Anything to help little ears in the parks?...

[Rockafeller]

My little boys are sooooo sensative to noise, the last time we were at Disneyland (last May) my 4 yr old spent most of the time with his arms covering his ears (even though he was having a great time) and it was even on rides like Big Thunder Mountain. I've had his ears tested and everything came back great...he is just sensative to loud noises. His younger brother is seeming to be the same way (he's 2). Does anyone use ear plugs or something else to help alleviate some of the noise with their little ones (but so they can still hear us?). Does anyone else have this problem?
Thanks

 

[iKristin]

You could try earplugs or just some tissue. Or if you're wanting something that is easier on little ears try these. They just look like music headphones and come in all different colors

http://cgi.ebay.com/PELTOR-KID-Ear-...tZAU_Safety?hash=item3efb81b10f#ht_5289wt_760

 

[Mugglemama]

my oldest son (getting ready to turn 12) was always hyper-sensitive to noise. things like sirens outside or the vacuum cleaner were like torture to him, from the age of about 15 months.

oddly enough, he never complained about the loud sounds we heard inside of disneyland rides (and we were AP holders for a couple of years from the time he was 3, so he was going every week). if he had fussed about the loud noises, i would have considered ear muffs.

i don't know where you live (we are originally from southern california, so i do understand that it can be hard to find real "winter" gear in certain parts of the country), but if you can't find a pair easily at a local store, you can probably find a pair online relatively easy. (i would personally use the soft, fuzzy ones, just because they are probably more comfortable than the ones that are made more in the fashion of headphones.)

my son has completely stopped complaining about loud noises, btw. so hang in there, it probably won't last forever!

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

I think earplugs would be a lot easier for the kids to wear all day/night long than headphones. Those things aren't weight free. The added weight would probably hurt their necks and head after a while. Earplugs cut out about 25-30 dbs. That's enough to help them get through it and if they need more, they can still cover their ears with their hands. They sell a big tub of them for around $10 at Wal Mart so you don't have to keep reusing them. The more you use them, the quicker they break down and lose their effectiveness. I'd buy the tub and bring it on the trip or grab a hand full and throw them in a ziplock bag... Light and easy to carry around.

 

[bumbershoot]

The first time we realized that noise might be causing the problems, I, for some reason, had my own earplugs (hubby snores, LOL) in my bag. They were the foam type that go into the ear. They helped a lot, but were rather big for DS's ears!

Last trip I bought some "junior" sized ear plugs (Mack being the brand, I believe). They are silicon and just *cover* the ear canal, rather than going inside, and they worked well for DS.

I recommend them for Tomorrowland, especially...very very loud ambient noise in there.

 

[Mugglemama]

just a thought...i'd check BEFORE your trip to see which method your kids will tolerate better. for instance, my son would have NEVER been able to handle earplugs, but fuzzy earmuffs wouldn't have bothered him at all. some kids will be the opposite, and some will be fine either way (and unfortunately, some will be very disagreeable about both!) i would DEFINITELY get this worked out before you arrive. my own personal experience was that my son who was hyper-sensitive to noise tended to be pretty much a spaz about a lot of things, lol. for instance, he's also the ONLY picky eater out of all 4 of my children, the only one who gets carsick, and the only one who is prone to heat-related illness (it seems like his nervous system was just immature from infancy - but that's a whole 'nother story). he is the only one who is easily agitated, etc. thankfully, he seems to have leveled out A LOT in the last 3 years.

so anyway, check to see which noise reduction method they tolerate better before your trip!

 

[ttds17]

Years ago when my son was tiny he was afraid to watch the fireworks because of the noise. He would FREAK out!! I stumbled upon some little ear muffs with Mickey Mouse on them at Walmart (I think?). I bought them, just in case. On our next trip I told him they were magic Disney ear muffs that would protect him from the noise, but still let him enjoy the show. He was so proud to wear them and loved every minute! He ended up wearing them for most of the trip from that point forward.

Allyson

 

[ZuzuT]

When our son was younger, he was very sensitive to noise and also would not tolerate anything in his ears. I bought some really cheap headphones at Walmart (less than $10) that covered his ears. I cut the cords off so that they were just the earphones and they worked great. It worked great for him and, because they were lightweight, they were easy to carry around.

 

[Rockafeller]

Thanks for all these great suggestions everyone. I will for sure try and see what works best for both my little boys before our trip in May...and fortunately we live in BC (Canada) so we have lots of access to earmuffs (esp with the Olympics right around the corner)! I haven't ever to buy ear plugs before do you just get them from the pharmacy? do they come in kids sizes?

 

[blutes]

You don't have to spend money on ear plugs..Just get some silly putty.
Doctors here in Arizona use it for earplugs as it blocks the ears better and can be formed for each individual..