Recently, Arianna has been stuttering. Especially when she says a sentence starting with, "I want." (Not surprisingly, this is how a lot of her sentences start these days, being the normal, self-centered toddler that she is!) She'll repeat those two words a few times and then finally say what she wants.
We were a little worried about this becoming a problem, so Andrew asked a speech pathologist about it. She said that stuttering is very normal at this age, but we should respond to her very patiently, so she doesn't feel pressured.
Some theorize that this is one cause behind persistent stuttering: parents who make a big deal about toddler stuttering end up creating a child who stutters and is self-conscious about speaking. Rather ironic, huh?
So, if your toddler stutters, listen patiently and WAIT for her to finish her sentence. DO NOT try to finish her sentence for her or try to make her speak quickly, or make her think that she is doing something wrong. She will be able to spit it out, eventually.
I guess Arianna's brain is working faster than her mouth can move right now. It's nice to know that it is just a passing phase. The speech pathologist said she gets asked that question a LOT!
Once her brain and her mouth become better coordinated, I'm sure Arianna will have no problems speaking her mind at top speed!
Rebecca
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