How I help my son Harvey explore the magic of Christmas 

Hey there, my name is Kimberly, and I live in Lancashire with my three sons, Thomas, Max and Harvey. 

My youngest son, Harvey, is a little explorer. He has an adventurous and cheeky personality and is always eager to learn more about what’s going on around him. Harvey wears cochlear implants for his hearing and although he is registered blind, he has some useful vision in his right eye.  

So, as you can imagine, helping him understand and connect with the magic of Christmas takes a little extra care and creativity. That’s why I wanted to share my story with you, so you can feel inspired to help other deafblind children feel the magic of Christmas. 

The importance of connecting through his senses  

Having a deafblind son has taught me the importance of connecting through his senses. Our senses teach us what’s going on around us, so for Harvey, each new sensory experience deepens his understanding of the world around him.  

I never wanted my son to miss out on the magic of Christmas, so I made it my mission to bring it right to him. By focusing on each of Harvey’s senses, I found ways for him to experience the wonder of Christmas and begin to understand the meaning behind it. 

Sight

When it comes to toys, Harvey isn’t usually very interested … unless it lights up! Anything that flashes completely captures his attention. Lights have always been a big part of Harvey’s world.

The Christmas tree is a favourite of Harvey’s. He’s always drawn to the twinkling fairy lights. He gets so much joy from watching and playing with them. This encourages him to engage with the Christmas tree as he then gets to explore the different decorations with his hands.   

One of our most memorable experiences was a festive light trail on a recent Sense Family Day. Both of Harvey’s brothers love Family Days as it means we can all do something together to celebrate Christmas. As you can imagine, Harvey was in his element surrounded by all the glittering lights. 

Smells & taste

These senses are closely linked for Harvey. He is very selective over his food, so he tends to smell it and put it to his lips.

Whenever we’re baking or cooking, we talk about all the wonderful things we can smell. He loves to say, “More chicken, more chicken,” when we cook a roast, even when it’s a turkey! He just loves a roast dinner! 

It always makes me smile – it’s such a lovely sign that he’s beginning to make sense of the world around him. He knows how to sign simple words like ‘hungry’ and ‘thirsty’, so it’s amazing that he now understands when food is coming! 

Touch

Advent calendars are a great way to create excitement over Christmas and count down to the big day! However, most aren’t accessible for deafblind children.

When I gave him an advent calendar like his brothers, he’s just like, “This is a piece of cardboard to me. What is this?” So, I made my own. I added braille labels to the doors of Harvey’s so that he can find his own chocolates each morning, encouraging him to be independent. 

We tried getting into the classic ‘Elf on the Shelf’ tradition, but we couldn’t find an elf that Harvey could connect with. So, I pulled out my glue gun and gave our elf a little upgrade – cochlear implants! When Harvey saw him, he touched the ears and said, “Harvey’s ears!” It was such a sweet moment – he saw himself in his elf for the first time.

Sound

Harvey loves music. He can be particular with what music he listens too, but when he finds the right song it’s disco time!  He spins around really fast, singing at the top of his lungs! It’s a surprise he doesn’t fall down more than he does!! I get dizzy even watching him!  

We often play the classic nursery rhymes, with lots of ‘Jingle Bells’ going through the speakers at the moment! 

No one deserves to be left out at Christmas 

Christmas is a time for togetherness, and every child deserves to feel part of the magic in their own unique way. 

For us, it’s all about finding ways for Harvey to meaningfully experience the joy of Christmas through his senses – whether it’s the sparkle of the tree or the smell of turkey! 

With a bit of creativity, care and patience, every family can make the celebrations meaningful for their child. A small effort can go a long way in creating a truly special Christmas.