Over the last month I've noticed my little one, Alivia, stuttering quite a bit. At first I didn't think anything of it, but as it started to worsen and become more frequent I grew concerned. In order to establish whether she had control over it, I would remind her to take her time and think about what she wanted to say before she said it. This seemed to help. When I reminded her, she would pause for a good 5 - 10 seconds and then out her statement would come stutter free! This eased my mind a bit. Of course, being a first time parent, over protective, and a worry wart of sorts, I put a call into her Pediatrician anyway.
DO YOU HAVE A CHILD THAT STUTTERS?
Apparently, stuttering is pretty common in the toddler years. It can last anywhere from weeks, months, even years. If stuttering persists after the age of 5, professional intervention may need to be provided. My main concern was what can I be doing at home to help my child's stuttering? My doctor mentioned a few things over the phone which I thought were very helpful including:
- try to engage your child in fun, relaxed, and interesting conversation
- don't insist on correcting his/her words
- try not to make them repeat themselves (and don’t let them know when you can’t understand what they are saying)
- don't make him/her repeat themselves
After doing some research online, I found WebMD post very similar tips. This made me feel better. There is something about consistency I find comfort in!
In short, it looks as though I should just wait it out. Of course, I'll be keeping a close eye on her!
When Alivia was born I remember thinking how innocent and helpless she was. It was amazing that she had to depend entirely on someone else (me) to take care of her. It was a rather frightening moment. It was also then I made a promise to her and myself that I would always do whatever necessary to keep her safe, healthy, out of harm’s way, cared for, and, most importantly, happy!
Today, when I think I'm being overprotective, overly cautious, even outright ridiculously over the top with concerns and worries, I take a step back and remember I'm really none of those things. I'm just keeping a promise.
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My daughter who is now 9 years old doesn't really studder as much as she stammers. She's been in speech class for it since she started school. All of the tips above is everything I've heard over the years from her speech therapist. Her confidence in herself was a big deal. Although, she is much better than she was just last year and her confidence level is also on the rise. Thanks for posting this, it hits very close to home. :)
ReplyDeleteMy older daughter sometimes talks quickly or will us baby talk. She is almost 4 years old and although she doesn't stutter, I don't always understand every last word she says, but the pediatrician also gave similar advice. Very sound advice indeed and I thank you for sharing this here with all, especially those who may not now how to deal with something like this.
ReplyDeleteMy son's stutters a bit and I think it's because he is trying to talk faster then he can. Great advice. My link up is back on and it starts again this thursday. Stop by my blog tomorrow for details and please enter my giveaway from stella & dot.
ReplyDeleteAgi:)
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I have a blog post on this topic. As a Speech Language Pathologist who has worked with many kids who stutter I have a ton of experience with this. Let me know if you need some tips/advice. Here is the post:
ReplyDeletehttp://stavishclan.com/2013/01/what-every-parent-should-know-about-stuttering.html
You're welcome for the follow back hunny! It's been so busy here I'm just now catching up on it all! :)
ReplyDeleteThat's really interesting. I think you were completely right to check and now you know how to take things!
ReplyDeleteCan't really help with the stuttering but agree with the part about keeping a promise. That's exactly how I feel everytime I'm being super obsessive!
ReplyDeleteFound you from SITS girls. This is a topic that is so near and dear to my heart! I stuttered from as far back as I can remember up until I was in my early 20s..it was brutal! You found some good tips on WebMD but I have to echo what your first commenter said - confidence is everything!! I think that is why I "grew out" of mine. I hit my 20s and was so much more confident that it mostly disappeared. I think the ONE most important tip would be to just not make a big deal about it to her. My parents just did not really say anything when I would stutter...they just let me finish like I was talking normally. That was huge. Speech therapy helped but I was much much older. Good Luck!!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! My four year old does this sometime. I always assume she's just trying to find the right word to say. Thank you for the tips!! :)
ReplyDelete