Hi! I have a speech impediment (small lisp, little trouble saying r) and my parents want me to work on it. Problem is, I don't really care. But they say I won’t be able to get a job when I'm older or a boyfriend! Is this true? Please just tell me the truth!
Hey girl! It’s pretty common for young people to have a lisp. Usually they grow out of it or, like your parents suggested, work on it until it’s gone. Having a lisp won’t cause you to be single and unemployed. But unfortunately, it is true that some people may judge you for having one.
Fixer-upper
By really focusing on what you are saying, you can train your tongue and mouth to say the letter “r” and get rid of the lisp. You could also see a speech therapist whose job is to help people get rid of any speech problemos. You can find a speech therapist through your school.
Talk to your parents
Let them know you don’t really care about having a speech impediment but you understand that they are concerned about your future. Tell them that you're OK with how you talk, but you're open to looking into treatments that could help you now. It’s your mouth after all.
The benefits
I'm so happy that you're comfortable with the way you are, but if you correct your speech impediment early on, you won't have to worry about it later in life. While you might not care about your lisp now, you might really become self-conscious when you have to give a presentation in front of lots of people at work one day. There’s nothing negative about getting it corrected, but it’s ultimately your decision. Do what's best for YOU!
Xoxo
Liz
ARE YOU THE ONE CAUSING ALL THE DRAMA? CLICK HERE to submit your own problem to be answered on Girl Talk.
POSTED ON 2/1/2010 7:00:00 AM
POSTED IN therapy