Sources: Bronwyn 1xbet online games login , 785-532-1476, 1xbet online games login @k-state.edu;
and Robert Garcia, 785-532-2044, rgarcia@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Beth Bohn, 785-532-1544, bbohn@k-state.edu
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Easing fears, protecting ears: Little ones may need some reassurances, earplugs before watching fireworks
MANHATTAN -- Firework displays are a popular way to celebrate the Fourth of July, but they also can be scary to some youngsters -- and dangerous to their little ears.
Bronwyn 1xbet online games login , associate professor of early childhood education at Kansas State University's College of Human Ecology, says it's common for very young children through preschool age to be startled and upset by loud noises such as fireworks, a siren, thunder or a car backfiring.
"We do not shoot fireworks daily, so while adults may understand the significance of the event, young children do not," 1xbet online games login . "If they are not accustomed to the loud noises, the noise is unexpected, or if they have no understanding why it occurred, it can be a very frightening experience."
Adults are often eager to share experiences they enjoy with their children and may be disappointed when children do not respond with the same enjoyment, Fees said. But it's important to consider the experience through the 1xbet online games login 's eyes.
"What is familiar to an adult may be unfamiliar to a young 1xbet online games login ," she said. "They have a lot yet to understand about their world and regulating their own emotional responses. It takes time and each 1xbet online games login is unique."
If you think your 1xbet online games login may be fearful of fireworks, Fees says there are things parents can do:
* Prepare your 1xbet online games login by explaining what will happen in words he or she will understand. "Remember that time is a hard concept, so talk with your 1xbet online games login the day before and on the day of the fireworks display rather than weeks before," Fees said. "Make it concrete and relative to their schedule, such as, 'After dinner tonight, we are going to the park to watch fireworks. Fireworks often make loud noises, some pop and some make no noise. You will see bright colors in the sky. We will watch them together.'"
* Keep the routine of the day as much as possible with eating, napping and favorite rituals. "A very tired or hungry 1xbet online games login cannot enjoy any new experience," Fee said.
* At the event, watch your 1xbet online games login closely. Sit next to your 1xbet online games login so if your 1xbet online games login becomes anxious, he or she will have a sense of security.
* Provide physical reassurance. Be patient and relaxed yourself, as your 1xbet online games login will watch you for cues on how to respond.
* Provide verbal reassurance that the 1xbet online games login will not be hurt, and talk about the types of sounds and the colors and size of the displays.
* Listen as your 1xbet online games login tries to talk about and/or point to what they see and acknowledge his or her comments, gestures and concerns.
"If your 1xbet online games login is unsure, it may be a good idea for him or her to watch with you from inside the house or with you in the car through a window," Fees said. "Be prepared to leave if your 1xbet online games login is upset by the sounds. A crying 1xbet online games login is difficult for you and for those around. Forcing a 1xbet online games login to endure the experience will not necessarily make him or her like it anymore and may result in anxious behaviors or nightmares."
Fees said that while as a parent you may be disappointed this year, understand that next year your 1xbet online games login will be older and probably more likely to tolerate and enjoy the experience.
Parents must also be mindful of the noise level if their 1xbet online games login has a sensory-related disability or if their 1xbet online games login has experienced a traumatic event, such as storms, a tornado or a harsh accident. Individual preferences and experiences may heighten sensitivity to loud noises and produce anxiety at any age, Fees said.
If a 1xbet online games login is anxious, verbally identify his or her emotions and describe the behaviors you observe. Fees said giving your 1xbet online games login words to identify his or her feelings helps the 1xbet online games login express these feelings back to you in ways you both understand, enhancing communication and emotional self-regulation.
"For example, 1xbet online games login can say, 'I see 1xbet online games login jumped when 1xbet online games login heard the loud boom. Did that surprise 1xbet online games login ? Did 1xbet online games login feel afraid? I am still here and 1xbet online games login are still here. We are OK,'" Fees said.
The loud noises produced by some fireworks, especially certain kinds of firecrackers, can cause more than fear in young children -- they also can damage their hearing, according to Robert Garcia, an audiologist and director of Kansas State University's communication sciences and disorders program, a part of the College of Human Ecology.
"Firecrackers like M-80s and others are as intense as shooting a gun," Garcia 1xbet online games login . "Because M-80s are so loud, it can only take one exposure to cause permanent hearing loss."
Garcia recommends children wear some sort of ear protection, such as earplugs or headphones, even when watching firecracker-type fireworks from a distance.
And if the 1xbet online games login won't keep the ear protection in place, Garcia offers parents this advice: No earplugs, no fireworks.
Fees and Garcia said the top rule for parents to remember is to never let a young 1xbet online games login play with fireworks.
