Deaf child—how would you wish me to handle this?

[Anonymous]

I'd somehow make a joke and ask about what game he's playing at night. I'm a kind person though and I think it would come off okay.

Or tell them (when you see them outside) that Larlo goes to bed at 7:30pm and ask if they can play quieter after that time. They can of course say no.

[Anonymous]

Get rid of the dog or get your kid some headphones.

[Anonymous]

There’s no point in bringing it up to the parents. They already know - if you can hear their child from a few doors down, the parents can hear their child too. They’ve surely already tried to do what they could to get their child to be quieter and it probably isn’t within their control. Close your windows, figure out if there’s a way to help your dog acclimate. Control the things on your end that might be controllable. But talking to the parents as if they don’t realize it’s happening or if you think there’s something they can do to control the kid is not realistic.

[Anonymous]

Learn sign language and talk to the kid about it directly.

[Anonymous]

I’m the hearing parent of a deaf child.

Are the parents hearing? Do you know if the child uses some sort of amplification (hearing aids) or has cochlear implants?

If the parents are hearing and the child doesn’t use any sort of amplification, I would guess that they are being super loud because it is a volume where they can hear and/or feel themselves vocalizing.

My child is profoundly deaf so a lawn mower sounds like something very soft to them. They would also need to shout to hear themselves. So that may be the same for this child.

I think it would be fine to mention that your baby sleeps starting at 7 and if they could ask their child to try to not be super loud after that time. Depending on how old your DC is, you may be better off getting a dog trainer - I am annoyed when my dogs bark even if it’s not waking anyone else up, and you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Over the winter in the late evening hours we would occasionally hear this constant howling. We honestly thought it was an animal of some sort as we back to a wooded nature preserve, and thought that perhaps since we only heard it at night, it was something nocturnal. Maybe a fox or coyote. It occasionally wakes up our sleeping toddler when it gets our dog going.

We have newish neighbors a few houses down and one of their children is completely deaf. Well, not that the days are nicer and we are ourselves outside more and have windows open, we hear it even louder than before. It’s always well after dark, but after being outside this past weekend, we realize it’s the neighbor boy playing in his backyard! My husband theorizes that the boy can’t hear how loud he sounds.

We use fans and noise machine in our toddlers room, but the dog hears everything, even from our basement.

Do I need to just adjust somehow, or is there a tactful way to let the parents know?

I've never heard of a deaf child vocalizing that much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Over the winter in the late evening hours we would occasionally hear this constant howling. We honestly thought it was an animal of some sort as we back to a wooded nature preserve, and thought that perhaps since we only heard it at night, it was something nocturnal. Maybe a fox or coyote. It occasionally wakes up our sleeping toddler when it gets our dog going.

We have newish neighbors a few houses down and one of their children is completely deaf. Well, not that the days are nicer and we are ourselves outside more and have windows open, we hear it even louder than before. It’s always well after dark, but after being outside this past weekend, we realize it’s the neighbor boy playing in his backyard! My husband theorizes that the boy can’t hear how loud he sounds.

We use fans and noise machine in our toddlers room, but the dog hears everything, even from our basement.

Do I need to just adjust somehow, or is there a tactful way to let the parents know?

I have a profoundly deaf child, along with other deaf family members. First, I am a little confused from your post. Is the boy outside playing well after dark? How old is he?

I can honestly say, having deaf relatives and a deaf daughter, this has not been an issue in our family. My daughter has cochlear implants, but other family members use no amplification and use ASL to communicate. I was also frequently at events at a school for the deaf when I was young, and I don’t remember loud howling from the kids. My ADHD daughter actually was the one I needed to quiet down when my kids were younger, my deaf child was very quiet and calm.

I don’t think you should say anything, but I would be friendly and get to know the family. If they are hearing with a profoundly deaf son, it can be an isolating circumstance. Maybe they are a deaf family with a deaf son, and they do not realize how loud their son is.
Either way showing some interest and kindness would go a long way.

And I want to add, that my deaf daughter and my deaf relatives, whether they have cochlear implants or use ASL are amazing, kind, independent, well educated, people who despise any inkling of pity. So if this is a deaf family please keep this in mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dog trainer is the obvious solution

Nobody would say this if it was a bratty kid without special needs.

This isn’t a bratty kid so that is why people are being empathetic. Except you- you are not being empathetic to a deaf child.

Exactly. Wonder if PP is as compassionate to blind students who accidently bump into things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dog trainer is the obvious solution

Nobody would say this if it was a bratty kid without special needs.

Yep, that is true. If my neighbor’s teenager is blasting music and waking me up at midnight I might complain, if my neighbor’s newborn is waking me up crying at midnight, I might go over the next day and offer some kind of help, because I am not inhuman and I can tell when someone is trying their best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over the winter in the late evening hours we would occasionally hear this constant howling. We honestly thought it was an animal of some sort as we back to a wooded nature preserve, and thought that perhaps since we only heard it at night, it was something nocturnal. Maybe a fox or coyote. It occasionally wakes up our sleeping toddler when it gets our dog going.

We have newish neighbors a few houses down and one of their children is completely deaf. Well, not that the days are nicer and we are ourselves outside more and have windows open, we hear it even louder than before. It’s always well after dark, but after being outside this past weekend, we realize it’s the neighbor boy playing in his backyard! My husband theorizes that the boy can’t hear how loud he sounds.

We use fans and noise machine in our toddlers room, but the dog hears everything, even from our basement.

Do I need to just adjust somehow, or is there a tactful way to let the parents know?

I've never heard of a deaf child vocalizing that much.

NP: I've known deaf kids in deaf schools and teachers who've worked in deaf schools. They're loud - they're encouraged to vocalize - it's skill. Use it or lose it.