I’m 18 (male) and I’ve been really insecure about my stutter all my life. I’m terrified others will think it’s weird or funny. And I hate that some people might make fun of it when I’m not around. But I wanna become lighthearted about it. I know it sounds funny sometimes so I wanna be ok if someone laughs at it, but I just can’t get myself to do that

Take for instance people like my parents. My parents are the type to make fun of others (and themselves), not in a mean way. But for example. They might make jokes if someone is gay, or Mexican, or whatever. They’ll make a joke and pretend to be them with an accent or whatever

Like once we were at a Mexican restaurant and the waiter was SO DRUNK. So we were laughing and my dad said “yo man I almost fell on my way to kitchen” in a Mexican accent. He didn’t mean it in a harmful way, but was just poking fun

Another time we had a gay dude make a cake and when we left he said in a flamboyant voice “honey, I have extra cream, you know what we’re doing tonight?”. Once again, this isn’t in a way attack them. And if people do this with me I wanna be able to laugh at it other than get mad. I wouldn’t be surprised g my parents sometimes have made jokes about my stutter when I’m not around, and I want to be able to be ok with that Because I feel like that’ll lead to a way more enjoyable life. I wanna get offended if it’s only a mean type of way attacking me. Like if a boss said “why don’t you speak right and do your job first?” Or something

If people laugh when I’m stuck on a word, or joke about it when I’m not around in a joking non serious way, how do I not get offended by it? I wanna see it as a thing I have and learn to just not take it seriously. I feel like then I’ve detached myself from it and I’m more than my stutter instead of being just my stutter