What To Do With Family Comments
As families and friends gather together during the holiday season, you may have someone mention their concern to you about your child’s speech and language development. Maybe they’re comparing your child to a sibling, a cousin, or their own child.
First, exhale.
Sometimes these comments may seem grating or guilting but know deep down, especially if it is not obvious, that your mother-in-law/sister/aunt/insert person’s name here is saying something to you out of concern for your child. Don’t let these comments guilt you – parents are pretty good at feeling guilty about things without others adding to it.
Family members who don’t see a child regularly throughout the year sometimes notice a child’s development more than a parent who is with the child daily.
You might be hearing these comments for the first time.
Perhaps your child’s caregivers have expressed concern.
You might have been worried about your child’s speech and language development yourself.
Now what?
- If your child is younger than three, reach out to your Birth to Three Program.
- If your child older than three years old, then contact your local public school district.
- If your child is school-aged, then reach out to your child’s teacher.
- For toddlers to teens, contact SpeechWorks to see how we can help.
Jann Fujimoto, MS CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist and owner of SpeechWorks. SpeechWorks helps toddlers to teens in Oconomowoc, Dousman, Delafield, Ixonia, Watertown, Hartland, Pewaukee, and Waukesha become confident communicators. If you have concerns about your child’s speech-language development, contact SpeechWorks at 262-490-5653.