Questions for your DHH child that go beyond
How was your day?
A conversation guide for parents who want to understand what their Deaf or Hard of Hearing child is actually experiencing.
Sometimes “How was your day?” isn’t enough. Especially when your child doesn’t yet have the words to explain why listening felt exhausting. Why lunch was hard. Why they took their devices off. Why they nodded along even though they didn’t understand.
As a Deaf/Hard of Hearing adult, a pediatric audiologist, and a mom, I know that some of the most important parts of a DHH child’s day aren’t the things they’ll think to tell us.
Is there ever a time you pretend you heard something when you didn’t?
This one opens the bigger conversation: listening fatigue, fitting in, and whether your child feels able to speak up. Ask it once and see where it goes.
126 questions.
Six categories.
These prompts came from More Than Words, my deck of conversation cards made for Deaf and Hard of Hearing children and the people who love them.
SHOP MORE THAN WORDS →
Hi, I’m Michelle.
I’m Dr. Michelle Hu — pediatric audiologist, bilateral cochlear implant user, mom, and the creator of Mama Hu Hears. I grew up as a DHH kid myself, and I’ve spent my career on the thing I wish more people understood back then: there is so much more to raising a DHH child than an audiogram.
Our kids need access to language. They also need the words for listening fatigue, friendships, identity and belonging. And parents need the chance to listen.