HELP! ASAP Child sudden onset of stuttering

amother

Sat, Apr 08 2023, 1:30 pm

Hi,

My 2.5 year old will be 3 in the end of June so I decided to toilet train him over Pesach vacation. I also decided to get rid of his pacifier with the chometz.
A day later he started to stutter. I understand it is probably a result of these two (I guess) traumatic things coinciding. My question is, should I give him back his pacifier?? Will that stop the stuttering? Or should I just wait it out and see how he regulates over time?
It is so so sad to listen and watch as my very verbal boy is now struggling to get out basic words!
It pains me so much and I just want to make it all better ASAP!!!!!!!

Please advise me, please!!!

rivkam

Sat, Apr 08 2023, 3:10 pm

I don't know about helping the stuttering but it's definitely too much at once. Pick whether you want to do the toilet training or weaning from the pacifier. I would wait at least a couple of months between the two

amother

Sat, Apr 08 2023, 3:32 pm

I did start the toilet training a week or so before the pacifier.
Hes already been without the pacifier for three days, do you think I should give it back?

Golde

Sat, Apr 08 2023, 4:20 pm

It's very common at that age. Nothing to worry too much about but it is indeed painful to witness. I have had this with two children. We've been advised in the past to try to put the diaper back on when the stuttering was really bad (this was maybe six months after potty training) and it worked well. The stuttering disappeared within days.

amother

Sat, Apr 08 2023, 4:30 pm

Golde wrote:

So rather put back on the diaper and not do the pacifier?
I thought maybe better give back pacifier and keep going with the toilet training.

amother

Sat, Apr 08 2023, 4:34 pm

ruby slippers wrote:

Call pediatrician

I emailed her asking also if maybe she thought it is PANDAS - she ruled that out but didnt give me any concrete infor on how to proceed like give pacifier back or don't do anything etc.
I emailed her for clarification.

Golde

Sat, Apr 08 2023, 4:34 pm

amother OP wrote:

So rather put back on the diaper and not do the pacifier?
I thought maybe better give back pacifier and keep going with the toilet training.

Apparently there's a connection between potty training and stuttering -- even when we parents don't see it. I'm no expert on this but the advice worked on both my kids who had this problem

amother

NeonPurple

Sat, Apr 08 2023, 5:02 pm

amother OP wrote:

Well that is frustrating!!

amother

Sat, Apr 08 2023, 5:16 pm

amother NeonPurple wrote:

Well that is frustrating!!

yes, quite.

I appreciate everyones advice here!

amother

Blueberry

Sat, Apr 08 2023, 7:01 pm

it's scary to watch but very common, I don't know what to say regarding the training and paci - sounds like a lot at once. but regarding the stuttering, I was advised to ignore it completely and not make an issue out of it, BH it passed! normal to have phases and daven that it will pass quickly.

amother

Dahlia

Sat, Apr 08 2023, 9:01 pm

My kids do this when their vocabulary is getting bigger and their brain is working faster than their mouths. It lasts about 2 weeks. Then they stop (and I notice a shift in their speech and words being used). It come and goes every few months and stops around around 5.5-6 years old.

Never stayed for good. Not alarming to me.

amother

Jade

Sat, Apr 08 2023, 9:30 pm

I had a very similar situation, posted about it here recently. It’s been a couple of months and dc basically stopped stuttering, it’s not totally gone but it’s not significant at all now. I did not give back the pacifier and they haven’t asked for it since a day or 2 after we took it away but we were unsuccessful with toilet training so we went back to diapers and I’ll try again soon.
I really didn’t want to go down the pandas route and I’m happy I didn’t.

shaqued_almond

Sat, Apr 08 2023, 9:37 pm

Most stutters pass. Normal for your child's age. It could simply be that your child sees you're extra busy these days and tumbling over words to get your attention. There are three things you should do 1) make eye contact while you listen 2) don't interrupt your kid 3) repeat back the message to child when they're done.
If the stutter persists over the course of a few months, gets worse, or you can't understand the child, then take them to a pediatrician.
Ftr I had multiple kids stutter for a few weeks and it went away without intervention.

amother

Lawngreen

Sat, Apr 08 2023, 9:46 pm

My brother had the exact same thing. He started stuttering right after potty training. My mother spoke to a highly regarded speech therapist and told her to stop the potty training cold turkey. She said the stress that the child is under often comes out in speech. She stopped and his speech went back to normal.

amother

Clover

Sat, Apr 08 2023, 9:53 pm

It could really be the stress of the two together….. or it keep be your child has strep. It can’t hurt to swab her at your pediatricians office, and if that’s ok, then give it some time and possibly change either the pacy or the training . Hatzlacha

amother

Lemon

Sun, Apr 09 2023, 12:25 am

Please put off toilet training and give him back his paci- comfort items should never be taken away by a parent- you can make rules about leaving it in his bed and only using it during nap and sleep or rest times. I never understood this need to stop a child from using a paci. DD stopped when she was ready and with incentives (at 7 years old- paci stayed in her bed) and is a well adjusted 18 year old now. And 2.5 is very early to train. Please think of thr lasting emotional consequences here, even if the stutter goes away.

amother

Marigold

Sun, Apr 09 2023, 1:56 am

I also toilet trained over pesach. She was fully aware and prepared. First day she screamed and screamed, my husband told me to give it up. She held herself for 14 hrs. But once we broke it through, she was so happy to go. She tells me when she needs.

But, the pacifier became a need all day. She is super clingy. But I know for now, she needs it.

Toilet training is traumatic for them. Its a huge change. I would hold off the pacifier withdrawal. They need the comfort now.

amother

Chestnut

Sun, Apr 09 2023, 1:58 am

Definitely too much for a child at this age. I would probably want to give back the pacifier for now.
Child needs Comfort when toilet training.