Stuttering

[manzana]

Hi Mamas.  I'm new here, and I have a boy who is 33 months old, and a little baby girl who is 11 weeks old. We used to live in the US but we moved to my country a few months ago so my kids could learn a little bit of my culture.  My son and I came down two months before my husband while I was pregnant, and it was really hard for me and my DS.  The baby came and a couple of months later my son started stuttering.  It's more than just disfluencies, and we are very concerned and want to know how we can help him in the home.  For example, he says "mo, mo, mo, mo, mo, mo, mo, mommy."  This is not an exaggeration.  He stutters more than 10% of the time.  We think that it might have started because of the new baby.  DS was very jealous soon after the baby arrived and his behavior has changed dramatically.  Many more temper tantrums and "NO" to everything.  We understand that he is at the age of independence, but want to know how to help him. Thanks 

 

[Cynthia Mosher]

Hi manzana and welcome to MDC!

Just wanted to point you to a few threads of discussion about stuttering that might be helpful.

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/689194/stuttering/
http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1259224/stuttering/
http://www.mothering.com/community/t/620636/stuttering/

Hopefully these will be of benefit. You might also want to post in the Pleased to Meet You forum here http://www.mothering.com/community/f/5/pleased-to-meet-you

Let us know if we can be of any help to you as a new member.

[juneboymum]

It is very possible that it is due to the new baby.  A former co-worker of mine had a 3 yr old that started to stutter after his brother was born.  My sister is an SLP (speech and language pathologist/speech therapist) so my co-worker had me ask her about it.  The very first thing my sister asked was if there was a new baby - it's seen very commonly.  It should resolve on its own over time.  If you are really worried, I'd consider getting your son evaluated by a speech therapist.  Good luck!

[katfisch1]

Hi there-

I'm a speech therapist, and it's quite common for kids to go through a phase of 'developmental stuttering.' Many kids have a period of stuttering during toddler/ preschool years that naturally passes over time. The important thing is to not draw any attention to it whatsoever. Many people are tempted to interrupt, finish the child's statement, or react with facial expressions or gestures. Try to maintain eye contact and wait patiently for your son to finish what he has to say. I know from personal experience this is very difficult- my daughter has gone through this too. At times when she seemed particularly rushed or tense, I would consciously try to slow my own speech to provide a model of easy, relaxed speech. Try to pause between sentences and speak slowly and clearly. As you know, modeling is very important to children this age! Good luck!

[katfisch1]

Oh, and I would say if this continues for longer than a few months, have him evaluated by a speech therapist. The therapist will be able to answer any questions you may have, and determine if he needs speech therapy.

[manzana]

Thank you for your replies.  We have tried to slow down the pace of our lives and speak slower to DS and to everyone else in the house.  We are also spending more one on one time with him and will be patient.  Thanks again.