From personal experience, as a child if an adult was trying to help me too much, it had the opposite effect. It can put extra pressure and stress on a child that is already struggling. It always made me feel worse. I responded the best to people who just acted normal, therefore allowing me to be at ease and not feel alone and sad. As far as thinking about what you're trying to say, its a common misconception. I can think of a sentence but if a stutter is about to occur, thinking more about it doesn't really help. In terms of "pausing", sure you can ask the child to pause but again, the child is already struggling, so interrupting him will put extra pressure. Perhaps let him finish his sentence, then gently remind him that its OK and to say the sentence again if he wishes to after taking a deep breath. I benefited from having loving parents who never treated me any different. Of course, growing up with a stutter will have challenges that other kids wont, but the best thing you can do is love your child, encourage him and keep reminding him that he can do anything he wants in life, despite his stutter. There are some rules of thumb that you should know is that stress/pressure/fatigue will accentuate the stutter but as a holistic approach, my advice is to seek professional help with a child speech therapist, if there's one in your area. If there are none, there are online resources as well. Your child will thank you. Hope this helps Happy to chat more if needed.