Widex Wearers Reflect on the Importance of Healthy Hearing for Mother-Child Relationships

Communication is the foundation of every relationship – so when communication is impaired, it can significantly impact our ability to connect.

Whether you’re a parent yourself, or the child or grandchild of someone with hearing loss, being able to communicate is vital to maintain invaluable familial relationships. This month, which ushers in National Speech-Language Hearing Month as well as Mother’s Day, we encourage anyone with hearing loss to get tested. Addressing hearing health improves quality of life by enabling deeper interpersonal connections.

Notable Widex hearing aid wearers Shelli Sonstein, Scott Simons and Monica Dreger did just that. And this Mother’s Day, they discuss how, in addition to helping them excel in their careers, Widex hearing aids have improved their experiences as a grandmother, a son and a mother.

Healthy Hearing Helps Bridge the Distance

“Frustrated” was an understatement for longtime iHeartRadio Host Shelli Sonstein when she couldn’t hear her grandchildren speaking. “Before I got hearing aids, I had to ask them to repeat themselves,” she said. “My oldest grandson actually said ‘you need hearing aids!’ and that’s what compelled me to seek them out.”

Sonstein was fitted for Widex Moment Sheer hearing aids in 2023 and it has made all the difference in the relationship with her grandchildren. Now, not only can Sonstein hear her grandchildren during precious visits, but she can communicate with them remotely – as Shelli is based on the East coast for her morning show on Q104.3 in New York City, while her grandchildren live on the West coast.

“Being able to FaceTime with them and hear them is a godsend,” she said. “Without the ability to hear them, I wouldn’t be able to maintain these relationships that mean so much to me.”

A Shared Experience Unlocks New Ways to Spend Time Together

Singer, songwriter, and musician Scott Simons is known as the voice behind the theme song for the hit children's television series Paw Patrol. But when he’s not making hit tunes that kids love, he’s often making new memories with his mom who also experiences hearing loss.

Simons was familiar with hearing loss even before his own diagnosis. “My mom helped me understand the patience needed when communicating with people with hearing loss because of my experience growing up with her,” he commented.

Despite his reluctance to invest in hearing aids for himself, Simons’ mother normalized the experience for him, convincing him to fully address his own hearing difficulties. “I wore only one hearing aid for more than 35 years despite needing two because I was stubborn,” he said. “But my mom convinced me to invest in Widex Moment hearing aids, and I’m glad she did.”

Now, mother and son, both Widex hearing aid wearers, maintain a special bond in their shared experience. Sometimes they both connect their hearing aids to the television to watch a show together. “We discuss our Widex devices together in a way no one else can understand,” he said. “My mom’s and my hearing impairment brings us closer together. I love having this bond with my mom and doing activities that work for us.”

Transparency About Hearing Loss Brings Mother and Child Together

Global Head of Research at Airbnb Monica Dreger has admittedly “missed” a thing or two in front of her children – but she decided to use it as a bonding experience instead of an awkward moment.

Dreger has found that being consistently open and honest about hearing loss with her children has brought them even closer, bringing a ‘lightness’ to their family culture in lieu of potential confusion. “Sometimes if I misheard something, it was a faux paus bond for us,” she said. “The key is that I’ve always been honest about my hearing loss and acted like an open book – so it was never taboo.”

Dreger, who turned to Widex Moment Sheer hearing aids earlier this year to better her experience, also explains that being open about hearing loss helps build empathy in children since they experience the difficulties firsthand. “I’m a big advocate of being open about my hearing loss and showing them my Widex hearing aids,” she said. “The more people see and interact with hearing loss, the more familiar and less intimidating it becomes.”