On a parenting forum I started writing about baby sign and realised I’d got a fair bit to say. Enough to make a blog-post or two. Indeed as I set to it I thought it might even be worth sharing our signs. Here goes for a first instalment.
Signing with baby
(no not singing, but that’s good too)
When to start using signs
We started sign at about 6 months (and maybe 5 months 2nd time around) when baby started taking solids, started potty training a week after that too(!). After a about 1½ to 2 months there was recognition and some understanding, 3-4 months some signs being used. Immeasurable benefit IMO as they could ask/tell for/about stuff – milk, toilet, food and express tiredness, hotness – before they’d master vocalisation.
So, why use baby signing? This comment from reddit.com by dstam goes to the heart of it I feel:
I think the toddler years can be very frustrating for kids. They are learning at a ridiculous rate, both mentally and physically, but are not yet verbal enough or skilled enough to say and do what they really want. I think a lot of their acting out comes from this place of frustration, so I try to really understand my son when he is babbling at me incoherently. If I figure out what he is wanting I try to work on a few key words with him for that situation, like if he wanted a drink I try to teach him to say “thirsty.”
Our experience
Something I posted before [minor edits]:
J started with “light” and “bird” at about 9 months. Interestingly he doesn’t do those signs any more (at 12.5 months) but he appears to recognise +light, +bird, +food, +potty, +poo, +mummy, +daddy, drink, +bed, +music, +speaker, +smell(verb) … at least (+ shows signs he can give). There are a few signs like finish, cat, nice and perhaps others that we’ve been doing a long time but that he hasn’t attempted. There are also some like “smile” where we can’t be sure if he’s responding to the sign or just doing the action.
Download linux installer
