The holiday season is quickly approaching! However, before you buy your child the newest and trendiest toy, you might want to check the volume. Some toys can produce sounds that are damaging to your child’s ears. Research has shown that some toys are as loud as a jet plane engine when placed next to the ear. This volume is incredibly dangerous as it can permanently damage your child’s hearing. It is extremely important to protect your child’s hearing, because once it’s gone you cannot get it back.
Below are some tips to protect your child from exposure to loud toys this holiday season:
- Buy quiet gifts. Look for toys that do not make sounds or have low-volume settings.
- Test out toys in the store. Download a sound level meter app on your smartphone and test the volume (the level should be below 75dB). If it sounds too loud, it probably is too loud.
- If you already have a loud toy and cannot control the volume, place duct tape or masking tape on the speaker to muffle the volume.
- Avoid competing noises. Only allow one toy turned on at a time.
Happy holidays from your DEI team and remember to protect your hearing this holiday season!