I think I've written about this a few times, but have never really addressed it as the subject of my blog. I have taught my daughter to sign. It never occurred to me that people think it is strange, but this last week, several people have given me crazy looks or been like that's awesome!
It is pretty great. I am able to talk to her in a way that I wouldn't have for another year or so. She's been able to tell me what she needs or wants for months, and her vocabulary is starting to grow rapidly as her fine motor skills improve. She was trying to imitate several signs today.
My aunt is an interpreter for the deaf and I learned the sign alphabet when I was 9?ish. My mother-in-law is a speech pathologist/therapist so she signs. I had a deaf friend in college, so I learned more sign. I don't know where exactly I picked up the idea to teach children sign, but I read it somewhere. I bought my sister a baby sign book when the twins were born and taught them a couple of signs.
When we adopted Lil Bit, I planned to teach her signs. I started around 6 months, but she didn't start signing back until around 8 months. The first sign I really worked with her on was "more." I planned to teach her words that would allow her to tell me what she wanted. Babies cry because they want things and can't tell us what they want, so the first signs I tried to teach her were more and finished.
She is now almost 13 months old and has a vocabulary around 5-10 words. She can say please, more, finished, eat, dog, phone, cracker, again, owie, and we're working on cereal, change, thank you, mommy, daddy, and no. Her favorite sign is for cracker. She uses cracker for most food, but I'm not picky. I'm trying to teach her the proper words for cookies and cereal instead of just cracker, but they are much harder for her little fingers. The trick is to do the sign consistently and one day, she'll use it back when she can and is ready. Based on her baby babble, the signs are going to be useful for quite awhile.
My baby can tell me she is hungry or is full. She is even able to use some manners although she alternates between please and tantrums as both are equally effective. She can communicate her wants and needs to an extent that most children her age can't, which means she cries less, gets frustrated less. And that makes me a happier mommy.
You might be wondering, how do you teach your infant sign language. Well, find a good baby sign book and learn the words I've mentioned here. More is the easiest first sign because it is a cause and effect. I say the word more, while doing the sign, and give her more. I did this a few days every time she ate. Then I would take her hands and do the sign and then give her more. The goal was to teach her what the word more meant and that by signing more she could get more.
It isn't magic. It took months of doing this at every meal before she used it on her own. But once she understood that what she was doing was getting her something, she was hooked. Like I said before, she loves to say cracker, but what she is really saying is that she's hungry. When she signs cracker, I feed her. Let me add that Lil Bit has always been fed on demand, never on a schedule, so she self regulates her appetite. She doesn't ask for food unless she is hungry. She still doesn't have the dexterity to say drink, but we're working on it. I am a little slow and she has to stand in front of me and whine for five minutes before I can figure out if she's hungry, tired, wet, poopy or finally, thirsty.
Of course, I'm trying to juggle everything with also dumping bottles and starting to introduce the potty. She is doing pretty good with no more bottles. We don't even do one at night anymore. But she is not drinking as much out of the sippy cups, so we're transitioning and she needs to learn the words drink or milk so I know what she wants.
I would highly recommend signing to every new or expecting mom. If you even do just a few words, the benefits far outweigh efforts. I can't tell you the joy that lights up her face when she knows I understand her. Here is a site that seems to be pretty good to get you started - Signing Savvy. Good luck.
It is pretty great. I am able to talk to her in a way that I wouldn't have for another year or so. She's been able to tell me what she needs or wants for months, and her vocabulary is starting to grow rapidly as her fine motor skills improve. She was trying to imitate several signs today.
My aunt is an interpreter for the deaf and I learned the sign alphabet when I was 9?ish. My mother-in-law is a speech pathologist/therapist so she signs. I had a deaf friend in college, so I learned more sign. I don't know where exactly I picked up the idea to teach children sign, but I read it somewhere. I bought my sister a baby sign book when the twins were born and taught them a couple of signs.
When we adopted Lil Bit, I planned to teach her signs. I started around 6 months, but she didn't start signing back until around 8 months. The first sign I really worked with her on was "more." I planned to teach her words that would allow her to tell me what she wanted. Babies cry because they want things and can't tell us what they want, so the first signs I tried to teach her were more and finished.
She is now almost 13 months old and has a vocabulary around 5-10 words. She can say please, more, finished, eat, dog, phone, cracker, again, owie, and we're working on cereal, change, thank you, mommy, daddy, and no. Her favorite sign is for cracker. She uses cracker for most food, but I'm not picky. I'm trying to teach her the proper words for cookies and cereal instead of just cracker, but they are much harder for her little fingers. The trick is to do the sign consistently and one day, she'll use it back when she can and is ready. Based on her baby babble, the signs are going to be useful for quite awhile.
My baby can tell me she is hungry or is full. She is even able to use some manners although she alternates between please and tantrums as both are equally effective. She can communicate her wants and needs to an extent that most children her age can't, which means she cries less, gets frustrated less. And that makes me a happier mommy.
You might be wondering, how do you teach your infant sign language. Well, find a good baby sign book and learn the words I've mentioned here. More is the easiest first sign because it is a cause and effect. I say the word more, while doing the sign, and give her more. I did this a few days every time she ate. Then I would take her hands and do the sign and then give her more. The goal was to teach her what the word more meant and that by signing more she could get more.
It isn't magic. It took months of doing this at every meal before she used it on her own. But once she understood that what she was doing was getting her something, she was hooked. Like I said before, she loves to say cracker, but what she is really saying is that she's hungry. When she signs cracker, I feed her. Let me add that Lil Bit has always been fed on demand, never on a schedule, so she self regulates her appetite. She doesn't ask for food unless she is hungry. She still doesn't have the dexterity to say drink, but we're working on it. I am a little slow and she has to stand in front of me and whine for five minutes before I can figure out if she's hungry, tired, wet, poopy or finally, thirsty.
Of course, I'm trying to juggle everything with also dumping bottles and starting to introduce the potty. She is doing pretty good with no more bottles. We don't even do one at night anymore. But she is not drinking as much out of the sippy cups, so we're transitioning and she needs to learn the words drink or milk so I know what she wants.
I would highly recommend signing to every new or expecting mom. If you even do just a few words, the benefits far outweigh efforts. I can't tell you the joy that lights up her face when she knows I understand her. Here is a site that seems to be pretty good to get you started - Signing Savvy. Good luck.
