Should you Sign with your Baby? by @TalkFirstWilts
By Jo Williamson, TalkFirst Baby Signing – Wiltshire
Baby signing is growing in popularity all the time. Should you sign with your baby?
When I started signing with my son, people asked? Does he have a hearing problem? The answer is no, he didn’t have any hearing problems but I believe helping your baby understand the world around them and be understood is the best start they can have.
With a small baby at home, I wanted any help I could get, so the fact he could let me know what he wanted or was thinking, was a massive help. I have got to say that I have done many different baby activities but baby signing is definitely the most rewarding and it’s not just me that thinks that.
My friend also signed with her son, from about 6 weeks old. He always signed to let her know if he was hungry, tired etc. But at 12 months old his signing exploded and all of a sudden he was making over 40 signs. Other people couldn’t believe they were having two-way conversations.
Until around 6-7 months of age, most babies don’t have the dexterity in their hands to sign back, but don’t underestimate what they are taking in. You can sign from birth if you want, just do what feels right for you and your baby. Signing needs to be a natural thing brought into your everyday life and most of all of fun!
So baby signing is all the rage and most child care professionals are really enthusiastic about it, but what is it?
More importantly will it make a difference to you and your baby?
Baby signing is not new, it has been around for about 30 years. It builds on the development from when babies start to wave bye bye and blow kisses etc. Giving babies more actions linked with meaning means they can ‘talk’ to you long before they can speak. Teaching them signs such as eat, sleep, milk and other everyday signs allows them to communciate with you much earlier. It reduces a lot of frustration for you both. Not only that, baby signing increases your bond with your baby. You’ll already know that eye contact is an important part of the bonding process – with baby signing you always maintain eye contact at the same time as signing and saying the word.
Will I be able to understand my baby if I don’t use baby signing?
Most parents can tune into their babies and generally get to know what they want, but if you could get a little help to avoid a few tantrums, signing has got to be a good thing. Most of all, it needs to be fun, enjoy it! You can start signing from birth and carry on until you don’t think your child needs to use it any more.
Jenna’s mummy thought she had left it too late to sign with her.
Jenna’s mum says – ‘I heard through a friend about baby signing classes, but by this time, Jenna was 20mths old. She had started to speak but it was slow and difficult to understand, she was really frustrated. I decided to give classes ago and she loved them, from the 1st class she went home and did all the signs we had learned. She was like a sponge and went signing mad. It was easy for me to show her older brother and other family the signs so they understood her too. She was much happier and the spoken words just followed. I am so pleased I did sign with her. Ideally I would have started earlier if I had know about baby signing - but better late than never! I will definately sign with my next baby.’
FAQ
Will it hinder my babies verbal speech?
No! No! No! The opposite is true; signing is simply learning a form of communication so they will have some building blocks for when they start to speak. Signs are always used with speech to reinforce the meaning of the word. Baby signing develops and accelerates language skills.
What if English isn’t our main tongue at home. Can we still sign?
Yes, the signs stand for whatever word your language uses, so if anything, signing strengthens the childs ability to make connections between both languages.
So how do I get started?
1) If you can attend a class, this is definitely the best way to get started. Pick one that really teaches you the signs and is fun for your baby.
2) Log onto You Tube TalkFirst Channel and see some signing in action!
3) Buy a Dictionary of signs, but be warned…….. you need to be dedicated if you have no backup.
Are there any classes running locally?
TalkFirst Baby Signing classes are in various locations and on different days. I introduce the signs step by step for the adults and have exciting puppets (including a very special unique puppet called Dexter), props, songs, rhymes and activities for the children (the parachute and bubbles are the favourite).
For more information contact
Jo Williamson (Talkfirst Baby Signing and Singing – Wiltshire)
01249 817700
