Deb

My little boy is seven and we've noticed a problem, or rather, noticed one that is getting worse it seems. It concerns loud noise. For example, when we attended his older sister's outside graduation last evening he was miserable whenever the crowd applauded. It got worse at the end when names were called as the seniors had air horns. He was nearly in tears and crawled under the seat of my husband with his hands over his ears. I don't blame him as it was annoying but I didn't notice any other children reacting to it. It happens often like at church where they play contemporary music fairly loudly he gets really uncomfortable and lays across my lap with his hands over his ears. He also has some left over separation anxiety from being in school last year and won't go to children's church so him and I just stay at home and have our own little church service now.
I guess my question would be have any of tour children experienced this? If so, did you take steps to remedy the problem and did it resolve itself? I'll be thankful for any insights on this. We, of course, all hate to watch our little ones suffer even just a little bit. Thank you for your help. Deborah

Robin Bentley

> I guess my question would be have any of tour children
> experienced this? If so, did you take steps to remedy the problem
> and did it resolve itself? I'll be thankful for any insights on this.

My daughter was very sensitive to loud and/or certain kinds of noises
from an early age. She's 16 now; she seems to have grown out of it for
the most part. I think it could have been both a physical and
emotional development thing. She still dislikes a "din" - just too
much ambient sound can make her quite uncomfortable.

We had a number of strategies. We avoided loud sounds or events if
they weren't anything she was really interested in. If she did want to
go (like to a concert or to see fireworks) we had a couple of sets of
noise-reducing earmuffs.
Sometimes, if we were caught unawares by uncomfortable noise, we would
leave the area.

For some kids, loud noise or music or sounds are physically difficult.
It hurts! Being ready to minimize the hurt if necessary allowed my
daughter time to realize when she was able to cope, herself.

As she got older and she sometimes needed to minimize loud sounds, she
used her earbuds or noise-canceling headphones with her iPod. That
still helps her to tune out the world when she needs some "quiet" time.

Robin B.

[email protected]

Deborah,

My son has just turned eight and we have dealt with this many times over the last few years. He will "shut down" in places with loud noises- like concerts, church services or other loud activities just like your son. It does not happen every time but seems to be kind of random. My solution was to pick up a pack of ear plugs from the drug store or pharmacy department in Walmart and keep them in my purse or in the car. That way he can have access to them when he needs them. It has not cured the problem but helps him get through stuff when he feels overwhelmed.
Good luck, I know it is hard to watch them suffer.
Stephanie K



--- In [email protected], "Deb" <vwb777@...> wrote:
>
> My little boy is seven and we've noticed a problem, or rather, noticed one that is getting worse it seems. It concerns loud noise. For example, when we attended his older sister's outside graduation last evening he was miserable whenever the crowd applauded. It got worse at the end when names were called as the seniors had air horns. He was nearly in tears and crawled under the seat of my husband with his hands over his ears. I don't blame him as it was annoying but I didn't notice any other children reacting to it. It happens often like at church where they play contemporary music fairly loudly he gets really uncomfortable and lays across my lap with his hands over his ears. He also has some left over separation anxiety from being in school last year and won't go to children's church so him and I just stay at home and have our own little church service now.
> I guess my question would be have any of tour children experienced this? If so, did you take steps to remedy the problem and did it resolve itself? I'll be thankful for any insights on this. We, of course, all hate to watch our little ones suffer even just a little bit. Thank you for your help. Deborah
>

Joyce Fetteroll

On Jun 7, 2011, at 12:47 PM, Deb wrote:

> but I didn't notice any other children reacting to it.

Because their parents had learned to keep them at home! :-)

Or they were shamed into behaving. :-/

It's the same with reading or math. The kids who can read or do math
speak up when the get a chance to demonstrate what they know. The kids
who can't disappear into the walls. So it seems like all the kids are
capable when they really aren't.

Joyce




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

semajrak

>I guess my question would be have any of tour children experienced this? If so, did you take steps to remedy the problem and did it resolve itself?


Our son is 8 and very sensitive to loud sounds, even loud laughter. He always has been, although he seems to be handling it better as he ages.

I carry ear plugs in my bag wherever we go. I offer them when I can see that he is bothered. Sometimes he takes them, sometimes not.

I also find places to sit that are away from the crowd. Sometimes I can find pockets where the sound does not seem so loud. We sit or stand there.

On occasion, we have brought something with headphones so that he could listen to music that he was familiar with. Whenever possible, we leave if it is too much.

celines sanchez

My daughter is going to be 8 soon and she is also sensitive to loud noises,  I thought it was a stage or that it will stop with time but it still going on so I am going to mention it to her pediatrician .

--- On Tue, 6/7/11, ssminnow1@... <ssminnow1@...> wrote:

From: ssminnow1@... <ssminnow1@...>
Subject: [AlwaysLearning] Re: Overwhelmed by sound....help please
To: [email protected]
Date: Tuesday, June 7, 2011, 1:20 PM
















 









Deborah,



My son has just turned eight and we have dealt with this many times over the last few years. He will "shut down" in places with loud noises- like concerts, church services or other loud activities just like your son. It does not happen every time but seems to be kind of random. My solution was to pick up a pack of ear plugs from the drug store or pharmacy department in Walmart and keep them in my purse or in the car. That way he can have access to them when he needs them. It has not cured the problem but helps him get through stuff when he feels overwhelmed.

Good luck, I know it is hard to watch them suffer.

Stephanie K



--- In [email protected], "Deb" <vwb777@...> wrote:

>

> My little boy is seven and we've noticed a problem, or rather, noticed one that is getting worse it seems. It concerns loud noise. For example, when we attended his older sister's outside graduation last evening he was miserable whenever the crowd applauded. It got worse at the end when names were called as the seniors had air horns. He was nearly in tears and crawled under the seat of my husband with his hands over his ears. I don't blame him as it was annoying but I didn't notice any other children reacting to it. It happens often like at church where they play contemporary music fairly loudly he gets really uncomfortable and lays across my lap with his hands over his ears. He also has some left over separation anxiety from being in school last year and won't go to children's church so him and I just stay at home and have our own little church service now.

> I guess my question would be have any of tour children experienced this? If so, did you take steps to remedy the problem and did it resolve itself? I'll be thankful for any insights on this. We, of course, all hate to watch our little ones suffer even just a little bit. Thank you for your help. Deborah

>



























[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Robin Bentley

> My daughter is going to be 8 soon and she is also sensitive to loud
> noises, I thought it was a stage or that it will stop with time but
> it still going on so I am going to mention it to her pediatrician .

Eight is still young. And this is not necessarily something that needs
to be medically treated or diagnosed. What do you think the
pediatrician will do for a sensitivity to sound?

My daughter didn't begin to feel more comfortable with loud noises and
sounds until she was past 13. We worked to make noise less impactful
for her until she was able to handle it.

Robin B.

Sue Solberg

>>> My little boy is seven and we've
> noticed a problem, or rather, noticed one that is getting
> worse it seems. It concerns loud noise.

My daughter (4 and a bit) is really, really averse to loud noises. Some frequencies seems worse than others. She is also really, really averse to wearing hearing protection. So we warn her when something noisy is likely to happen--being mentally prepared helps a little. When she wants to go somewhere likely to be noisy, we talk about it first, try to go when noise will be not-so-bad, and take a nice, long bath with epsom salts. Something about the epsom salts (the magnesium, maybe?) helps noises be...not so sharp. Works for me too.

Sue

Deb

Yeah someone else mentioned using an Ipod for him and I can't believe we hadn't thought of it. The earplugs are an option too but he'd probably really respond to the Ipod and be able to have some control of his environment. Thanks for your input.







--- In [email protected], "semajrak" <semajrak@...> wrote:
>
> >I guess my question would be have any of tour children experienced this? If so, did you take steps to remedy the problem and did it resolve itself?
>
>
> Our son is 8 and very sensitive to loud sounds, even loud laughter. He always has been, although he seems to be handling it better as he ages.
>
> I carry ear plugs in my bag wherever we go. I offer them when I can see that he is bothered. Sometimes he takes them, sometimes not.
>
> I also find places to sit that are away from the crowd. Sometimes I can find pockets where the sound does not seem so loud. We sit or stand there.
>
> On occasion, we have brought something with headphones so that he could listen to music that he was familiar with. Whenever possible, we leave if it is too much.
>

Deb

That's a good idea and one I hadn't considered. Maybe I can sweet talk him back to church on Sunday and we'll give it a run. Thank goodness I don't have another graduation to try your idea out on. That thing wore me out! I must be old because it was the rowdiest, most out of control event that I remember attending in a long time. Hmmm....I am old huh? I knew it. Well anyway thanks for your input. Take care.

Deborah




--- In [email protected], "ssminnow1@..." <ssminnow1@...> wrote:
>
> Deborah,
>
> My son has just turned eight and we have dealt with this many times over the last few years. He will "shut down" in places with loud noises- like concerts, church services or other loud activities just like your son. It does not happen every time but seems to be kind of random. My solution was to pick up a pack of ear plugs from the drug store or pharmacy department in Walmart and keep them in my purse or in the car. That way he can have access to them when he needs them. It has not cured the problem but helps him get through stuff when he feels overwhelmed.
> Good luck, I know it is hard to watch them suffer.
> Stephanie K
>
>
>
> --- In [email protected], "Deb" <vwb777@> wrote:
> >
> > My little boy is seven and we've noticed a problem, or rather, noticed one that is getting worse it seems. It concerns loud noise. For example, when we attended his older sister's outside graduation last evening he was miserable whenever the crowd applauded. It got worse at the end when names were called as the seniors had air horns. He was nearly in tears and crawled under the seat of my husband with his hands over his ears. I don't blame him as it was annoying but I didn't notice any other children reacting to it. It happens often like at church where they play contemporary music fairly loudly he gets really uncomfortable and lays across my lap with his hands over his ears. He also has some left over separation anxiety from being in school last year and won't go to children's church so him and I just stay at home and have our own little church service now.
> > I guess my question would be have any of tour children experienced this? If so, did you take steps to remedy the problem and did it resolve itself? I'll be thankful for any insights on this. We, of course, all hate to watch our little ones suffer even just a little bit. Thank you for your help. Deborah
> >
>

BRIAN POLIKOWSKY

I am 45, with some hearing loss and noise absolutely gets to me. I have a hard time in loud places.

I have to be careful and make sure I  take some breaks  when I am in a loud place or I can have a meltdown!
I love music but sometimes I cannot  even listen to it.

 
Alex Polikowsky
 
 
 


________________________________

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heidihaghighi

>>>> I guess my question would be have any of tour children experienced this? Deborah>>>>


I was one of those kids, and my daughter, who is 2, is also one of those kids. I did not have any medical problem, I was always just sensitive to sound (especially high pitched or loud), among many other things. It is a common complaint of highly sensitive people. Your son might be highly sensitive, especially if he is more sensitive than others about other things, such as taste, texture, temperature, intuition, new places, feelings, etc.

A psychologist, Elaine Aron, has coined the term "highly sensitive child" and "highly sensitive person". Her website is http://www.hsperson.com/pages/child.htm I took out her book at the public library. I can't remember exactly, but I think I actually came across the term somewhere on this forum....

It doesn't pertain to unschooling directly, but it has helped me understand myself and my child and therefore my parenting has improved a lot. There have been several recent posts where I wanted to mention this but I wasn't sure if it was appropriate. I decided to do so now, just in case it helps some unschooling families.

dapsign

One thing that stood out from the original post was that your son seems to be feeling overwhelmed by sounds during events where its customary to be sitting (graduation and church). Could this be part of his sensitivity? Do you think its possible he feels "stuck" there and there is no escape for him?

My son Logan (4.5 years old) has very sensitive ears. I have had a hard time understanding this because I don't experience the same sensitivity that he does. We have tried to avoid places that we know to have loud noises that upset him. When we've encountered noises that upset him in unexpected places, we quickly leave if we can. As others have mentioned, ear plugs, noise-cancelling headphones or an iPod might help him as well.

Dina


--- In [email protected], BRIAN POLIKOWSKY <polykowholsteins@...> wrote:
>
> I am 45, with some hearing loss and noise absolutely gets to me. I have a hard time in loud places.
>
> I have to be careful and make sure I  take some breaks  when I am in a loud place or I can have a meltdown!
> I love music but sometimes I cannot  even listen to it.
>
>  
> Alex Polikowsky
>  
>  
>  
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Sandra Dodd

-=-When we've encountered noises that upset him in unexpected places, we quickly leave if we can. As others have mentioned, ear plugs, noise-cancelling headphones or an iPod might help him as well. -=-

Another idea is to stand near the back, so he can go out or come in to avoid the louder noises but not miss the whole activity. Or watch from outside glass, if possible. Some older places have a room for nursing mothers, or "a crying room" for loud babies. Sometimes a stadium will have a glass enclosure somewhere.

I can't be in an arena with screaming and whistling. When I was a teacher long ago, I traded all my basketball-game duties for sock-hop duties. I could handle loud rock and roll (which some of the other older teachers could not) but I couldn't handle the intense sounds of basketball fans stomping wooden bleachers and screaming.

Sandra

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sandra Dodd

-=-When we've encountered noises that upset him in unexpected places, we quickly leave if we can. As others have mentioned, ear plugs, noise-cancelling headphones or an iPod might help him as well. -=-

Another idea is to stand near the back, so he can go out or come in to avoid the louder noises but not miss the whole activity. Or watch from outside glass, if possible. Some older places have a room for nursing mothers, or "a crying room" for loud babies. Sometimes a stadium will have a glass enclosure somewhere.

I can't be in an arena with screaming and whistling. When I was a teacher long ago, I traded all my basketball-game duties for sock-hop duties. I could handle loud rock and roll (which some of the other older teachers could not) but I couldn't handle the intense sounds of basketball fans stomping wooden bleachers and screaming.

Sandra

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sandra Dodd

-=-When we've encountered noises that upset him in unexpected places, we quickly leave if we can. As others have mentioned, ear plugs, noise-cancelling headphones or an iPod might help him as well. -=-

Another idea is to stand near the back, so he can go out or come in to avoid the louder noises but not miss the whole activity. Or watch from outside glass, if possible. Some older places have a room for nursing mothers, or "a crying room" for loud babies. Sometimes a stadium will have a glass enclosure somewhere.

I can't be in an arena with screaming and whistling. When I was a teacher long ago, I traded all my basketball-game duties for sock-hop duties. I could handle loud rock and roll (which some of the other older teachers could not) but I couldn't handle the intense sounds of basketball fans stomping wooden bleachers and screaming.

Sandra

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Deb Lewis

***I guess my question would be have any of tour children experienced this? ***

Dylan is sensitive to sound. Loud noise bothers him. He listens to the TV so quietly his dad can't hear it. For a long time he thought Dylan watched with the sound off. <g>

I have some sound sensitivity. I'm more bothered by repetitive noise but bothered by loudness too. I sleep with earplugs when I can stand them.

***If so, did you take steps to remedy the problem and did it resolve itself? ***

We opted for drive-in movies or movies at home instead of movie theaters. Unless we could get into a matinee with few to no other people and ask the sound guy to turn it down.<g>

We avoided loud places as much as possible. The swimming pool was an echo chamber of horrors on busy days.

I've seen some suggestions for using an iPod. I don't have an iPod, I have some other thing but even the lowest volume is too loud for Dylan's liking. Hearing protection has helped in various situations.

Deb Lewis





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yoginidharma

Hi there, in yoga their is a breathing exercise designed for this called bees breath it has been used apparently since the ancient days to deal with overwhelming scenes and especially noises. You basically plug your ears with your thumbs while the rest of the fingers lay gently on the eyes and u make a buzzing sound as u breath out. Maybe this will help


--- In [email protected], Sandra Dodd <Sandra@...> wrote:
>
> -=-When we've encountered noises that upset him in unexpected places, we quickly leave if we can. As others have mentioned, ear plugs, noise-cancelling headphones or an iPod might help him as well. -=-
>
> Another idea is to stand near the back, so he can go out or come in to avoid the louder noises but not miss the whole activity. Or watch from outside glass, if possible. Some older places have a room for nursing mothers, or "a crying room" for loud babies. Sometimes a stadium will have a glass enclosure somewhere.
>
> I can't be in an arena with screaming and whistling. When I was a teacher long ago, I traded all my basketball-game duties for sock-hop duties. I could handle loud rock and roll (which some of the other older teachers could not) but I couldn't handle the intense sounds of basketball fans stomping wooden bleachers and screaming.
>
> Sandra
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Gwen Montoya

Megan, now 9, has always had issues with loud noises.

Toilets with sensors were a challenge for a long time - so I hung toilet
paper over the sensor or covered it with my hand (sticking a post-it note
over the sensor works too). Automatic hand dryers in the bathroom were bad
because they could come on suddenly, were very loud, and the bathroom
acoustics usually made it worse. I used to really hate bathroom breaks
because it could turn a fun outing into tears so quickly because of the
stupid sensors & hand dryers going off (happy face for her, obviously).

Any place with loud music or even live music we skip (she has trouble with
crowds & feeling claustrophobic too).

In the past two years it has gotten easier for her (and I've gotten better
at planning). She knows we'll leave if it is uncomfortable for her...and
more than once that has meant walking in the door, deciding it was too loud
and leaving immediately.

We've developed coping mechanisms that work for her. Headphones & DS game in
crowded restaurants - both as a distraction and a way for her to focus on
something besides the overwhelming noise - when it was somewhere she wanted
to be & didn't want to leave. Walking outside to take a break from the noise
is one she's using often these days.

Gwen



On Tue, Jun 7, 2011 at 9:47 AM, Deb <vwb777@...> wrote:

>
>
> My little boy is seven and we've noticed a problem, or rather, noticed one
> that is getting worse it seems. It concerns loud noise. For example, when we
> attended his older sister's outside graduation last evening he was miserable
> whenever the crowd applauded. It got worse at the end when names were called
> as the seniors had air horns. He was nearly in tears and crawled under the
> seat of my husband with his hands over his ears. I don't blame him as it was
> annoying but I didn't notice any other children reacting to it. It happens
> often like at church where they play contemporary music fairly loudly he
> gets really uncomfortable and lays across my lap with his hands over his
> ears. He also has some left over separation anxiety from being in school
> last year and won't go to children's church so him and I just stay at home
> and have our own little church service now.
> I guess my question would be have any of tour children experienced this? If
> so, did you take steps to remedy the problem and did it resolve itself? I'll
> be thankful for any insights on this. We, of course, all hate to watch our
> little ones suffer even just a little bit. Thank you for your help. Deborah
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]