Connection comes first. Speech will follow.
I Know.
The Hardest Wait — And What To Do While You Wait For Your Child To Speak
I know this wait.
I see it every day.
I feel it in the hearts of every parent I meet.
The wait for your child to speak is not just about words.
It’s about all the quiet questions that fill your mind when no one is watching.
“Will it happen?”
“Are we doing enough?”
“Should I wait or push harder?”
“Is there something I’m missing?”
It’s the wait that sits with you in every therapy session.
It’s the wait that makes you stare at their lips — hoping, praying — for sound.
It’s the wait that makes you cry in the kitchen — silently — so they don’t see you.
The wait that makes you scroll through stories of other children and feel a lump rise in your throat.
The wait that makes you feel guilty for laughing too much…
for worrying too little…
for hoping too soon.
This is the wait that breaks parents.
Not loudly.
But slowly.
Every single day.
The Truth About Speech
Let me say this gently:
Speech does not come from pressure.
It does not come from fear.
It does not come from endless commands or corrections.
Speech comes from connection.
From joy.
From daily life being lived with warmth, repetition, and presence.
From a space where your child feels seen, safe, and included — even without words.
What Most Parents Forget While Waiting
In the habit of worrying, many parents forget the most important things:
→ They stop talking to their child — because they assume the child doesn’t understand.
→ Or they only talk in therapy mode — “Say this.” “What is this?” “Point to this.”
But your non-verbal child doesn’t need pressure.
They need presence.
They need to be:
- Included in life
- Spoken to like a person, not a patient
- Surrounded by safe, happy, light-hearted conversations
This is how you prepare your child for speech — not through force, but through familiarity.
What Must Parents Do Every Day
1. Talk To Them About Real, Simple Things
Not therapy tasks. Not constant instructions.
Talk the way you would talk to anyone you love.
“Look at that bird!”
“Shall we make jelly today?”
“This song is so funny!” “Get up you lazy bone, dance with me”
Talk with them — not at them.
2. Create Happy Conversations 2-3 Times a Day
Make it a habit.
Sit beside them — no pressure.
Talk about cartoons.
Talk about food.
Talk about colours, pets, clothes.
Light talk.
Fun talk.
Human talk.
This is where words will begin to grow.
3. Pause and Wait
Don’t fill every silence.
Say something — then pause.
Let them look at you. Let them feel the rhythm of real conversation.
Speech grows in space — not in speed.
4. Involve Them in Daily Life
Language is not only taught in a chair. It is learned in movement.
- Let them help stir, pour, carry.
- Take them to the kitchen.
- Bring them to the market.
- Let them see, touch, watch, listen.
Language grows when life is happening around them.
5. Respect Non-Verbal Communication
If they point — respond.
If they bring you something — acknowledge.
If they pull your hand — follow.
Speech will come when non-verbal cues are respected first.
6. Be Consistent — Without Pressure
Keep showing up.
Keep speaking.
Keep inviting.
With love.
With joy.
With trust.
It takes time. But when it comes — that word will be theirs.
And it will be yours forever.
Part 5: The Real Message to you -
We are all waiting.
Waiting for something more. Something else.
But in that waiting, we sometimes forget to live today.
Let’s stop holding our breath.
Let’s stop treating our child like they’re “behind.”
Let’s build joy today.
Let’s build trust today.
Let’s build belief today.
Let’s build life today.
Because when the first word comes —
It won’t come from pressure.
It will come from love.
Thank you for being part of this quiet revolution.
The momentum is real. And it begins with you.