What does your day-to-day look like? It probably involves waking up, getting ready and going to work or school. In just the first couple hours of the day, there are the sounds of the alarm clock going off, the shower turning on, the coffee machine percolating, the car turning on or the bus pulling up and the hum of traffic.

If you’re like many people, your day also includes some type of activity. Running, riding a bike, and playing sports—all activities in which sound continues to play a crucial role.

Here’s how two of our community members play best with their Pontos.

The Creative Karate Kid

Sonja Herne’s son Jack loves karate, and he wears bilateral Pontos on a softband. When he advanced to a red belt, requiring a helmet during activity, Sonja and Jack got creative. When Jack practices karate, they remove one of his Pontos and shift the other to the back-middle of his head. They found a gap in the back of the helmet, which allows the Ponto to sit unobstructed.

With this creativity, Jack can hear his instructor and keep on pursuing a black belt!

Helmet Home Run

Jack doesn’t just do karate, he plays other sports too. Here’s a video of Jack sharing how he protects his medpor ears and Pontos during baseball.

“Many of us struggle with finding helmets that work with hearing processors. Jack started playing baseball this year and we wanted to be sure to protect his medpor ears! He wears bilateral Ponto Pros on a softband. Once he has abutments, we will likely revert back to the softband for sports helmets,” Sonja said in her Facebook post. “See the video for a little how-to by Jack. We use a similar method for skiing and hope this will help others!”

Always Climbing Higher

Angela Sabal’s daughter, Sarah, wears her bilateral Pontos on abutments. Sarah has a number of talents, including rock climbing. With a helmet required to climb, Angela and Sarah take things back to where they started.

“Although Sarah wears her bilateral Pontos on abutments, we always travel with a softband because you never know when/where you will find rock climbing and be required to wear their regulation helmet,” Angela wrote on the Oticon Medical Facebook page.

 

For riding bikes, Angela took matters into her own hands and modified Sarah’s helmet.

A helpful post by Supporting Success for Children with Hearing Loss makes a few great helmet suggestions too. “Look for things like ‘adjustable dial’ or ‘rack-and-pinion system’ in the list of helmet features and pay close attention to how the helmets’ fit system works! Adjustability around the circumference of the child’s head as well as the height (up and down) is important. Some people will put on a bandana or do-rag first and then put the helmet on to absorb sweat.”

As with any and all safety gear, it’s important to consult with professionals and understand how modifications can impact the performance of the equipment. While all of the suggestions we see are certainly creative, we don’t officially endorse any of them. Only you know what’s best for yourself and your child.

Have fun and stay safe!

Are you interested in learning about our newest Ponto, the Ponto 3 SuperPower? Click below to learn more:

For more suggestions and conversation from the Oticon Medical community, visit our Facebook page, Twitter or Instagram!