I don’t often do product reviews on the blog because that’s not really what this blog is about, but it is about my family and if something strikes me as particularly cool or important or relevant, I’ll blog about it.
As most of you know, my oldest daughter has some hearing loss. She can hear fine *most* of the time, but if I talk softly or if she’s not looking at my mouth when I talk, she has some trouble. She wears hearing aids… when she wears them, and she should probably have an FM system at school but she’d rather not so I don’t push it with her. Our relationship is more important to me than a few missed math instructions.
When I got the chance to try out a new alarm clock, developed for people with hearing loss, I decided to do it. Enter the Amplicom TCL 200 digital alarm clock. Say that ten times fast. It comes equipped with all kinds of cool features that we don’t use. It talks to you and tells you the time. It can be turned up extra super loud and has lights to get your attention. It can even hook up to your phone to amplify the ringer.
The thing we like most about it is the vibrating pad that goes under Laylee’s pillow at night. In the morning, she’s awoken with a gentle vibration under her head. The pad is wireless and comes with built-in rechargeable batteries, and we use it without the audio alarm or flashing lights.
The obvious benefit is – it wakes a person whether they have hearing loss or not. The magical side benefit is – it does not wake up the 3-year-old sleeping on the bunk below. So, Laylee gets a gentle head massage, reminding her to get going and Wanda gets to sleep on in a drooly coma for as long as her little body desires.
Would I spend the seventy bucks to buy one if it hadn’t been sent to me magically for free in the mail? I’m not sure. Maybe in a couple of years. I think alarm clocks are going to be more of an issue as she gets older and I want her to take responsibility to get herself out of bed on time. She currently uses the hearing-loss-friendly, mom strokes your hair and your cheek and whispers loudly in your ear alarm. But she’s getting a smidge old for that.
If her hearing loss were more severe, this would definitely be a great option. I’m not sure how many of my readers suffer from hearing loss or have a loved one who does, but if you do, check out this clock. It’s intuitive to use, durable, and has enough bells and whistles without being overly complicated.
I lost hearing in one ear when I was 7 (now in my 60’s). I made the adjustments necessary and now appreciate the benefits of partial hearing loss. For example, when I go to bed, I can put my good ear into the pillow with the bad ear exposed. My world gets very quiet at that point. Sleep is easy for me. With some early training, my “inner clock” has always woke me up in time. Your daughter will d
o just fine.
My daughter has an alarm like this and believe me, when your daughter gets older it is worth EVERY SINGLE penny 🙂 I don’t have to go and wake her anymore, which for an 11 year old, makes her feel a lot more mature and grown up! Thank you for your wonderful blog! I am so glad I found you 😉