Ear protectors for children

Nada666

Little cousins want to be taken to cinema. But I have heard the volume the children's films are played at and there is no way I will allow a four and six year old to go in unprotected. (I often wear plugs myself.) Cartoons are bad enough - Vishnu help children that are taken to see the Bollywood films.

I assume an over-the-ear muff would be best but does anyone have experience or advice? Are there adjustable ones for comfort and size?

Toto

I use these for my daughter for everything from rock concerts (side of stage to see daddy) to cinemas. She's had them for a couple of years and they are still going strong and grow with her (she's almost 5 now). They come in a range of colours too.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Edz-Kidz-Pink-Kids-Defenders/dp/B001D13V8S/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1371297065&sr=8-2&keywords=kids+ear+defenders

Tiddlywinks

Don't forget the suit made entirely of cotton wool and the face mask to protect against the germs...

Toto

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

Don't forget the suit made entirely of cotton wool and the face mask to protect against the germs...

Bit mean.

Some kids are noise sensitive. There are times that things like this are needed for safety reasons (concerts for example), but sometimes just for the child's comfort. My little one feels uncomfortable with noise and will sit there with her hands over her ears. So, at the cinema I'd rather put her ear defenders on so she can enjoy the movie rather than force her to sit and endure what she finds uncomfortable.

valk_scot

I wear ear defenders in the cinema and I'm in my fifties! There's no reason to have the volume up that loud...unless of course it's to drown out all the packet rustling, crisp munching and conversation going on in the row behind. I've good very good hearing for my age, indeed any age, and I put it down to not having allowed my ears to be damaged by listening to very loud noises if I could possibly help it. I've done the same for the kids, it's surprising how poor the hearing of some of their friends is and imho it's down to the extensive use of headphones, earbugs and tv/cinema/dvd/pc games at excessive volumes.

securityguy

For those that want hearing protection at music events without spoiling the music, the Alpine "Music Safe" stuff is brilliant. Probably not ideal for children, as it's a in-ear plug, but it's unobtrusive and designed specifically for listening to (and performing) music. Bassoonists wear then to stave off the trumpets just behind!

Nada666

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

Don't forget the suit made entirely of cotton wool and the face mask to protect against the germs...

They are not bubble-wrapped. Cuts and bruises heal. Germs can be fought by the body itself. Hearing damage is, essentially, irrepairable.

It may seem ridiculous to suggest to a child or teenager that an old person in their thirties may still want to experience the full oomph and force of sound and music. But if I can protect and advise them I will.

Until there is a paradigm shift in the treatment of neurological damage to smell and taste and hearing they should be protected. Chances are there'll be personal jetpacks and flying cars before that happens.

zoesmummy_2006

I recommend the ear defenders, my son is plane mad (like his mum ) and I was dying to take him to an airshow, but was worried how he'd cope with the noise so got him the bright green ones. He wore them happily during some of the noisier displays, then while I was at the fence taking photos of the Vulcan taking off I turned to see my dad had removed the ear defenders and my son was smiling his head off and laughing as the plane thundered past!!!!!!

I have tried them myself and they fit on my head and do block out a considerable ammount of noise. My cousin also has them for her son who has a drum kit........though im not sure who wears them more, her or the son lol.

fluffnutter

Nada666 wrote: »

Little cousins want to be taken to cinema. But I have heard the volume the children's films are played at and there is no way I will allow a four and six year old to go in unprotected. (I often wear plugs myself.) Cartoons are bad enough - Vishnu help children that are taken to see the Bollywood films.

I assume an over-the-ear muff would be best but does anyone have experience or advice? Are there adjustable ones for comfort and size?

It's an interesting one. Personally I can't help but agree with you. I find the volume in cinemas uncomfortable, not so much during the actual film, but all the ads and trailers are played waaay too loud. Children's hearing is sensitive and easily damaged.

Which makes me wonder why they play films so loud? Perhaps rather than have your kids watch wearing ear defenders, why not speak to the management and ask them to assess their volume policy?

Frankly, there's simply no need to play films as loud as they do - adult ones too.

kettlefish

Second (or maybe even third!) the Edz Kidz ear defenders. Word of warming - they are pretty tight when they come and my 7 month old wouldn't keep them on at a music festival last year as they were squashing her head (which was obviously 7 month old size so pretty small.) We stretched them over the arm of the sofa overnight and they were better by the time we took her to see Dizzee Rascal :rotfl:I hope I'm sounding like a really cool mum now :cool:

Spendless

Is the cinema noise louder than in the school playground?