Um, No!!

I have a tough time skating. I can go forward and around the corners, but skating backwards and stopping are impossible for me. So, am I just a lazy skater?  Um, No!!

Learning to talk is a complex skill to learn and master. Children need to pay attention to words and sounds; they need to make sounds using their lips, tongue, and jaw while coordinating their breathing to breathe air in, and exhale to make sounds. They need to combine sounds into words that we understand, and assign meaning to objects and actions to communicate their thoughts and wants. Some kids do this easily; for others, it is harder to do, just like stopping on skates is for me. The effort it takes these kids to say sounds and words is the opposite of laziness. They are working so hard to communicate, and it can be so hard and stressful for them. The best thing that parents can do for these kids is to reduce the expectations and help them as much as possible. What we shouldn’t do is call them lazy because they are not.