Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Stutter

Day 105.

Noah has had a few rough days of stuttering. This all started a couple of weeks ago and started out pretty mild...a stuttered consonant here and there. But on Monday, it ramped up to a scary level - and he was stuttering with almost every sentence. I wasn't scared the past few weeks - just chalked it up to normal development at this age and his brain working faster than his mouth could. But once it got to every sentence...I became overwhelmed.

I am grateful for patience.

I am not a patient person. I do feel like I'm more patient with my children than with anyone else, but even so, I can lose it at any time. The past weeks, and especially days, have been a trial. What I have read on stuttering recommends to be extremely patient and wait for them to complete their word or thought. So, I've been trying really hard to do that.

What a blessing to NEED to be patient, for your child. I make my life so busy sometimes - everything I do is multi-tasked. So when I'm listening to my children talk, I'm also wiping down the counter, throwing in some laundry, looking at a recent bill. I admit I'm not always full present with them in that moment. But, when your child is struggling for 20 seconds with one word, you have to stop. You have to listen, and I mean REALLY listen. You look into their eyes, and you see their struggle, and you try to be encouraging.

I believe this time has been an incredible gift from God. The stuttering dramatically improved today, and for that I am grateful too. Hopefully it's not a sign of anything more than a developmental stage. But to have this gift of patience was also hope. It was hope for me to transform my impatient tendencies and enjoy and listen to my children in everything they do - even just daily conversation.

5 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed reading your heartfelt feelings about your son's stuttering. I know we want the best for our child and do not want them to struggle with anything.

    As a person who stutters, I find that emotional support is just as important as therapy for our stuttering (if not more important). To meet other people who stutter who can relate to what we go through with our stuttering helps us accept our stuttering more than anything else. For 33 years the National Stuttering Association, which is the largest self-help non-profit organization for people who stutter in the country, has connected kids and adults who stutter to other kids and adults who stutter through local chapter meetings, workshops and annual conferences in which over 600 people who stutter (including kids and teens) attend each year! Conferences in recent years have included such keynote sp! eakers as VP Joe Biden, Arthur Blank (Owner, Atlanta Falcons), Adrian Peterson (Chicago Bears), Annie Glenn, John Melendez and John Stossel. They all shared truly amazing stories.

    They also have tons of great information on childhood stuttering and books for kids who stutter. To learn more, pls contact them at: www.westutter.org, info@westutter.org or 1-800-937-8888

    I am sure you will always do the right thing for your children. A parent can never stop learning and patience is one thing I need to get more of too! By the way, I love your About Me description....it's exactly how we should try to live!

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  2. Thanks Cathy for your very informative and encouraging comments. You are right - we learn every day - and growing in patience is a lesson I'm embracing. Blessings to you!

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  3. I too really loved that you are not freaking out over your child's stuttering. I am an adult who stutters, and and co-lead a group for parents of kids who stutter. I am going to share this blog with them. You have such a great attitude. Lucky kids!

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  4. Hilary - Nourit has started stuttering in the last month or so. Out of the blue. It comes and goes, and I'm not sure yet why or what to do about it. Mike just tells her she doesn't need to be nervous about asking for something (b/c it usually happens when she's asking to do something), and that seems to help. It breaks my heart a little, because I don't know why it came on - if she IS nervous about something.

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  5. To continue, I'm in the same boat with multi-tasking. I am going to try to actively be more patient, too.

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