Intro To Baby Sign Language And Some Helpful Tips

Baby Signing is a cool way to communicate with your baby or young toddler. It is easy to learn how to sign and the rewards are great. You can start to sign with your child at any time – why not begin right now?

When starting with baby sign language, it’s best to pick a few simple signs to begin with. These should be signs that represent something sure to grab the interest of your baby! Mommy and Daddy are great starter signs, as are Milk and More. Right, let’s learn how to make the signs…

MOMMY: To make the sign for Mommy, extend and spread your fingers apart on your right hand. With your little finger facing forwards, tap your thumb on your chin.

DADDY: To make the sign for Daddy, extend and spread out the fingers on your right hand, then tap your hand on your forehead with your thumb. This is similar to the sign for Mommy but done higher up the head.

MILK: The sign for Milk is a lot like the action of milking a cow without the up and down motion. Just pretend you are just squeezing the cow’s udder. Make both hands into a fist, relax and repeat. Milk.

MORE: To make the sign for More, make an O shape with each hand by meeting your fingers and thumbs. Bring your hands together and separate them a few times. More.

How To Start Teaching The Signs
It’s important to say the word that goes with the sign, making good eye contact, while pointing to the thing or person you are describing. Say and make the signs often each day. Sign when your baby is bright and not fussing or tired. Be sure to make the sign and say the word every time you do an action or use an object. Babies learn through repetition. With enough exposure to a sign, and repetition of it, eventually your baby will begin to use the signs himself.

Helpful Tips

1. Enjoy it yourself. It’s no good trying to tell your baby signing is fun if you are not that into it! You should enjoy signing, or your baby will pick up your negativity. If you really don’t like it, give up and try something else.

2. Get baby’s dad involved. A key tip is to involve other family members in Sign Language For Babies. The more people signing to your baby the quicker she will pick up the signs and use them herself. Dads love to sign with their babies – it makes them feel really useful and important. Teach baby the sign for Daddy and you’re on your way.

3. Try a class. If you are struggling to learn the signs, or to think of new ones to try, visit a baby sign language class. This is a fun way to learn signing and meet other signing moms.

4. Remember to learn the signs yourself first. You will need to feel comfortable and confident making the signs to your baby, so it’s important to learn them yourself first. Spend a little time on each new sign before you show it to baby.

5. Only use a few signs to start off with. It’s important not to overwhelm your baby – or yourself – when you are Teaching Baby Sign Language. Begin with a few signs, then once you have learned these you can add more to your repertoire.