Captioning, not.
Feb 21, 2008 @ 09:13 PM
Reality
Check: Elliot finds captioning "distracting" (yup--
his words alone)
John Fogerty "Don't You Wish It was True"
"I dreamed I walked in heaven just the other night
There was so much beauty, so much light
Don't you wish it was true
Don't you wish it was true"
I forgot a funny story which I need to share. About a month ago my parents visited, and all the boys enjoyed spending time with Grandpa and Grandma. A huge amount of time is always spent reading with Grandma... she has probably single handedly read thousands of books to my boys. We all love to read. But grandpa enjoys the cable TV, something he doesn't have at home. He enjoys the History channel, Antiques Roadshow, and the Weather Channel. And just in case you think Grandpa doesn't read, let me explain that he arrives with a stack of books in a large cardboard box when he travels. He just got his first book contract signed, in fact, and his own book (a fiction set in the Middle Ages) will be published in the fall! Woohoo! But a week after they left, Elliot (7) asked me:
"Why are the reading words still on the TV?"
We had turned captioning on for my dad, who apparently doesn't usually use it at home and enjoyed it on our TV, and no one had bothered to turn them off.
I said "oh, that's called captioning. Don't you like it?" He replied "no, it distracts me from what they are saying."
Well, I thought that was interesting. Like anyone, he could clearly get used to them. But the reality is that he doesn't NEED them, nor does he even enjoy them. Lest you think that is because he doesn't read well... he does!
Years ago my MIL (deaf from her teen years on) used the captioning for each visit to our house and I became sort of "addicted" to them. At the time I had a new, tiny hearing baby and I tiptoed all around the house, so captioning was another way to keep things veeery quieeet. Today, there would be no way to accomplish that kind of quiet (with 4 kids), and I have grown less accustomed to them. I have no qualms about using them or allowing the boys to use them whenever beneficial, but I found Elliot's comments telling. I believe they show that he not only hears extremely well, but that he finds TV and movies easy to hear in the home setting, despite the noise of his 3 brothers. Perhaps someday he will prefer captions. It will be completely up to him. The main point is for him to follow the conversations completely and comprehend the content. I guess the reality is that he shouldn't watch too much TV anyway, LOL, but hey, he loves Spongebob.
An angel took my hand, said you don't have to hurry
You got all the time in the world, don't worry
Don't you wish it was true
Lord, Don't you wish it was true
But if tomorrow everybody was your friend
Anyone could take you in
No matter what or where you've been
He said the worlds gonna change and it's starting today
There'll be no more armies, no more hate
Don't you wish it was true
Don't you wish it was true
I really love this John Fogerty song. How does this relate, you might wonder, to our website. Um, let's see... well, my dh and I attended a concert of his in December. You'd have thunk that because everyone was sort of, oh, older... that I didn't need to bring my earplugs. BIG mistake. Perhaps he mistook the acoustics of the new lovely amphitheater we were in. Or not. But it was deafening. No, really. I was greatly worried, and I think I may have lost 5 years of good hearing off the end of my days. Or 10, as things have not gone well for older adults in my family and hearing. Now, that may or may not be related to my boys' hearing loss but take this as a warning and ALWAYS take earplugs. My ears rung for hours. I ran to the computer and researched antioxidants and vitamins recommended for short term noise exposure. I gulped them down. Only time will tell how my little hair cells will fare. But I do recommend the new Fogerty album, despite the db used at his concerts.
And all the little children who live happily
There'll be singing and laughter, sweet harmony
Don't you wish it was true
Lord, Don't you wish it was true
But if tomorrow
Everybody under the sun was happy just living as one
No borders or battles to be won
But if tomorrow
Everybody was your friend
Happiness would never end
Lord, don't you wish it was true
Alright!
But if tomorrow
Everybody under the sun was happy just to live as one
No borders or battles to be won
But if tomorrow
Everybody was your friend
Happiness would never end
Lord, don't you wish it was true
Lord, don't you wish it was true
Alright!
Some of my best friends in life have been very "different" from me religiously and politically. In fact, they seem to rally around me in my hardest times. I think it is apparent that these things don't have to get in the way of caring about others. I am so thankful for those friends right now. I don't want to waste time and energy on things that don't matter... the education and upbringing of my children and care of my whole family is the first priority. Secondarily, I would like to help other parents be able to offer the opportunity of hearing to their deaf children. To that end, I continue maintaining the website and recording my kids on video, etc.
This song is a great one; take a listen some time if you have a chance.
John Fogerty "Don't You Wish It was True"
"I dreamed I walked in heaven just the other night
There was so much beauty, so much light
Don't you wish it was true
Don't you wish it was true"
I forgot a funny story which I need to share. About a month ago my parents visited, and all the boys enjoyed spending time with Grandpa and Grandma. A huge amount of time is always spent reading with Grandma... she has probably single handedly read thousands of books to my boys. We all love to read. But grandpa enjoys the cable TV, something he doesn't have at home. He enjoys the History channel, Antiques Roadshow, and the Weather Channel. And just in case you think Grandpa doesn't read, let me explain that he arrives with a stack of books in a large cardboard box when he travels. He just got his first book contract signed, in fact, and his own book (a fiction set in the Middle Ages) will be published in the fall! Woohoo! But a week after they left, Elliot (7) asked me:
"Why are the reading words still on the TV?"
We had turned captioning on for my dad, who apparently doesn't usually use it at home and enjoyed it on our TV, and no one had bothered to turn them off.
I said "oh, that's called captioning. Don't you like it?" He replied "no, it distracts me from what they are saying."
Well, I thought that was interesting. Like anyone, he could clearly get used to them. But the reality is that he doesn't NEED them, nor does he even enjoy them. Lest you think that is because he doesn't read well... he does!
Years ago my MIL (deaf from her teen years on) used the captioning for each visit to our house and I became sort of "addicted" to them. At the time I had a new, tiny hearing baby and I tiptoed all around the house, so captioning was another way to keep things veeery quieeet. Today, there would be no way to accomplish that kind of quiet (with 4 kids), and I have grown less accustomed to them. I have no qualms about using them or allowing the boys to use them whenever beneficial, but I found Elliot's comments telling. I believe they show that he not only hears extremely well, but that he finds TV and movies easy to hear in the home setting, despite the noise of his 3 brothers. Perhaps someday he will prefer captions. It will be completely up to him. The main point is for him to follow the conversations completely and comprehend the content. I guess the reality is that he shouldn't watch too much TV anyway, LOL, but hey, he loves Spongebob.
An angel took my hand, said you don't have to hurry
You got all the time in the world, don't worry
Don't you wish it was true
Lord, Don't you wish it was true
But if tomorrow everybody was your friend
Anyone could take you in
No matter what or where you've been
He said the worlds gonna change and it's starting today
There'll be no more armies, no more hate
Don't you wish it was true
Don't you wish it was true
I really love this John Fogerty song. How does this relate, you might wonder, to our website. Um, let's see... well, my dh and I attended a concert of his in December. You'd have thunk that because everyone was sort of, oh, older... that I didn't need to bring my earplugs. BIG mistake. Perhaps he mistook the acoustics of the new lovely amphitheater we were in. Or not. But it was deafening. No, really. I was greatly worried, and I think I may have lost 5 years of good hearing off the end of my days. Or 10, as things have not gone well for older adults in my family and hearing. Now, that may or may not be related to my boys' hearing loss but take this as a warning and ALWAYS take earplugs. My ears rung for hours. I ran to the computer and researched antioxidants and vitamins recommended for short term noise exposure. I gulped them down. Only time will tell how my little hair cells will fare. But I do recommend the new Fogerty album, despite the db used at his concerts.
And all the little children who live happily
There'll be singing and laughter, sweet harmony
Don't you wish it was true
Lord, Don't you wish it was true
But if tomorrow
Everybody under the sun was happy just living as one
No borders or battles to be won
But if tomorrow
Everybody was your friend
Happiness would never end
Lord, don't you wish it was true
Alright!
But if tomorrow
Everybody under the sun was happy just to live as one
No borders or battles to be won
But if tomorrow
Everybody was your friend
Happiness would never end
Lord, don't you wish it was true
Lord, don't you wish it was true
Alright!
Some of my best friends in life have been very "different" from me religiously and politically. In fact, they seem to rally around me in my hardest times. I think it is apparent that these things don't have to get in the way of caring about others. I am so thankful for those friends right now. I don't want to waste time and energy on things that don't matter... the education and upbringing of my children and care of my whole family is the first priority. Secondarily, I would like to help other parents be able to offer the opportunity of hearing to their deaf children. To that end, I continue maintaining the website and recording my kids on video, etc.
This song is a great one; take a listen some time if you have a chance.