How to involve parents in their child’s journey beyond stuttering; quotes from parents of children who stutter under the age of 18

Following our last 3-day In-Person course in Cork (July 2022), we asked the parents of children under the age of 18 who stutter (parents of new students and returning members) what their thoughts and feelings were in relation to what they witnessed during the 3-day intensive McGuire course in Cork.

Below are quotes from parents of children who stutter. Thank you to each and every one of you for supporting everyone on the course, not only your own child.

I thought the parent involvement on the Saturday morning sessions were great and I totally immersed myself in all the role plays.

I had 2 types of emotions on the Saturday of the course (Saturday is the last day of the course):

(1) PRIDE; I was so proud of the new students speaking up in public and

(2) HOPE; hoping people would come up and chat to them at the public speaking which they did with lots of words of encoragement.

During the course the difference in all of the attendees over the 3 days was amazing to witness. The encouragement each person was given by all the coaches was exceptional. They are all a credit to the each other and the programme.

I was not prepared for how emotional it would be at the end of the course. Seeing my son and all of the other students making their final speech and how proud I felt for each of them. And as mentioned many times during the course everyone felt part of a family!

I’ve seen big improvements in my son as did his Dad and his granny. He is visiting his aunties who would have not seen him since his return from the course, so hopefully they will see it too.

Quote from Parents of children who stutter.

The course was very beneficial to me as a parent and for my daughter.

I got a great insight into understanding stuttering and all she has been dealing with. It was great to meet so many lovely people who all understand what it is to live life with a stutter. There was great support overall and going forward being part of such a great group will be invaluable for everyone.

I and my daughter were very emotional over the few days of the course. I suppose dealing with something head-on will trigger all sorts of emotions. The first few days at home were tricky between the tiredness and adapting back to home life with all her new techniques.

One week on she is much more settled and she is being disciplined doing her daily routine.

Her confidence has grown and she is using the techniques all of the time resulting in her speech being much smoother.

The hardest part is learning to wait and not interrupt her (my biggest problem!!!) so a learning curve for us all!

Thank you to everyone involved for all their help and encouragement – you all made it a life-changing and memorable experience!

Quote from Parents of children who stutter.

This was my son’s second course and I can see his confidence and self-esteem growing before my eyes. 

He walked the streets of Cork with a swagger as he approached people to practice his speaking techniques. Four months ago, the very same boy wouldn’t have gone into one shop on his own. 

In his own words, during the public speaking …’ the past four months have been the best four months of my life.

Returning to courses and reconnecting with McGuire people has been great for him. For me as a parent, it’s so reassuring to meet other parents whose children have travelled the same path as my son. We shared stories and listened to one another. 

The McGuire programme has changed our lives and we’ll be forever grateful. 

Quote from Parents of children who stutter.