Stammering is a habit disorder linked with lack of self-confidence. Basically, for a child to understand a language, there are four stages. The first is learning to understand the spoken language and the second is speaking. Both of these usually develop around the age of two.
The third stage is speaking complex sentences, which develops at around three, and the fourth is when the child recognises the written alphabet. In 80% of children while the 3rd and 4th stage are at play, the first two get disturbed because something new is being incorporated in the mind.
This is absolutely normal. But what over cautious mothers do is fret a lot and the child develops a fear which later manifests itself as stammering. In fact, most text books on stammering state in bold that "Had there not been any over cautious mothers, hardly anyone would have suffered from stammering." Fluency can be incorporated in the speech of such patients through hypnosis.
_______ are basically the reason for developing a fear in the child's mind.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Over cautious mothers
The passage says: "what over cautious mothers do is fret a lot and the child develops a fear" that later shows as stammering. It even quotes textbooks: had there been no over-cautious mothers, hardly anyone would stammer. Over-cautious means too careful and worried.
Example: The over-cautious driver never went above thirty.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Parents — Incorrect. Too broad: the passage does not blame parents in general; it names only over-cautious mothers who fret too much.
Option 3: Fathers — Incorrect. Not mentioned: the passage names only mothers.
Option 4: Uncles — Incorrect. Not mentioned: the passage names only mothers.