Using Baby Signing To Communicate With Your Young Child

Baby Signing..

Around 20 years ago, two American doctors discovered baby signing and many thousands of mothers are glad they did!

There are many reasons why babies cry. You could no doubt come up with a long list of reasons, but frustration is probably low on the list if it's there at all.

Baby can't talk yet but wants to tell you how she is feeling: hungry, tired, sad, my diaper needs changing (although you can probably smell that!) or whatever; but she can't. It's enough to make anyone want to scream!! Wouldn't it be great if you could communicate with baby and she with you before she can talk? You can, it's called baby signing.

Many babies know how to wave goodbye, or shake their heads to say 'no', baby signing is just an extension of these basic signs. There are several books on baby signing, all of which show you the signs you can teach your child.

If My Child Communicates By Signing, Will This Delay Her Talking?

A common question usually prompted because 'my mother-in-law says..'!! The answer is 'no'. A $500.000 government funded survey found that babies using signing were more advanced than other children in language skills. Just as babies learn to crawl before they can walk, baby signing gives them a way to communicate before they can talk. Once they can walk they no longer crawl, and once they can talk they are able to communicate more fully and easily, so there is no longer a need to sign.

Babies Learn Words Before They Can Talk

A recent study has found that children under 1 year old are already learning to match words with common objects.

The study involved 52 9 month old babies who were shown pictures of common objects like apples, fish and chairs during simple games 4 times a week. After 3 months the children were tested: they were shown pairs of pictures and asked to identify one of them based on what the researcher said. The children scored if they looked at the correct picture.

Children who had been through the training sessions looked at the correct pictures, untrained children in a control group did not identify the correct pictures.

So, it appears as though young children may understand more than experts previously thought. Which leads us back to baby signing: if children are able to understand but not yet able communicate through speech, baby signing is surely the answer. How much calmer life with your youngster would be if she is able to tell you what she needs, and you can similarly 'talk' to her.

****************************************************************
Author: Tony Luck who runs a site offering advice to young moms. The site includes the fascinating Chinese conception chart which is supposed to tell you whether the baby you are expecting will be a girl or boy!

Related News

The Positive Power of "No" - KREN CW 27 TV The Positive Power of "No" KREN CW 27 TV, NV -Jul 7, 2008 As babies, children raised in a supportive home are the center of the universe. Everything is done for them. In their toddler years, children begin to ... Your Toddler Might Need a Cholesterol Test - U.S. News & World Report Your Toddler Might Need a Cholesterol Test U.S. News & World Report, DC -Jul 7, 2008 In the past, docs worried that babies wouldn't get enough fat, which is critical for brain development, if they didn't drink whole milk. ... Kinderhotels offer a special menu for little ones - Easier (press release) Easier (press release) Kinderhotels offer a special menu for little ones Easier (press release), UK -10 hours ago With a Kinderhotel, travelling with children needn’t be a nightmare, because most baby and toddler equipment is provided free of charge. ... Welcome to Nashville, Sunday Rose! - My Tennessean.com Welcome to Nashville, Sunday Rose! My Tennessean.com, TN -5 hours ago “Also, the best trick out there that worked wonders with my daughter and all my friends babies is a Fisher Price Infant Toddler Rocker… ... NBC urged to cancel 'Baby Borrowers' due to health, safety concerns - Reality TV World NBC urged to cancel 'Baby Borrowers' due to health, safety concerns Reality TV World, MA -Jul 7, 2008 "Separating babies and toddlers from their parents for extended periods of time can lead children to feel distress and anxiety," the organization wrote in ... How to spend more time with the children - guardian.co.uk How to spend more time with the children guardian.co.uk, UK -18 hours ago After spotting an advert in a trade publication, she bought a franchise of Musical Minis - which provides music classes for babies and toddlers - and has ... The Less-Stress Family Vacation - Reader's Digest The Less-Stress Family Vacation Reader's Digest, NY -Jul 7, 2008 There's also the issue of sand: Older, more mobile babies and toddlers who are prone to putting things in their mouths will be a challenge. ... Signs show that babies can be taught simple hand gestures - St. Louis Post-Dispatch Signs show that babies can be taught simple hand gestures St. Louis Post-Dispatch,  United States -Jul 7, 2008 The program teaches babies, toddlers and young children to communicate using American Sign Language. This show reaches children by encouraging conversation ... Giving babies space to grow - The Dominion Post The Dominion Post Giving babies space to grow The Dominion Post, New Zealand -19 hours ago Instead, a toddler who is very sure of his newly-learnt walk, greets us with a gummy smile and leads the way to a room with half a dozen mums and babies, ... Calling All Babies and Toddlers: It's Time to Savor the Flavors of ... - Market Wire (press release) Calling All Babies and Toddlers: It's Time to Savor the Flavors of ... Market Wire (press release) -8 hours ago ... pomme bébé's summer menu creates yet another opportunity for busy families to build strong minds and bodies with 100% organic baby and toddler meals. ...