Baby Signing?

EratMama · March 2012

Just wondering for any of you who did baby signing--

Did you use the same sign for both moms--or a different sign for each mom?

If different, what did you do?

Thanks!

MommieBear · March 2012

Hi! I use the same sign just in a different location. Since Little Bear is CODA (child of deaf adult) it is easier for him. You can use either variation of the sign for mother. The ASL sign uses the five hand shape with the thumb touching (bounce off) between the chin and lips. The child's version is with just the pointer finger. When we talk about the primary mom, we use the normal ASL sign for mother. With the other mom (DP), we shift the mom sign over to side of the mouth but in that same regionals mom. Reasoning for this was to help him differentiate who is the primary caretaker.

In your case - between you and Cori - I would use your first initial (j - pinky finger for you. C- for Cori. "5" for his birth mother) be sure to be patient and consistent- they will know.

mypalbabs · March 2012

We plan to use traditional "mother" for me (non-bio mom) and traditional "father" sign for my partner (bio-mom), who identifies more as "poppy" (her chosen parental name). Ah, the joys of lesbian parenting!

2brides · March 2012

FWIW - my kids had about 70-80 signs at the height of their signing (thanks to Signing Time videos) but we didn't differentiate mother for each of us (and didn't in spoken word either until they were older.)

ctbride08 · March 2012

you know, it never occured to me to have different signs...though by the time they were really picking up on signs and using them, they already had verbal associations for each of us.

2brides · March 2012

ctbride08:
you know, it never occured to me to have different signs...though by the time they were really picking up on signs and using them, they already had verbal associations for each of us.

now that I think about, the boys did too.

2moms2twins · March 2012

mypalbabs:
We plan to use traditional "mother" for me (non-bio mom) and traditional "father" sign for my partner (bio-mom), who identifies more as "poppy" (her chosen parental name). Ah, the joys of lesbian parenting!

Mypalbabs I would love to talk to you more about this ... I am intrigued by it. Having some trans issues myself....but not willing to go through "transformation " because I was born a female an thats just how it is ... but anyhow ... I am interested in how you chose your parental names and if you have dealt with any flack or ridicule.

How old is/are your child/children - how do you plan on dealing with explaining to your child that his/her Poppy is a female and most are male ?

I thought about going by dada but it felt illegitimate in a sense and then i realized when the girls are in school and I am attending parent teach conference or on the PTA or what have you and they refer to me as Dada if that would be "weird" or if they tell their best friend they have a Mama and a Dada and their friend parents meet us ... To me it seems a bit deceptive but that is just me and I would like to know how this has worked out for you ?

mypalbabs · March 2012

2moms2twins:
mypalbabs:
We plan to use traditional "mother" for me (non-bio mom) and traditional "father" sign for my partner (bio-mom), who identifies more as "poppy" (her chosen parental name). Ah, the joys of lesbian parenting!
Mypalbabs I would love to talk to you more about this ... I am intrigued by it. Having some trans issues myself....but not willing to go through "transformation " because I was born a female an thats just how it is ... but anyhow ... I am interested in how you chose your parental names and if you have dealt with any flack or ridicule.
How old is/are your child/children - how do you plan on dealing with explaining to your child that his/her Poppy is a female and most are male ?
I thought about going by dada but it felt illegitimate in a sense and then i realized when the girls are in school and I am attending parent teach conference or on the PTA or what have you and they refer to me as Dada if that would be "weird" or if they tell their best friend they have a Mama and a Dada and their friend parents meet us ... To me it seems a bit deceptive but that is just me and I would like to know how this has worked out for you ?

Thanks for sharing your story.

My partner doesn't identify as trans. She identifies as female, as a lesbian, yet prefers "Poppy" (for our potential future baby - we're still TTC). I think she didn't chose "dada" or "daddy" because she doesn't identify as a father... just not quite as a mother, either!

She has a lot of butch characteristics - wears ties to work each day, that sort of thing. And even though she was our only choice to carry a biological child (I'm 42 and had a hysterectomy in my 20s), I think she still would have wanted to do it even if I could have.

I don't worry too much about how we'll be received at school and other kid activities. We've always just rolled along and have never encountered any unpleasantness. (And we're definitely out wherever we go.)

We've been lucky in that sense. But I think part of our success is going into situations assuming everything will be fine and sometimes that's enough to put folks at ease.

Want a personalized experience?

Baby Signing?

Re: Baby Signing?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards