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Attachment Parenting
webMistress0609
member
Talk to me about baby sign language
webMistress0609
member
I'm intrigued, but don't know where to start.
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Re: Talk to me about baby sign language
I sign to my LO. I started with Milk, Cat, Up. I've added Mama, Daddy, Bear, Fan, Sleep, Eat, Change (diaper), More, Tickle, and All Done.
The first book I read and used had a variation of ASL - some thing were not the same at all, but I didn't know that until I got another book that uses actual ASL. "Up" and "Cat" are the non ASL signs I started using and I haven't switched because that seemed like it would be confusing. I prefer the ASL signs.
I just sign them in my casual conversations with her.
She makes the sign for up, but it is the natural hands up "sign" that kids make, so I am not sure how much of that is just what babies do. She does look at the cat when I sign it and she gets VERY excited when I sign "eat". She did a funny thing while I was nursing her, she made kind of the milk sign and DH said something about it (otherwise I would think I was seeing things). I don't know if it was an early attempt at a sign or not. I'll just have to wait to see if she does it again.
I love when I hear moms wanting to do sign with their babies! I took ASL all throughout college and used it with my oldest and its so helpful with perfecting their early communications skills.
Pick a few words to start off with that you do often, like eat, milk or play and use them consistently before, during and after that activity so they can help make that association. I think 5-6 months is a great time to start.
Heres a link to a dictionary for ASL that shows some of the frequent baby signs. I would say you can get a book but there is so much online, I might not waste my time on it. I have several books but didnt use them much.
Here's an even better link that I have used often.
Signing with my son was SO wonderful. I used a similar link posted above to find signs. We didn't go too crazy with the signs, but it def helped with communication and decreased frustration. We just started saying the word/doing the sign and praising him if he did something even close to it -- some signs he kind of made up, which worked for us!
My son is 3 now and very verbal. Every once in a blue, blue moon he'll sign "more" -- too funny.
the signs for DS were: more, thank you, milk, please, down/up, eat (I can't remember all of them...we didn't get too complex)
We started doing some signs around 4 months and she now recognizes about 10 signs. She only signs "milk" consistently and has signed "more" once.
We have Baby Signing 1-2-3 (book) and it's great. My advice to you is just pick out a few signs that you want him to know and do them while you are speaking to him. If you are about to feed him ask, "Would you like some MILK?" and sign milk then. He'll quickly associate the sign with the milk.
Good luck!
We just started with DS recently and he is doing great. It is very cute to watch him. Our day care provider taught him please, which is making a half circle on your stomach. DS has creative variations to please; when he is being stubborn he moves his hand quickly across his chest in a straight line and when he is very excited he makes big circles all over his stomach. So cute!!
we started with 'milk' and 'more' around 6 months and she started picking it up around 10 months. 9 months is definitely NOT too late to start.
We kept it to words that communicated needs: milk, more, food, daddy, mommy, medicine, hurt. Later we added please, thank you, etc.
They pick it up so quickly and easily and it reduced our tantrums *significantly*.
As a BFer, I found that a two-handed sign for 'more' was too difficult, so I made up my own one-handed one. Daycare taught her the real sign and she easily switched to it.
She can communicate well enough now, and she still signs for more and cup.
No way, its not too late at all. Now's a great time to start because your LO is ready to tell you what he wants and needs, it shouldnt be too difficult at all.
i agree about those DVDs! we just have "Baby Signing Time" volume 1 but i really like it and am planning on getting more for Christmas. DD started signing "more" and "all done" in the past week. wouldn't say that it's necessary but it's fun and cute for sure
probably will be more helpful when she's a little older to help w/ frustration over communication issues. good luck!