[blparent] A thought about audio books and child locators

[Leanne Merren]

Hi Karla,
I see your points on the audio books, though I have to say that I don't 
think it's necessarily a bad thing because it can help a lot to teach them 
to focus on other things besides the things that are visually stimulating. 
I love to put on books for my kids and me to listen together, or the radio 
programs that come on the Christian radio stations.  My kids are great 
readers, and they love to read along with an audio book or just on their 
own, so they haven't suffered any.  As long as there is a healthy balance I 
don't see any issue with it.

I always had bells on my kids, or the pipsqueakers when they're really 
young.  I like having the auditory clues that tell me where my children are. 
If I can't hear them, that alerts me and I call their name to find them.  It 
may be that they are just sitting still, but if they had actually wandered 
far I would want to know that.  I don't take the bells off until they are at 
an age that they know to check in with me before they go anywhere.  I had 
taken them off of my daughter when she was 4, but for our trip to Disney 
World last year I put them back on.  I wouldn't chance being separated from 
her in a busy airport or amusement park.  With 3 kids I can't possibly hold 
onto her every second, and she's a day dreamer so it's easy for her to 
forget to follow the group.
I think the locator sounds like a great idea in case of an emergency, like 
it was said, if the child wanders off in a grocery store or something, but I 
don't think I would make much use of it on a regular basis.  Not sure though 
as I haven't tried it.
Leanne
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Karla Hudson" <HudsonKC at msu.edu>
To: <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 6:02 PM
Subject: [blparent] A thought about audio books and child locators


> Hi Group,
>
> I am a little confused about audio books for kids unless your child is
> reading along with a print book.  I would think you would want them to 
> have
> as much contact with printed books as possible.  The only time I have 
> audio
> books for my kids is when the book comes with a CD that allows the child 
> to
> read with the print book and turn pages with the beep tone.  I do not want
> to impose on my children all the audio that has been forced on me.  Of
> course, I understand that audio can result in some great comprehension.
> However, I believe my kids benefit more from my reading a print/Braille 
> book
> to them rather than listening to a text without any materials to view.
>
> As far as child locators.  Well, we bought one and never used the device. 
> I
> have always found bells to be more useful on the shoes.  My son is four 
> and
> still wears his bells as he is a quiet kid.  My daughter had her bells
> removed at 3 as she talks all the time.
>
> Another technique I used at the playground is my whistle.  I have one on 
> my
> keys and use it to let the kids know they need to come to me.  If I have 
> to
> blow it more than three times and nobody responds we go home.
>
> Just a few thoughts.  The bells seem to be a better solution because even
> when my children are sitting in a group activity I could often just hear
> their bell tinkle a bit when they moved just a little.  This gave me the
> ability to locate them easily.
>
> Karla
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blparent mailing list
> blparent at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> blparent:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/leemer02%40gmail.com