I’ve noticed there’s a new hype on teaching infants sign language to help them communicate until they learn words.
Are you teaching your baby sign language?
What are some PROS and CONS of doing this.
I’m actually considering it and would like to hear from both sides.
Thanks! =)
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I would never teach my child a language I don’t understand. Probly conspire against me….
I mean, I can do the abc’s in sign, but….
He’d probably sign to his sister “We kill the doofus tonight.” and I’m that doofus. so no thanks, I want to see it coming….
I didn’t teach my daughter any of it.
My step mom… who is a teacher and going to school for phsycology talks my my 1 yr old with the sign language. My daughter looks ar her like “what the hell?”
Hell no! I barely have time to teach the damn kid english!
I was thinking about it, but never really concentrated much on it. He communicates his own way when he wants something and when you have routines for things like nap time and bedtime and meal time you really don’t need to signal it to him he knows it by other things around him. I think it does help us though as parents to understand what it is they want with out having to play the guessing game. I came across this information about sign language a little late in the process, I would have need to start sooner. I have heard though if you plan on doing it that Baby Einstein has a video for language that includes sign language.
I purchased the “Signing Time” series (they sometimes play them on public television…lots of singing) and watched them with my son. He was about two years old at the time, but we watched them together so I picked up on it. I’m certain to use it with my daughter (due next week).
It is supposed to reduce their frustration level (even through the terrible twos), since the can’t verbalize or are still learning to. It was kind of neat with my son, since when we started he was so old that he started saying the words.
You can make up your own sign language, too!
I was planning on it — I read a baby sign book when I was pregnant. But now that he is here, it is hard to remember to take the time to teach the sign contextually. I show him the signs when I remember, but probably not often enough for him to pick up on it.
So the only con I can think of is time. I’m going to keep doing what I can, and maybe I’ll get better. I figure every little bit helps!
Infants can learn sign language earlier than they can usually talk. I’ve heard of some babies learning a sign at 6 months. It can be extremely useful and can cut out a couple months of whining for something you can’t understand. I am teaching my baby please, milk, more and all done.
I would like to teach our baby sign language. I have friends who did it and they said it was useful in that their baby could signal what he wanted before he was able to speak, so rather than having to guess why he was crying he could tell them. They said the only con was that you have to do it for a long time before you see any results.
I think around 9-12 months it would be OK to start teaching your baby some simple signs to help communicate basic needs. My son did not learn any signs until he was 2 years old and it was apparent that he had a speech delay. He was so much happier when he could tell us things like hungry, thirsty, help. A really great set of videos is called “signing time” and they even have a web site at http://www.siginingtime.com