My daughter's closest friend this past school year, her mother is deaf. Mostly we've communicated via text, because at this age (9) playdates & sleepovers are drop-offs. We've been to a birthday party, and mom did her best to communicate with me as she could but I can't always understand. When her daughter is around she translates but usually the girls are off playing. Often I feel like I'm being "rude" because I don't understand what mom means. Tonight we happened to meet-up at a school function and I asked if they could go roller skating after, daughter translated and they were able to come. Last minute my kids guilted me into skating with them, and I felt bad that the mom was sitting alone although I got a table. I'd love to be able to "sit & chat" with her in instances like this throughout the summer and beyond, but I don't know if "texting back & forth" is appropriate. I'm not sure that she lip-reads. Maybe I'm wrong, could I ask that we text back & forth while sitting near each other? I would look at her & react as far as facial expressions, as I do when the daughter translates. My daughter has learned a little bit of signing as far as "thank you", "How are you", learning to spell her name, things to be polite. But I'd like to be able to engage with the mom more as she is a very sweet woman and the girls have become very close friends. I know I should take an ASL course but I don't know that I'd pick up on it as quickly to be able to engage in general conversation with her in situations like this. I just want to make sure I'm doing this in the right way and in no way offend the mom at all. If anyone has any insight or advice, I appreciate it! via /r/Parenting https://ift.tt/2FAIjTo
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