Whitney and Paris took Skai for the day, I think they went to the movies to watch Bolt. Toni is sleeping so I'm taking this as a time to call my mom. I need some advice. I sat by the phone and dialed her number. On the third ring, she picked up.
"Hi, mother."
"Hi, my baby. How are you guys doing?"
"We're doing good. I just called to get your advice on some things."
"Okay baby, I'm all ears."
"Remember when I told you that in Skai's file, the social worker wrote that she might have a stuttering problem and that she might have to go into speech therapy?"
"Yes, and she stutters?"
"Yes, and I don't know if it's because of her still being shy around us or what. But we don't want to put her into speech therapy yet, don't you think she's too young?"
"Okay first, when you guys talk to her have her verbally respond to you. If she stutters, reassure her that you are still listening and to slow down. In most children, their brains run faster than their mouths. For speech therapy, there's no such thing as being too young. The younger she is the faster she will learn. Just like you..." She said at the end and I rose my brow.
"Okay Toni and I will have to try that and I was mute?"
"Not really. You used to just babble a lot but not say any words. At first, your father and I thought that you were autistic but the doctors said that you weren't. So we placed you into speech therapy and you improved. Now you're a singer so that speech therapy helped." Why didn't nobody tell me this?
"Wow, but thank you for helping me out with Skai."
"Anytime baby." We said our goodbyes and I hung up the phone. Just as I was about to go upstairs, the doorbell rang. I went to the door and opened it seeing Paris, Whitney, and Skai.
"Hi, Janet." Skai said hugging my legs and I hugged her back.
"Hi baby, did you have fun?" She just nodded. I looked up at Whitney and Paris.
"Thank you, guys." We said our goodbyes and they left. I picked Skai up, left her things by the door, and walked to the couch. Maybe I should try to do what my mother had told me to do.
"What did you guys do today?" I asked her as I sat down on the couch with her in my lap. I took off her sweater and shoes.
"A lot."
"Tell me, I want to hear."
"We umm w-went to the moviesss a-and we saw the dog movie."
"Bolt?"
"Mmhmm."
"Okay and what else?"
"T-then we went to the, the, the mall, and I- I got a bear. I-I-I got..." She trailed off and I frowned.
"I'm still listening baby." She shook her head and climbed onto my lap. Skai put her head in the crook of my neck and wrapped her arms around me.
"I don't wanna s-say anymore." Skai mumbled and I nodded my head. She probably gets embarrassed when she speaks. I wrapped my arms around her and got up from the couch.
***
Toni's POV
"Did you have fun with auntie Whitney and Paris?" I asked Skai as I bathed her. Janet went to the store to get ingredients to make dinner. She should be back soon.
"Yeah. We saw a-a movie and then we went t-to the park and got iceee cream." She said and I nodded. We might have to put her into speech therapy sooner than I thought. I rinsed her body rid of the soap and then dried my hands.
"Five more minutes baby and then it's time to get out."
"Okay!" I smiled and headed downstairs. As soon as I got downstairs, Janet walked through the door with groceries in her hand. I walked to her and helped her bring them inside.
"Thank you, baby." She said pecking my lips.
"You're welcome."
"I was talking with my mother earlier about Skai and she said putting her into speech therapy when she's young then putting her in it when she gets a bit older." I frowned as I helped her put the groceries away.
"Isn't she too young though?"
"That's the same thing I said but she said that Skai will learn faster right now. She also told us to talk to her and when she stutters reassure her that we are still listening and to slow down." Janet explained.
I nodded, "Yeah, maybe that will help."
"Well, I tried that earlier..."
"And what happened?"
"It worked for a while and then I guess she got embarrassed because she kept stuttering so she stopped talking."
"Maybe I should try..." I said and before Janet could respond, I heard Skai yell my name.
"Toniii!"
"Oh shit." I said slapping my forehead. I didn't forget about her...
"Did you forget our daughter in the tub?"
"Nooo..." I said and rushed to Skai's room.
"Yes, you did!" I heard Janet yell and I chuckled. I opened the bathroom door and Skai was waiting for me.
"It's been l-longer than f-f-five minutes." She said holding her hand up.
"I know and I'm sorry baby. I was talking to Janet about you." I drained the water from the tub and grabbed her towel. I picked her up and wrapped the towel around her body.
"Me?"
"Yes, you. She said that when you and she were talking earlier, you didn't want to speak anymore. Why is that?" I asked as I dried her off and brought her to her room. She shrugged and I sighed.
"You can tell me. I won't get mad."
"Because, because I can't talk like y-you and Janet." She said as I rubbed lotion all over her body. I grabbed her pajamas and put her pants on.
"Well, your stuttering isn't a problem for me and Janet. Would you like to talk like us?" I asked her and she nodded. I then put on her shirt and rubbed Vaseline on her face.
"Okay, mama K suggested that we put you in speech therapy for your stuttering to go away or get better." She shook her head no and I chuckled.
"Well, how do you expect to talk like us then?"
"I-I get older I get better." Skai said with a smile. I grabbed her hands and crouched down to her level.
"I wish it was that easy. How about this, you'll try the therapy for a while and if you don't like it Janet and I will make you stop going. Deal?" I said trying to reason with her, knowing good and well Janet and I wouldn't take her out.
***
•I hope I'm not offending anyone who has/ had or knows someone who stutters. That's not my intention at all ❣️
•Do you guys think speech therapy is going to work for Skai?
•Did y'all peep that our daughter? 🤭
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