No parent wants to see their child hurt, and if your child is hurt, you want to be able to help them. Unfortunately, babies can not always communicate if they are hurt or where they are hurt. Because of this, babies and toddlers will cry when something is wrong. Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine the reason they are crying and parents play the guessing game to figure out what is wrong. American Sign Language can help in this situation.
Before babies can verbally tell you if they are hurt, they can communicate this by signing. To sign hurt, touch your two pointer fingers together. If you can teach this sign to your child, they will be able to sign if they are hurt or not. Even more importantly, they will be able to tell you where they are hurt. For example, if they sign “hurt” near their ear, it may mean they have an ear infection.
To make it easier for your baby to learn this sign, you can practice on stuffed animals or toys. For example, you can make believe a teddy bear bumped his head and then explain that he hurt his head, while signing the word as well. Your child will begin to understand, and they will use the sign when they are hurt themselves. Continue to use the sign whenever you refer to someone or something that is hurt, whether it is something on a television show, in a book, etc. Soon, you will see how quickly your child learns the sign, and how much easier it will be to help them when they are hurt.
For more information/tips/ideas on signing with your baby, visit http://www.babysignlanguageonline.com/blog