Baby Signing..?

EJS425

So, I am really interested in this concept.  I have been thinking a lot about it.  Throughout my pregnancy and have done some research about it but now that I am home waiting for my little girl (with much more time on my hands!!!) I plan on looking further into it. You can start as early as 3 months with the baby!

How do you feel about this? Does anyone plan on trying to teach their baby to sign?

Califragilistic

I know there is conflicting evidence but it does make me worry a little that baby might not work as hard to talk if I already understand her. They say one of the reasons babies start to babble and talk bc they start to get frustrated with not always being understood. I think a few things are fine but to use it as your complete means of communication with baby would backfire. I also think after awhile you learn what baby wants without needed signing. I think itll be cool to teach to baby when they start talking so its like another language..idk. I think either way, its very interesting.

MegDC

CaliWieselman:

I know there is conflicting evidence but it does make me worry a little that baby might not work as hard to talk if I already understand her. They say one of the reasons babies start to babble and talk bc they start to get frustrated with not always being understood. I think a few things are fine but to use it as your complete means of communication with baby would backfire. I also think after awhile you learn what baby wants without needed signing. I think itll be cool to teach to baby when they start talking so its like another language..idk. I think either way, its very interesting.

That's really not how baby sign works at all. ?You sign while speaking-- its an additional means of communication and does not inhibit speach development. ?Babies are able to gesture before they can speak and sign can give them a way to communicate. ?Our pedi is big on sign and they use it in the office as well. ?We will be starting to demonstrate signs at 4-6 months and from what we have read babies can start to form signs at around 9 months. ?Please don't let people discourage you from trying it! ?There is research that shows that babies who sign are less frustrated and actually develop speach earlier and with more apptitude than those who don't. ??

MeghanF13

MegDC:

CaliWieselman:

I know there is conflicting evidence but it does make me worry a little that baby might not work as hard to talk if I already understand her. They say one of the reasons babies start to babble and talk bc they start to get frustrated with not always being understood. I think a few things are fine but to use it as your complete means of communication with baby would backfire. I also think after awhile you learn what baby wants without needed signing. I think itll be cool to teach to baby when they start talking so its like another language..idk. I think either way, its very interesting.

That's really not how baby sign works at all.  You sign while speaking-- its an additional means of communication and does not inhibit speach development.  Babies are able to gesture before they can speak and sign can give them a way to communicate.  Our pedi is big on sign and they use it in the office as well.  We will be starting to demonstrate signs at 4-6 months and from what we have read babies can start to form signs at around 9 months.  Please don't let people discourage you from trying it!  There is research that shows that babies who sign are less frustrated and actually develop speach earlier and with more apptitude than those who don't.   

 

This - and also there is research to support that babies who learn sign language also have an easier time learning all other spoken languages (not just english) throughout their lives.

cookimonstar

I plan on teaching my baby to sign.( and my husband too)  I already know how to sign ( i began learning as toddler).  I've picked up a couple books for reference and have a dvd book set on order.  I think its a great way to bond with your baby.  The only down side i'm foreseeing is when i go back to work, I doubt my MIL or daycare provider will sign or understand when my LO signs to them.  I have heard that some think that by signing your baby wont learn to comunicate verbally, but as long as you talk when you sign it can actually help your childs vocabulary to grow and talk more.

hula_lula

We did it with my DD. We started pretty early on with just a few simple signs. She clearly understood her first sign around 7 months and signed back around 9 months. She started talking early, and she's apparently, per the pedi, advanced in talking by quite a bit. I don't know if the two are related but I know that poeple sometimes say that signing "can delay speach" which I don't believe to be the case

ebertram217

I tought my dd how to sign when she was an infant and it was really nice b/c it helps them to express themselves  easily and so it helps them not to get so frustrated when trying to speak when they can't yet. I will tell you that it can take a very long time untill they finally sign but it is all worth it.(the first time my daughter signed was in the mc donalds drive threw...lol) we plan to do it again with our next one. they usually stop signing as much when they start to speak more, and it didn't slow my daughter down at all she actually started speaking very early.

Temp159135562506975

My DS signs and it has been great. We started signing to him at 4months when we started to feed him solids- but he did not sign back until 12mos - actually the day of his bday party he did his first sign "All Done!" when he had eaten too much cake, lol.

It's been VERY helpful for him to be able to sign and communitcate with us with words he's not able to say.  Now that he talks a lot he still will sign and say the word at the same time. 

We have found feeding signs to be most useful. DS knows:

1. All Done
2. Please
3. Thank You
4. More
5. Help
6. Milk
7. Eat
8. Drink
9. Table
10. bowl
11. i love you

More and "all done" were his first- and i felt most useful so we knew if he wanted more food or not.  Please and Thank You have been great b/c we feel manners are very important.

DS said his first word at 9.5 months - so signing did not hinder his speech as some worry about.

Califragilistic

MegDC:

CaliWieselman:

I know there is conflicting evidence but it does make me worry a little that baby might not work as hard to talk if I already understand her. They say one of the reasons babies start to babble and talk bc they start to get frustrated with not always being understood. I think a few things are fine but to use it as your complete means of communication with baby would backfire. I also think after awhile you learn what baby wants without needed signing. I think itll be cool to teach to baby when they start talking so its like another language..idk. I think either way, its very interesting.

That's really not how baby sign works at all.  You sign while speaking-- its an additional means of communication and does not inhibit speach development.  Babies are able to gesture before they can speak and sign can give them a way to communicate.  Our pedi is big on sign and they use it in the office as well.  We will be starting to demonstrate signs at 4-6 months and from what we have read babies can start to form signs at around 9 months.  Please don't let people discourage you from trying it!  There is research that shows that babies who sign are less frustrated and actually develop speach earlier and with more apptitude than those who don't.   

good to know! i was just going by some different things ive read but i think if it works and doesnt stop verbal communication then awesome!!