Baby Sign Langauge

We have all heard the wonderful promises of our babies learning to sign words and being able to communicate with us long before they can talk. It sounds great! But many mothers are leary of teaching sign language to their normal-hearing baby. I did some research on the subject, and here is what I found:

Baby sign language can be an effective communication tool for infants and young children.

Limited research suggests that using baby sign language may improve a child's ability to communicate and ease frustration, particularly between ages 8 months and 2 years. During this period, children begin to know what they want, need and feel, but they don't necessarily have the verbal skills to express themselves. Baby sign language allows children to use their hands to bridge the communication gap.- Jay L. Hoecker, M.D. (mayoclinic.com)

I love the idea of Piper, now 6 months old, being able to sign and tell me what she wants at 8 months old! How much easier would that make my life? There there is the other side of the spectrum. This is a comment from a frustrated mother:

Wasn’t signing a way of intervening early so he could communicate? However, my son is now seventeen months old. He doesn’t speak at all. No “Mama.” No “Dada.” Not even “No.” It didn’t occur to me to that he should be speaking until his pediatrician mentioned the words “early intervention” and “speech therapy” at his well-baby checkup. Funny. I thought I’d already done that. Wasn’t signing a way of intervening early so he could communicate?

So what is the “right” way? After much more research (please do your own and do not depend solely on my opinions), I have decided that I WILL start baby sign language with Pip. The reason for this is personal- when I was a baby and my mother worked, we had a nanny who lived across the street. We called her “Nana”- she was a much older woman, and both she and her husband, “Pop Pop Charles”, were deaf. We had no choice but to “speak” sign language. I quickly learned ‘drink’, ‘light’, ‘potty’, ‘hungry’, ‘thirsty’, and many others. Yes, we would come home and sign to my mother instead of speak, but she would simply speak as she signed back to us. We were fine! I never remember a time when she struggled to get us to speak instead of sign. And she has never spoken of one (though I will ask her now).

Starting this month, I plan on teaching Piper just a few small signs. I do not think it’s necessary for us to have a conversation in sign language, just simply for her to know certain signs to tell me what she needs. These are the few I will do:

PLEASE:

THANK YOU:

 MILK:

 WATER:

 HUNGRY: 

MORE:

ALL DONE:

I may add more as I learn them, like “dog” or “sleep”. Who knows? I am not worried about her speaking because the girl is already extremely vocal. Before she was 6 months, she is already saying ‘mama’, ‘dada’, ‘nana’ and anything else that she can end in an “aaa” with her tongue. She’s got a lot to say!

I plan on ALWAYS using these signs with words, and repeating them to her with the word. Babies understand! Already, I can look her in the eyes and say “don’t cry, just talk. Tell me what you need”. And she will usually stop whining and start to form sounds with her tongue and lips. We have to give the little buggers credit for how smart they are!

Many children also begin talking and still use the sign out of comfort and familiarity. There is nothing wrong with that, and they will probably drop it soon enough.

Like I said, I am no ‘pro’ on this subject, but this is my plan of action with my child. We’ll see if it works for us! Like everything else in parenting, do what works for you!