Bella, children, hearing, motherhood, parenting

Be Quiet!

Lani Young

The Bella Beast has the loudest voice in our house. The most piercing scream. The strongest protesting wail. And everything must be announced at maximum decibels volume, with double exclamation marks.

“Jade, I want to play XBox!!”

Several minutes later, “Zachie, stand still so I can shoot you!!” then “Mum, he’s not letting me kill him. Tell him to get off the Xbox!!”

Even expressions of love are yelled loud enough for the neighbors to hear. “Dada, I love you. You’re my bestest favorite!!”

We have all been trying (unsuccesfully) to get this child to speak quieter. Yell softer. Protest gentler. Even love nicer. To no avail. I confess, I’ve started to yell. So she will get the message and stop yelling? Umm, not very clever of me…Her loudness has been driving us all nuts.

And then today she comes home with a form from the Hearing Test Nurses that visited her preschool. My Bella Beast has failed the hearing test. Her ears only have 30% hearing because they’re  jam packed with nastiness and need to be cleaned out. The Hot Man asked me, “Haven’t you been cleaning her ears? Didn’t you notice anything?!” The he rushed off to take her to the doctor right away.

It’s all clear to me now. I can hear the music. No wonder she talks so loud all the time. The poor child can’t hear properly. And there I was snapping at her to ‘be quiet, stop shouting!’

Everybody chant with me now. Bad mother. Bad mother. Bad mother.

Published by Lani Young

Lani Young is an international bestselling author of YA fantasy, contemporary romance and literary fiction. The 2018 Pacific Laureate, her work is inspired by the diverse mythology of Oceania and the richness of her cultural heritage as a Samoan / Maori woman.

5 thoughts on “Be Quiet!”

  1. You are definitely not a bad mother! Tell the Hot Man that cleaning ears is a nurse's or doctor's job. I have been told by doctors and nurses that you should only clean the outside of the ear as using Q tips can force wax further inside the ear canal leading to blockage and 'loudness' lol (just don't tell him you got this information from an unqualified exterior ear-cleaning mother)

  2. Don't feel too horrible. I was at the docs for a check up for twins one time and he was trying to check twins' ears and he asks, "when was the last time you cleaned their ears?" Huh, what? When? Ummm…. It was so embarrassing. I couldn't even remember. "Bad mother. Bad mother. Bad mother."

  3. Really Lani…I take my hat off to you and all Mothers who have more than one child! I can't even remember the last physical exam my son had, and I've only got him. :$ Tell the hot man to cut you some slack, you had to carry them all for 9 months each. 😉 Hi Bella… 🙂

  4. This reminds me that my lil fiapokos ears are almost blocked according to the doctor during her last check up months ago, and I was supposed to buy some ear solution to soften the wax..

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