Hockey Ears

One of the creative parts of having a child with developmental delays is the things you do to help them.

Hockey ears are case and point.

Mr J loves and I mean LOVES hockey. We bought season's tickets for our local team so he tends to go to one game per week. The first time we took him was a bit traumatic. Whenever a team would score a goal huge air horns would go off and fans let loose with noise makers. It is very noisy.

To an adult or other child this might be a bit loud but other than that it is finished when the noise stops. Poor J just couldn't cope and was a nervous wreck the rest of the game. One of us had to have our hands over his ears the rest of the game.

So we got this idea to put ear muffs on him - the kind they use when you mow the lawn or use loud machinery. But where to get them? Luckily my father-in-law had a small pair in his wood shop.

Now the only thing was to explain what these ear muffs did and get them on his head. Not an easy task with a super sensory child. We tried to get him to try them on before we left for the next game - yeah - that didn't work. Until wonder mom (aka me - LOL) came up with a new name for them. Thus 'hockey ears' were born. While he still doesn't want to wear them before we get there, once we are at the rink he asks for them and then sits happy as a clam.

The above picture is at GM Place when we went to go see the Canucks Open Practice. 'Hockey Ears' on :)