's because she yapped too much. Though we could caption the TV, all us kids could learn ASL if needed my grandpa would have found it significantly hard missing 2 and 1/2 fingers and my mamaw having arthritis very bad for years of cutting hair. Communication would be much different if hollering didn't work like it does for pap. We could all look and talk directly to the sibling so that we could continue to include that sibling as well. I think we'd all have just as close of a bond as long as we got around communication.
My family had always been on a rocky road, developing a great relationship with my grandparents as I lived with them most often. We always watched TV, did crafts, and had all the cousins sleep over every weekend. I loved growing up with my cousins just as close as my two siblings.
ReplyDeleteThough if one of my siblings were to been deaf it would've changed alot, my grandpa is hard of hearing always has been but set in his old ways hardly ever wears his hearing aid, so usually alot of hollering and repeating is done. He usually takes his left hearing aid out at dinner the side mamaw sits on we all joked that's because she yapped too much. Though we could caption the TV, all us kids could learn ASL if needed my grandpa would have found it significantly hard missing 2 and 1/2 fingers and my mamaw having arthritis very bad for years of cutting hair. Communication would be much different if hollering didn't work like it does for pap. We could all look and talk directly to the sibling so that we could continue to include that sibling as well. I think we'd all have just as close of a bond as long as we got around communication.
Communication. Hands down. As a person who is hard of hearing, I understand the barrier and how difficult it is to communicate with people who don't understand the fact that you cannot hear them. I am an only child, so I don't have any experience communicating with siblings, but I can imagine it would be a very similar struggle. I think that the deaf/hard of hearing child would often feel left out and that would cause a lot of stress for the family.
ReplyDelete