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From: Richard
Date: 18 Oct 2012
Time: 08:51:43 -0500
Remote Name: 89.243.100.161
Carmen, I think it may help if I explained a little more about our youngest lad. When he was as young a your boy his speech was always worse when he was playing with his friends or telling us about something he wanted to tell us. He was also very loud. This carried on for a long time maybe 2 years. He also sucked his thumbs, he always had his thumb in his mouth they looked like old plums. I even tried painting his nails with anti nail biting paint while he was asleep. I would slowly take his thumb out of his mouth and paint his nails, he would wake up go to the bathroom, wash his hands, go straight back to bed and instantly fall off to sleep again sucking his thumb. I remember the frustration when he tasted his thumb shuddered and stuck his forefinger in instead. About the age of 8 or 9 he developed a tick. His head would slightly jerk and he would squint. This lasted till he was about 16 then over night stopped. We put that down to nerves. He was quite shy when having to do things on his own. He would try to act brave when wanting to go on theme rides as we got close to the front of the queue he would change and then start crying, so he wouldn't be brave enough to take the ride. He now goes on rides I'm not brave enough to go on. My eldest was very shy and rushed his speech so would stutter quite a lot when excited. He is now 26 and is a sergeant in the British army. That's why I say 3 1/2 is very young. I believe I stuttered and went through what stuttering brings because my parents made my stutter an issue, my father showing his frustration, my Grandparents the same, my mother contently telling me to slow down and breath and pushing me into things I dreaded. My older brother taking the mickey out of my stutter. I don't think I stood a chance with so much pressure and frustration. I know at times it may be hard not to try and correct your son, but when he does stutter pretend everything is fine and he is doing nothing wrong. I'm 46 and still remember my father shouting, spit it for gods sake, but it was more the look on his face, that look of disappointed is just as strong, if not stronger than the spoken negative word. The home needs to be a safe and loving place perfect for therapy. To a young child strange places and faces can be quite a nervous experience. Also preschool kids bounce back in no time with a little praise. I know I would have thrived on praise and my parents showing love. I know they loved me now, but found it hard to show it back then the time a child really needs to feel loved. that's why I chose not to make an issue out of my kids dis-fluency. Please don't worry I'm sure things will turn out fine.