Baby Sign Language Thread #3

[*Ali*]

We've been watching a tv show called something special in which they sign. It's actually am educational show aimed at young kids with learning disabilities but Cadan loves it. He always signs back the new words they learn. It's on BBC Iplayer so is available on demand.

[MommaBrooke]

Hi everyone!
I was hoping I could join in...L is almost 12months and is really starting to pick up signs that I've been using with her.  She's been able to sign "more" and "all done" for awhile now, but has always done the sign for "all done" incorrectly (she opens and closes her hands instead of rotating them from palm up to palm down).  I always say "all done" back to her while using the correct sign but is it even worth it to keep doing the correct sign back?  DH has gotten in the habit of using her version of "all done" and I love that he's signing with her, so I don't want to be correcting both of them, lol.  Thinking maybe I should just give up and go with her version of the sign?

Also, I'm not sure what signs may be useful next...She's learned "rain" and "fan" recently, I'm going to try "cat" next and I'm also going to start teaching her "please" and "thank you".  Are there any signs that were useful for you around 12months that I should consider throwing in the mix?

And, last question I promise.  How do you remember to keep up with introducing new signs?  I always think to myself "Oh, I should start using this sign tomorrow with L" and then I completely forget.  I feel like she could be learning so many signs if I could just remember to use them!

Emily - Keep at it.  It seems like forever when you are signing and waiting for them to sign something back...but then one day it happens!  Keep in mind that it may not look exactly like the way it should, so be on the lookout for anything that approximates the sign, L's sign for "more" actually started out looking like she was clapping

[RachelC]

When she signs 'all done', she believes she is doing it correctly, so you should keep doing the correct sign.  It's like talking... when they say a word incorrectly, you don't adopt her way of saying it, you stick with the actual word (ok, I guess many of us are guilty of adopting their cute words, but you get the point ).  Introducing her sign to her can confuse her, as she may think it's a new sign meaning something else.  Make sense?

I would go with things that are interesting to her.  I assume you have a cat, so that's a great one.  Certain favorite foods are good too (she can tell you if she wants something else to eat).  Places you go... colors, my dd2 could tell me all her colors correctly before 18 months using signs.

You could put notes around the house on things you would want to teach the sign.... maybe a list on the fridge?  Just do one sign at a time, no need to rush them all in (for your sake )

HTH

[Khalam's Mama]

I agree about the keeping signing correctly even if she doesn't. If she thinks she is doing it like you are she won't know what you are doing if you do it her way since she doesn't realise she is doing it that way IYKWIM? Can you help her with her hands to do it the right way? I find K will do it wrong forever once he starts unless I show him and then he quickly gets it.

[jay2yay]

my dd2 could tell me all her colors correctly before 18 months using signs.

That is so COOL! I was going to make a book with pictures of family members and sign each person to DS when I showed him the book - I think I'll do the same for colors!

[*Ali*]

I just wanted to post how impressed I am that Cadan has been learning signs from the TV! He watches Something Special and loves Mr Tumble. He has picked up the Makaton signs for "no" and "help" (which is actually quite complex I think) without me or anyone IRL ever doing it to him. I was shocked the first couple times he used them and was wondering where he got them from since it's only really me who teaches him signs normally (DH just carries on with what I have taught)and then I remembered those signs had been used in the Something Special programmes he watches.

[MommaBrooke]

Thanks for the tips ladies!  It never crossed my mind that she is thinking that she's doing the sign correctly, lol.  I talked to DH and he is going to sign the correct sign to her from now on as well, because to do otherwise will just confuse her like you said.  We had an airshow in town last weekend so there were planes flying over our house all day, it helped cue us to use the sign for airplane with her

[Ima shel Alon]

Hi, I would like to start signing with my DS, but am wondering if we should attempt a few common ones or start just with one?

[*Ali*]

It's completely up to you. Your lo will be fine with several so it's just how many you can remember to do consistently to consider. We started with about 5 basic ones i think like eat sleep drink nappy and more. We started around 6mo but he didn't sign back until about 12mo.

[RachelC]

At this point it is more about YOU and how consistent you can be.  You really need to be consistent and sign the word every time you say it, so if you just do milk for now so YOU get a hang of it, that's fine.

Think about how much they take in with songs with motions, you won't be overdoing it on their part 

[Chicane]

We started with more, food, drink, mama and papa and very quickly added many more. It was frustrating at first because it took such a long time for him to sign back but when he did the first one the others came flooding after. It was the best thing I ever did, now at 2 his vocab level is amazing and I hardly ever have to interpret his speech for others, I am convinced that the signing has made him such a great communicator now. Rachel do you think thats true?

[Papaya]

Just joining in - we've been signing with my LO for about four months and she's just in the past few weeks really started to sign back. So far she signs milk, all finished, more, dog, duck and bath. She understands heaps more though, and is so so interested in everything I do with my hands when we're reading stories - I think she's starting to check whether I'm showing her new signs.

Just wondering what you all do when your LO signs milk and it's not time for milk?! Usually F is on a really good routine of  BFing when she wakes up (and just before bed) and it's only happened a couple of times that she's signed for milk other than at those times...so I did offer her a feed then and she drank a little. Just wondering what others do - seems a bit mean to teach her to communicate and then ignore her, but on the other hand I don't want to mess with our routine too much!

Chicane, I have read in several sources that babies who learn sign language often start forming sentences earlier (eg, more food please; or where dada?) as they have already learnt to do this by combining signs, and that they have a much more extensive vocab than their peers after a couple of years. Makes sense to me - they start practising communication and getting feedback much younger. Hope so anyway!

[firsttimemummy]

Just wondering what you all do when your LO signs milk and it's not time for milk?!

I was told when your LO is starting off to give them what they want so they make the connection between signing and getting what they want ... but you could always say "it's not milk time, do you want ...." instead ... (or offer a little bit of milk if it wont interfere)

[Chicane]

Nuala - in reference to signing milk and it not being milk time...have you tried offering water instead? It may be too early to introduce cows or other milk (a personal choice) but maybe she's just a little thirsty and a sip of water would satisfy her?

[Papaya]

Yes, she has water in her sippy cup fairly often - it's so hot here.

She always signs milk when it IS milk time, before I ask her, so I know she understands what she's asking for. On reflection, the few other times she's asked have usually been times when she may have just wanted the comfort because of teething, so I think I'll go with giving it when she asks unless it looks like it's going to become a problem!