Stammering and Christmas Holidays

Stammering is a difference in how people talk. It has a neurological cause and often runs in families.

Stammering is very variable. It can change in how often it happens and how it sounds. It can vary over time and even from day to day. Many parents and carers notice that their child stammers more during periods of excitement, new experiences, or changes to routine.

For many families, the Christmas and winter holidays bring all of these things together. There are more social occasions, more family gatherings, and more conversations with people who may not know much about stammering. It is common for children and young people to feel more time pressure in these situations, even when everyone means well.

We created this simple handout to help support young people who stammer at this time of year. It is designed to be shared with family members, friends, or visitors who may spend time with your child over the holidays.

The handout explains stammering in a clear, affirming way and offers practical guidance on how to be a patient, supportive conversation partner. It focuses on listening, giving time, and creating space in conversations rather than trying to fix or change speech.

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You can choose the version that you prefer:

• Stammering & Christmas
• Stammering & Holidays‍

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The handout is free to download. There is a PDF version for printing and a photo version that can be saved on your phone and shared digitally.

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We hope this resource supports easier, more relaxed conversations over the holiday period and helps everyone feel included and heard.

We wish you and your family a happy Christmas and a restful holiday break!

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More Resources

If you like this resource, you might be interested in our other resources for students and schools. They are all free to download, and you can customise them to suit you. You can find all our resources in one folder here:

ISA Drive - Free Resources

‍Get In Touch

📧 We’d love to know if you used any of our resources, so please get in touch if you did! If you have any ideas for future resources, we would love to hear from you about them. You can email Penny: pf@stammeringireland.ie

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