Hi! I want to tell you something that happened recently. My son is a KODA Kid (Kid Of Deaf Adult). I’m his deaf mom.
The two of us went to Target recently to buy a birthday gift for my son’s friend. When we were done, we both got into the car. I put the keys in the ignition and opened the door because it was hot. I gave my son the birthday card to fill out for his friend while I sat next to him and wrapped the gift. I told him to write “Happy Birthday”, and sign his name. My son said, “Ok.”
I happened to glance over at him and noticed he had spelled the word “Happy” with an extra “e” at the end – “Happey.”
I said, “Wait, wait a minute, son. Happy isn’t spelled h-a-p-p-e-y. It is spelled h-a-p-p-y. There is no “e” at the end. Focus on what you’re writing.” I chuckled and said, “You know how to spell happy.” (He is a 5th grader.)
But my son said, “Mama! I can’t focus! There is too much noise!”
I looked around, but didn’t see anything that might be making noise near us. I thought maybe he was just hearing the sound of cars driving nearby. I told him to ignore the noise and pay attention to what he was writing. I scribbled out the first word he wrote and asked him to try again. I went back to my wrapping.
But a minute later, I glanced over and noticed him writing his name with an extra “e” in it. He spelled it P-a-u-l-e-y. His name “Paul” does not even have an “e” in it.
I smiled and said, “Paul, wait, hold on son. You put an “e” in your name. Your name doesn’t have an “e” in it. You need to focus.”
Again, he complained, “Mama, I can’t focus! There’s too much noise!”
Again I looked around us and couldn’t figure out what noise he was referring to. That’s when my son pointed to the keys in the ignition. He told me that while the door was open, and the keys were in the ignition, the reminder alarm was going off: “eee – eee – eee!”
I guess the “eee – eee – eee” sound threw him off and caused my hearing son to insert extra “e” ‘s in his handwriting. I found that interesting.
That’s one of my son’s “KODA Stories.”
My name is LaRonda Zupp.
I am Deaf. Welcome to
"The Ear of My Heart."
Oh i love those KODA stories by Deaf parents sharing cross cultural humor.
Left by Julie Rems-Smario on March 15th, 2007
Your story kind of reminds me of the faces my husband makes when I try to speak to him in the kitchen. He always has to go over and turn off the exhaust fan first before we can have a conversation!
Yup, our Koda stories are priceless, is someone going to gather them up and write a book?
Lantana
Left by Lantana on March 15th, 2007
That’s cute!
I also like your way of saying bye bye in ILY way!
Left by IamMine on March 15th, 2007
LaRonda,
I so enjoyed your story! I am a hearing mom of a deaf 5th grade boy. He functions more like a hard of hearing child with his hearing aids . I’m in school right now to improve my ASL skills. I love watching your Vlogs because they are so easy to understand (guess I understand the language between a mom and a 5th grader the best!).
Thank you for sharing!
Angie
Left by Angie on March 15th, 2007
Hi Everyone! In response to the comments above:
Thanks for your smiles, Julie. I bet you have some fun KODA stories of your own with your kids!
Lantana, what a great idea for someone to gather these stories up in a book. You interested?
IAmMine, I’m glad you noticed my “bye bye ILY” wave. I guess it’s become my own little trademark.
Angie, I’m so glad you made a comment. I will say what Ocean said over in her blog at deafpagan.com, that comments are not just for the deaf community but for hearing people as well. Being a mom of a deaf child, you have a lot to contribute, I’m sure! Thanks for your comments. Fifth grade boys are just too cute not to share their stories with other doting moms and dads.
~ LaRonda
Left by LaRonda on March 15th, 2007
Cute. It’s interesting of how distracting stimulus can interfere with thought processing. Thanks for sharing.
Left by MikeS on March 15th, 2007
Mike, you bring up a good point. The sound interfered with my hearing son’s language processing. It makes you wonder about deaf children. I bet visual noise can have the same effect on some students.
~ LaRonda
Left by LaRonda on March 15th, 2007
that’s interesting!
I work with a student who wears hearing aids, he complained he can’t focus wtth class noises around…. wonder how to go about it? turn off hearing aids when writing?
Left by Susan on March 15th, 2007
I love your ILY bye bye! so cute! Do you mind if I copy you?
I could feel the EEE EEE EEE in my car. I wonder if you are touch impaired? LOL
Left by Michael Gallagher on March 15th, 2007
Susan,
When i worked as a School Counselor at a deaf residential school in the pacific Northwest, I often got referrals of students who got into arguments and even fights because they were frustrated and angry about the extraneous noises their classmates would make that would bother their hearing aids or focus in class. It’s an interesting point.
Barb, you out there? Any thoughts on this from you or other teachers of deaf/hh children who complain they can’t focus when their hearing aids pick up sounds? I wonder, like Susan, if teachers advocate turning the hearing aids off while they write…
~ LaRonda
Left by LaRonda on March 15th, 2007
Interesting how sound transposes someone’s writing! It is a hearing thing, I guess!
Left by Cy on March 15th, 2007
That happen a lot with hearing children whether they have Deaf parents or not by adding sound into writing or more common with KODA?
Anyway cute story.
Left by Jessica on March 15th, 2007
aww so cute story! i am going to share it with my hubby lol
Left by kira on March 15th, 2007
It is so cute. I know it is much harder on hearing kids to listen anything or where it came from.
I laughed his mother were not realized she could not hear but where it came from. from car key kept stayed forever when it say Eeee Eeee Eeee.. Your comment is so cute and confused for your son.
Margaret
Left by margaret on April 29th, 2007