The path your little one’s development will take is unique to your DHH child. So many factors are at play each and every day in her little world! Maintaining reasonable expectations–both for your child and for yourself–is critical. Strive to merge great amounts of flexibility with developmentally-appropriate expectations. Always have great flexpectations!
Hold space for allowing your DHH child to be just where he is…and do the same for yourself. Come alongside compassionately rather than expecting your child to be at a place his brain is not ready to be quite yet.
In particularly discouraging or challenging moments, try to get perspective wherever you can.
- Pause. Make a mental note–or an actual note!–of growth you’ve noticed in me recently. Then do the same for yourself. Naming what is going well can serve as a reminder that there is light even when life seems dark. It can also affirm all you are doing and giving to me, and the progress I am making at my own pace.
- Glance over social-emotional development milestones. This may help to refresh your sense of where I’m at and where I’m going.
- In moments of dysregulation, wait til I am settled before you expect me to learn anything. Your comforting steadiness makes all the difference.
- When I fall apart (I will!) or when you fall apart (you will!), we can prioritize calming. There will be time later to figure out what went wrong and how to make it better next time.