Seizing What Could Be
They did the best they could with what they had at the time. I would argue that most adults who stutter have uttered this line about how their stuttering was handled by their parents during childhood. I have myself. When I have said it, though, it is backs by years of coming to terms, reaching the
If you have lived with stuttering or another chronic difference, then you know the ups and downs, the oscillations between “good” and “bad” days, whatever your measure of such may be. There is a toll it takes, and you either submit to its demands or you build specific defenses—coping mechanisms—to withstand at least some of
Most nights, my wife puts our son to bed and reads him a few books to end his day. I leave him with a hug and a kiss, telling him that I love him. In recent months, my release begins when I close his door. I begin to let down the façade that makes everything
There is no alternative. As time stands still, my heart stops, awareness heightens, hearing narrows, and I physically turn towards my son as I detect that he is about to speak. No matter what I’m doing or where I may be, he gets my undivided, hypervigilant attention. The seconds between first detection and the beginning
What follows is a deeply personal series of posts for National Stuttering Awareness Week describing my ongoing adjustment to parenting a son who stutters. Publicly sharing my experience is part of my effort to process this seldom discussed phase in the through life stuttering journey and an attempt to spotlight mental health awareness month, which
In September, the ever-passionate speech-language pathologist Dr. Ana Paula Mumy and I launched the third iteration of the Every Waking Moment Book Club. This running, the three-session club was tailored to school, private, and clinical-based SLPs, and was eligible for continuing education credit. We had 20 SLPs who showed up eager to participate and dive into the
This is the fifth post in a series on parenting a child who stutters as an adult who stutters. For context, I’ve worked hard to achieve my own personal version of self-acceptance of my stutter, and, therefore, may hold different perspectives on how best to support my son’s journey. I offer my story and that
This is the fourth post in a series on parenting a child who stutters as an adult who stutters. For context, I’ve worked hard to achieve my own personal version of self-acceptance of my stutter, and, therefore, may hold different perspectives on how best to support my son’s journey. I offer my story and that
This is the third post in a series on parenting a child who stutters as an adult who stutters. For context, I’ve worked hard to achieve my own personal version of self-acceptance of my stutter, and, therefore, may hold different perspectives on how best to support my son’s journey. I offer my story and that
This is the second post in a series on parenting a child who stutters as an adult who stutters. For context, I’ve worked hard to achieve my own personal version of self-acceptance of my stutter, and, therefore, may hold different perspectives on how best to support my son’s journey. I offer my story and that
Every Waking Moment 