Sign of the Times
Sign language is a great way to cross the barrier of communication with your little ones who aren’t speaking yet.
Cherylyn Feierabend
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Sign of the Times
Hey there! You’re listening to the Mighty Mommy with some quick and dirty tips for practical parenting.
When I recorded episode 65 dealing with special education I shared with everyone my experience with my daughter’s speech delay. It was because of her speech delay that I started using American Sign Language to communicate with her. Since then, I’ve learned that people are using sign language to talk to their kids with or without delays.
Communicating with toddlers is a challenge and communicating with infants seems impossible. Sign language is a great way to cross the barrier of communication with your little ones who aren’t speaking yet. I originally started using American Sign Language because my daughter was two-years-old and struggling to talk to me. By giving her a physical and visual way to tell me what she wanted, she was able to get the point across most of the time. When my son was born, we were still talking with our daughter with the assistance of sign language. Actually, once you get into the habit, it becomes a natural behavior. The sign for “banana” is the action of moving your hands as though peeling a banana. I am pretty sure I’ve said the word “banana” to my husband on more than one occasion without realizing I was signing it too. He thinks it’s amusing. Because we were still using signs, my son picked up on it early. It was amazing to see him ask me for “milk” before he’d spoken his first word. It was definitely something I wished I’d learned about when my daughter was an infant. I could have saved her from a lot of frustration.
Now that I’ve shared with you why I think sign language is great, you are probably wondering how in the world you are going to learn all those signs quickly enough to teach your child. Keep in mind that an infant or toddlers vocabulary consists of a limited number of important words. You only need to learn the ones you want to communicate. The words my children and I always used the most were eat, drink, milk, cookie, cheese, all done, shoes, go, and of course, banana. We’ve probably learned over 100 words by now, but we learned them together so it was fun and sometimes the kids have had to remind me how to say something with my hands. It’s a lot easier than it sounds and it creates an additional bond with your child.
So, you may be wondering how to get started. Well, first of all, it doesn’t matter when you start. Don’t assume it’s too late. Think about this. If you are at the park and it’s time to go, but you don’t want to keep yelling, “It’s time to go!” at your older kids, teach them the sign for “go.” This will prevent them from yelling back at you, “What? I can’t hear you!” forcing you to tromp through the sand and retrieve them. Hey, it’s worth a try. Before you can teach your kids how to sign, you have to learn some signs yourself. While there are some great websites out there, and I will provide links in the episode transcript, I found that videos were much more user friendly. We rented a couple of videos and loved them so much that we actually bought them. The videos I personally used were My Baby Can Talk and Baby Wordsworth™ – 1st Words Around the House. There are many more videos on the market. I recommend renting before you buy so that you can find the right ones for you. For a free option, check your local PBS station. Look for a program called Signing Time. It’s a great program that teaching American Sign Language in a very kid-friendly environment.
If you want more help or just want to have the support of a community, you may want to find a Baby Signs program in your area. Baby Signs will cost you some money, so you should request a trial session before you agree to sign up. Make sure it’s something you really need and want. If you like it then go for it. It is a wonderful program. I’ve been to a few local free sessions that have been offered in my area and they were all fun and educational. It’s ultimately up to you how much you want to invest. You may even consider asking your fellow play group moms if they want to have a signing play group with you. When you are all together in play group, you add sign language to your spoken word. Remember to keep the signs simple. It’s great to do as a group because you can teach other new signs as well as reinforcing the ones you already know.
Finally, don’t be concerned that your kids will learn sign language and then decide that they don’t need to speak. Studies have shown that this is not the case. Children who use sign language may have the opportunity to excel in communication because sign language is considered a second language. I am, however, simply recommending sign language to help break down the barriers of communication between the parent and the child. Keep it light and fun and your kids will enjoy it. It will ease frustrations for both you and your child when you can truly understand each other. You’ll have to learn an entirely different method of communication when your kids enter their teen years, so make the most of it while you can!
This is your friend the Mighty Mommy wishing you happy and fun parenting!
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Sign Language image courtesy of Shutterstock