Baby Sign Language

There is this notion that, long before they can talk, babies are still able to communicate.  That they can not only understand us as we communicate, but they can begin to tell us what they want, need, or feel.  The premise of using sign language to communicate with an infant is to possibly be able to communicate more easily with baby.  Children that grow up in bilingual households can pick up both languages.  Why not have fun engaging with Lily while we're both learning something of an additional language?

I bought a baby sign language kit off the internet, because it came with some cool flashcards and a wall poster.   I also borrowed Baby Signs from the library to browse (because I won't remember to go back to the library if I don't have a library book, and the book I wanted to read was checked out).  Baby sign language is an adaptation of American Sign Language that is supposed to be more simple and easier for babies to pick up.  I started looking at this a little before Lily was born, and these were the tips most helpful:

• Start off with a few signs. At first, pick signs that you use a lot, such as "mommy" or "milk."
• Repeat often and keep it fun.
• Babies won't be able to sign back right away.  Don't get discouraged.

Babysignlanguage.com talks about when to start signing and why:

Q: When can I start signing? How Long Will It Take?
A: Six to eight months old is a good time to start. It takes an average of two months for a baby to start signing back.

You can start doing baby sign language at any age. You can even do prenatal baby sign language (more correctly known as fetal sign language). However, most babies don’t develop the cognitive and motor skills needed to learn signing until they are 6-8 months old. It helps to start sooner, but it can be frustrating for parents because babies won’t sign back. If you start at eight months old most babies will start signing back within two months

Q: Why Teach Baby Signing?
A: Reduce frustration & fussiness. Bonding. Fun.

Babies brains develop faster than their fine motor skills. Parents often observe that their one year old can understand lots of words but can’t speak. This can be very frustrating for a baby because they can’t communicate their needs to you. This leads to fussiness, a condition that child development psychologists formally call the “terrible two’s.” With sign language you can reduce a lot of this frustration. Even better, you can use it to have fun and play games together. Bonding.