Why teach your baby sign language?
I love the newborn and infant stages so much but it would be dishonest if I didn’t tell the truth in how much anxiety and worry comes with those first few months. For obvious reasons first of which it’s a new, tiny, helpless baby – but also it is such a guessing game about what they need and want. Your baby’s only method of communication is to cry, so as the parent, you have to learn to try to decipher those cries – is he hungry? does she need a diaper change? do they have gas trapped? It is a lot of pressure, worry, and frustrations (on both parent and baby’s part!)
And then they grow a little bit – you know the sweet spot – about five months and you’re getting the hang of each other, they’re spending more time awake and alert. Your baby will be laughing, growing, learning, and developing so much – they are really trying to figure out what this world is all about – putting things in their mouth, listening to all the sounds, recognizing faces and voices.
And then something odd happens in our society – for some reason, adults begin to disregard the competence and potential of babies and children. There is a strange little hiccup at about 8 months that adults stop thinking about all the incredible learning and growing and instead see a tiny wrecking ball capable only of hurting themselves, whining, and being accidentally funny because they can’t yet do things like a proper adult.
BUT, I beg, implore, and encourage YOU – mom or dad or grandparent or caregiver who is reading this – do not fall into this farce. Babies and children are competent and have so much more potential than they are usually given credit for.
And baby sign language is just a small piece of the puzzle of giving your child the tools they need to make sense of the world. Baby sign and early communication also helps your child be viewed by others as competent and start to break down that societal scam. Baby sign language is a great place to start too if you want to alleviate some of that worry about not knowing how to help your child when they are frustrated or hurting.
Communicating in a meaningful way through baby sign language also fosters a deep relationship, builds up a child’s confidence, and is a safe and intentional way of teaching the child about the world around them. There are so many positives to incorporating baby sign into your family life- so what are you waiting for? Let’s do this!
When should you introduce baby sign language?
We have always started using baby sign when our children are about 8 months. At that point, our babies have developed enough physical skills to actually do sign themselves (motor skills like pinching fingers to pick up snacks, move hands in a meaningful way like waving goodbye or pointing, etc).
At 8 months, they’ve also studied their normal surroundings enough that they are ready to move on to bigger and better skills – like communication! They are babbling, saying some first words, and have figured out how to make sounds that aren’t crying to get their point across (laughing, squealing, blowing raspberries, etc)
Although we start introducing at 8 months, our baby might not sign on their own until 10-12 months. We might be signing completely by ourselves for two whole months, but if you keep at it – eventually your baby will pick up and begin to sign on their own, without your prompt to do so. Don’t get discouraged or feel silly about it – you are giving your baby the freedom of communication! That is an amazing thing for both of you!
5 signs to get you started with baby sign language
These 5 signs are the first that we always teach our babies. We usually begin using them frequently when our babies are about 8 months old. All five signs are easy to practice for tiny bodies still trying to get a handle on motor skills.
If you have a baby sign book, you may notice that our version of these signs might not be exactly what is found in baby sign language books – and that’s fine. Maybe you and your child will do them a little differently too. We have found that these motions are possible for an 8-10month old babies’ physical abilities and have worked for our family. The point is not to do the sign perfectly – it’s to find a way to communicate with your child before they can speak.
These five signs in particular are also easy to practice because they can be repeated for lots of different reasons throughout the day – or they are connected to an activity the baby enjoys, so babies pick up on the signal really quickly.
Special thanks to our son, Redland, who at 20 months sat for a little photo shoot to demonstrate all the signs. He was paid generously in m&m’s.
How to introduce a sign to a child
First, we, as the adults, are the only person doing the sign – don’t expect your baby to pick this up after one go of it! For the first few times, we will even move the baby’s arms/hands to show them how the sign works. Say the word while doing the sign. You can repeat it two or three times to reinforce the connection between the word and the sign.
*Important to note here that when introducing a baby sign, only use it when the situation is appropriate. If you are introducing the Bath sign – it should be at bath time. If you are introducing the All Done sign, it should be because something is actually all done (meal, car ride, etc).
After the first introduction, we are always doing the sign when saying the word. If the baby wants another puff snack, I say “more” and do the sign and then give them the snack. If we are putting on shoes or a coat, I look at the baby and say “outside!” while doing the baby sign. At the child’s own pace, slowly they will begin to mimic us while we use the word. We will both be signing the same thing at my prompting. Big step! The baby is getting it!
Eventually, your child will start to use the sign all on their own to communicate to you. You won’t have to ask “All Done” at meal time, because your baby already has their hands in the air to tell you! Your baby will crawl to you and give you the sleepy sign because they are ready for a nap. This is the big leagues, my friends! You have given your baby a voice and that is an empowering thing for the both of you.
Older kid support
If you have older children at home, it is very easy for them to fall into the trap of thinking babies are just blobs of human with no brains (hah). So enlist your big kid in learning and using the signs too.
It has always been a huge point of pride for my older kids to be able to communicate with the baby to impress family and friends. No one likes to be an expert more than big brothers, sisters, or cousins – so enlist them in helping to encourage your baby to communicate.
Grandparents & Babysitters
Once your baby can begin to communicate – that is great news for you and your little one. But what happens when your baby is with the babysitter or with their grandparents? Now that your baby realizes that they have a voice and can communicate with adults – they will be trying to communicate with all the adults that love and care for them. That communication doesn’t mean much good though if those adults don’t know what they are saying.
Remember that annoying societal expectation we hold for babies and little kids? Yeah, grandparents and babysitters are definitely victim to these thoughts – but it only takes a time or two of demonstrating the competence of your baby’s ability to communicate to blow their minds. And you know who love to brag about how smart their grandchildren are? Yeah, grandparents!
3 more signs that are great for when you are not there
At the end of the day though, parents are actually pretty amazing at not needing sign language to communicate with their baby for a lot of things. I don’t ever need my little ones to tell me they need their diaper change or if they are frustrated and need help with something. I am right there next to them, so those things they don’t need to sign to me.
But if your baby is with another adult that is caring for them – those things might not be as obvious. And certain things that you, as their parent, recognize before it becomes an issue can actually be really frustrating and uncomfortable for a little one if the adult caring for them doesn’t realize they are in need.
If your little darling has already mastered the first five signs – here are three more that might be helpful to tackle next.
How about a FREE printable from Team Studer Mom!
I put all EIGHT of these first baby signs into a free printable for you!
Just click the link below to add your email address to gain access to this FREE PDF printable.
This PDF packet includes two titles: Grandparent or Babysitter cheat sheet. And each title has three options for the sign language description (1) a written explanation of the sign (2) a place holder for you to add a photo of your own baby doing the sign or (3) a picture of our 20month old son, Redland, who stood in as a model to give a visual of what the sign might look like from a baby. That one is my favorite because the model is so cute – but I know I’m biased. Print the ones that best suit your needs and get to introducing and practicing those baby signs!
These printables might be useful for a variety of reasons like:
- hang it on the fridge for your babysitter once you finally schedule that date night!
- send to the grandparents to keep at their house for the next time you visit
- pack with the daycare bag so your baby’s caregivers know you are using baby sign as a communication tool (they can practice & use at daycare!)
- print one for older siblings so they can practice too (cut them into mini flash cards and turn practicing the signs into a game!)
I wish you luck and happy communication. It is such a relief to be able to talk to your child and I know that once you start to witness the competence of your baby, you will be inspired and encouraged to continue to find ways to encourage your little one to grow confidently and competently in all ways. I hope you’ll continue to come back here to Team Studer Mom for guidance and helpful tips!
