How do I stop finishing my son's sentences without leaving him unsupported?
Parenting"I was going to say strawberry." My seven-year-old looked at the vanilla ice cream I had ordered after filling in the word he was struggling to say.
He stammers. I often finish a sentence because I think I know where it is going, especially when someone is waiting. At home he has started saying, "Let me do this one," before telling me about school.
[NHS speech-and-language guidance recommends giving children time to speak and avoiding interruptions or completing their sentences](https://www.nlg.nhs.uk/resources/stammering/). We are seeking individual advice, but I can change what I do while we wait.
My worry is the public moment: the queue, the adult who looks at me for an answer, my impulse to make it easier. How would you support him in those moments without turning an ordinary order into a test he has to complete on his own?