Baby Sign Language Thread #4

[RachelC]

Carry on from here:

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=165991.msg2409865#msg2409865

And for other reference, resources in the first couple posts here:

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=56399.0

[Ima shel Alon]

Wow, I didn't think about help, we'll adopt that soon.
Today as I was signing "all gone" to Alon after supper he started waving his hands at me, so I did the sign again and he was waving his hands again. It doesn't look remotely like the sign, but maybe he finally started noticing I am doing something with my hands

[Chicane]

Help was a fantastic sign for us. Could not have done without it. Last week I lost my voice for a day or so, so reverted back to the signs - DS totally responded to most of them. It was ace to see him remember them.

Ima - you'll see a lot more coming soon, once they get the first few the others come in thick and fast.

[LarasMama]

How early is too early to teach signs? I think it'd be a remarkable thing to teach Lara sign language, simply because she's already quite the quirky one to figure out. She's 6 weeks old. I understand there will be a lack of response from her, as she's still figuring out her arms, never mind fine motor skills but I'd love to expose her to it as soon as possible. Which also would give myself a chance to keep learning so that I already have an arsenal of signs for when she does catch on.

Are there any books (I've already gone through the websites and bookmarked them all) that you would recommend? I saw one in a Chapters the other day however I totally forget the name of the book. Going to grab it next time I'm there

[RachelC]

Never too early!!  Sign away (think about the deaf community, they are signing from day one!). 

[Chicane]

Agree, start signing at least you will get into the habit yourself, just don't expect any signs back for a while! Personally, I don't think you need to get a book or a video, there is enough free resources online to find all the signs you need...we got up to around 70 signs before talking took over and we only used the net as our resource (and this thread too!)

[amayzie]

Yeah- you should be able to get most of the stuff on the net. You could wait to start till your LO can focus their eyes, just that otherwise you'll be signing for ages, and i wouldn't want you to 'get over it' too early!! I signed 'finished' all the time early on, as it's something that happens all the time, and they don't do much else!! It's a nice one that you can do close to their face (the australian sign is anyway...)

[Papaya]

Last week I lost my voice for a day or so, so reverted back to the signs - DS totally responded to most of them. It was ace to see him remember them.

Love it! I sometimes use the signs really as sign language when I don't want to talk, eg during church. Very handy (we use words with signs the rest of the time of course).

Well, we're well over the 100 mark now - F has demonstrated a few signs this week that I've shown her in the past, but didn't know she'd registered. Eg, cold. I used to do it whenever I opened the fridge and she was there, but she's always more interested in trying to take the opportunity to grab stuff so I didn't think she was paying attention, and I haven't done it in a while. We live in the tropics, so not much other call for it....then yesterday we came home from a particularly hot walk so I gave her a cold bucket bath to cool off. Instant signing of cold!!!!  (And more  )

Hi LarasMama! We started signing around 6 months and got our first signs back at 8. But I'd say go for it earlier if you're keen   I found it surprisingly easy to learn and remember the signs once we really got going - most of them are pretty intuitive anyway. We have a book based on NZSL, "Baby Sign Language for Hearing Babies", but agree there's heaps of stuff online to keep you going.

[LarasMama]

Awesome. I only say book as well because I'm trying to get back into the productive mode I used to be in, which means limiting my time online to when I'm pumping because I get sucked into BW and TBW(TheBabyWearer) and by the time I realize it 3 hours are up and I'm back to feeding and pumping again. Lol.

But I didn't think of it until now-- I could always print the signs off and make my own little reference binder. This way DH might pick it up too! Thanks for the advice ladies.

Amayzie: I can't say for sure that I'd get over it, quickly. I've a bit of an obsessive personality, so once I've got something in my head, it's hard to get out. However, thanks for the tip. I'll take it easy and just pick a sign or two to start with and keep them up, if not for my own sake. Lara's already able to focus her eyes, however the attention doesn't always stay very long. I used to think I had an Angel (at 2w), but I'm thinking more of a Spirited baby. It's hard to tell right now as she's still young and her personality is still flourishing.

[*Ali*]

I'm planning to start signing to colby who's 5mo soon but it's hard right now since he's often in my arms. Lol.
Cadan who just turned 2 picks up loads of signs from the Mr tumble tv show Something Special.

[anna*]

Yay for signing! We signed with Stan and it was fantastic, and all three of us are so excited to sign with baby Aud. I expect we'll start about the same time as you aali, around 5mos.

Re books, we didn't have one, just looked up signs as we needed them - or invented our own!

[amayzie]

Khalams mumma- very belated thanks for the video- couldn't see it on my phone as i was on holidays... nice idea though! Can so use it!! Very sad tho... i think the makgo season is pretty much over!! Some 'mango finished' signs are in order....

http://www.auslan.org.au/ This is a great site for australian signs.. or other ideas!

[jay2yay]

Impressed here at well with Nuala! I'll have to look up 'help' Isaac is still just signing "more" all over the place! When he wants more food, when he wants something in general, when he's happy and wants something 'again', it's his general expression, haha.

[Papaya]

I'm planning to start signing to colby who's 5mo soon but it's hard right now since he's often in my arms. Lol.

I found that really hard as well - still do, eg when F is sitting on my lap reading a story and I don't have two hands free. I ended up doing one-handed versions of a lot of things when I had to, and proper versions when I had the hands free. Thought it might be confusing, but it's never seemed to bother F and now she does the same! So she knows the proper sign, but will do it with one hand if she's holding something in the other.

Justine, *more* is still one of our most common signs too

[amayzie]

ah yes.. balancing the baby, and the book, while signing and preventing the baby from eating the book, or your hair! Fun though!