Baby sign language?

[Sheila]

Amen Sista. This get's on my last nerve. I swear I understood Jesse better when he couldn't talk!!!

Hail, FBB jr is 26 and still grunts. :roll: I personally think he does it just to me off.

 

[Rita]

Amen Sista. This get's on my last nerve. I swear I understood Jesse better when he couldn't talk!!!

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I wouldn't see any reason to wait for signing or talking or reading to your baby. I'm sure they pick up many more things than we would ever know. I would do it all as a normal part of the day, not as "teaching" but rather just for the "osmosis" effect.

I would also take the baby places and let them experience things that some people would say is a waste because they won't remember or understand or get anything out of it. On some level those experiences must have some effect on them. We just don't know because they aren't communicating yet.


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[scooterbug44]

It's actually pretty amazing what kids can remember! My theory is that if you screw up their minds with too much TV at that age, you can also improve it w/ nature and educational/fun activities.

My mother loves that I can't remember my own phone number but can remember totally random stuff from when I was a little kid!

 

[olive]

Thanks, everbody!

This is why I love the board!

 

[Miss Kitty]

Thanks, everbody!

This is why I love the board!

...thanks for the new Dodie pic!!! Isn't she lovely!

 

[NoHall]

I always wondered this, too, but it wasn't really based on anything concrete; I just thought it seemed like that could be a byproduct.
Also completely unscientific are the kind of negative vibes I've often gotten from seeing it done. For some reason, most of the people I've encountered using it seemed to use it as some sort of party trick or something; it felt less like a tool than a spectacle, if that makes sense. I'm sure there are lots of people out there who use it and use it well, though. I'm sure you could be one of those people, Olive.

We used it a little bit -- for the words we repeated over and over. 6 mos is a great time to start it. Our favorites were "all done" and "more". We still use the signs even though both of my boys can say the words. I don't think it delays speach. I've never known a kid whose first words were more or all done anyway!

I mostly see it done with meals--"all done" and "more" but I think it was very useful with my niece and nephew for more than "party trick" purposes.

I've always noticed that babies start to communicate long before they can talk. My niece cracked me up--she could cry in a way that would tell you exactly what she was thinking when she was only a few months old. I kept her one night, and got the "I really hate you for not being Mommy cry." Very different from the "It's time to sleep," "It's time to get me out of this crib" or the "Hey, I pooped" cry. That's when I first said that babies talk as soon as they get here. We just don't understand them.

My youngest nephew was probably the most glaring example of the usefulness of sign language. That kid was cussing us out in baby talk from day one, complete with finger-wagging and foot stomping.

I'm considering teaching sign language to Will, to get us all through the teenage boy grunting-for-communication phase.:roll:

Umm...forget about teaching them a new form of communication. What teenagers are usually saying is, "I have no desire to understand what you're blabbering about this time, and it's an exercise in futility to try to make someone like you understand my lofty thoughts."

Sorry, JDarg. The good news is that sometimes they grow out of it, usually when their kids are treating them the same way.

 

[NoHall]

...thanks for the new Dodie pic!!! Isn't she lovely!

Omigosh! She is beautiful!!

 

[peapod1980]

I mostly see it done with meals--"all done" and "more" but I think it was very useful with my niece and nephew for more than "party trick" purposes.

I was only speaking from personal experience. I've read lots of positive things about it here; y'all have given great info.

 

[olive]

Hey Pea! I was actually thinking of teaching her to light a cigarette with her toes. That always worked for her Mom!!!

Oh no, I've said too much!

 

[peapod1980]

Hey Pea! I was actually thinking of teaching her to light a cigarette with her toes. That always worked for her Mom!!!

Oh no, I've said too much!

Now we're getting somewhere!