Baby sign language?

[olive]

Has anyone used it? How old? Thoughts, feelings?

 

[NoHall]

I'm not a mommy, but it has been successfully used with my niece and nephews and several of my friends' kids. They start them as soon as they are sitting up and have use of their hands.

The most common symbols have to do with food--"more" "all done/no more." They have also taught "please" and "thank you," which can never start too early.

Advocates of the diaper-free baby have a sign for potty that I think would be handy, too.

You may already have this, but here is a dictionary I found...

 

[ckhagen]

We used it when my oldest was young. He had all the basics down and it was fun. I wish we could have gone further with it, but #2 came along and I didn't keep up with it as well as with the first You definitely won't be sorry if you do it.

btw, he still says Please and Thank You without being prompted even though he no longer uses the signs.

 

[GoodWitch58]

my granddaughter's first pre-school/daycare used it as soon as the children would respond...very early in most cases. It is wonderful IMO. Helps the children and the teachers/caregivers...and gives the little ones a feeling of involvement.

 

[ckhagen]

Ya know... In hindsight, my older child started talking at around 9-10 months, so the actual need for signing wasn't huge. But, my younger child is almost 2 and he still barely says anything. If I had made the time to teach him to sign like my older child, I bet we would have far fewer tantrums than we do. Considering 99% of his tantrums are based out of frustration over not being able to communicate his needs.

 

[Ocean Lover]

I think this is a fairly new practice ( my youngest is almost 12!) but a lot of the moms use it at church with their little ones. I noticed this mainly in the ones and twos class. More, thank you and I love you were the most common. It seems like a good idea..especially for the late talkers.

YouTube - cute signing baby!...baby sign language

 

[BeachSiO2]

I'm pretty good at the sign for "a couple more drinks please"

 

[Suma]

I wonder if baby sign language will delay speech. If the child doesn't have to speak, will they be content not to? Anyone have any experience with this?

 

[NoHall]

I wonder if baby sign language will delay speech. If the child doesn't have to speak, will they be content not to? Anyone have any experience with this?

Hmm...my two youngest nephews won't shut up. Don't think it hurt them a bit. In fact, they learn to communicate earlier--I think it just encouraged them.

 

[ckhagen]

I definitely don't think it delays speech. Since you say the word while signing the word, they pick up on both. Eventually they figure out that talking is much less "work" than signing. Also, kids are a lot less coordinated with their chubby little fingers, so there's a lot of things they will have a rough time signing. My signing child started talking at 9-10 mos (singing his abc's by 11mos), my non-signing child just started saying mommy at 22 mos!

eta: signing just gets kids through the times when their brains are ahead of the mouths, eventually the two catch up and things progress as usual. I also think of it as sort of being bilingual... kids who grow up in bilingual houses don't usually end up being stuck with one language, they learn both and understand more about language than children who only hear one language through their formative years.