Signing

lounakin

I started teaching my baby some sign language at 6 months, just a few words like 'pick me up', 'milk' etc... I have no experience in this, I was just doing the signs every time I'd do the action.
If anyone has done this, I'd appreciate some advice about one thing: she is almost 7 months now and started repeating the signs a week ago. She seems to know what they mean but most of the times she does them all at once! I don't know whether she's experimenting or completely confused!

Neyite

I havent been officially signing, but I will use the same action with a simple word and he understands me. He is 7 months.

For instance holding my hands out to him and saying "Up?" and he puts his arms out for me to lift him, or when I'm feeding I'll say "last spoon" then hand him the spoon and he knows his meal is done. I also say "milk?" when I'm positioning him at the breast, and "drink? when I have water in his sippy cup for him. Also "Uh-oh" when he drops something, "Ah-Ah" when I take something away from him or he is not supposed to do something - like a warning, "No" - though I've only used this when he bit my nipple.

lounakin

My baby understands the signs too but I'm just wondering why she does the signs all at once sometimes, whether she knows what she's doing or not. She uses the pick me up and milk sign perfectly but sometimes she does both together and then quickly signs 'daddy' and 'bravo' etc... She might just be having fun doing all the signs but if makes her hard to understand!

lounakin

Sorry for insisting but anyone here has an older child who uses sign language and could tell me if they had a similar experience?

pwurple

Hi lounakin, we did signing, and it was really handy. She was 9 months when she started using them meaningfully, before that it was just repetition I think?

She phased out of using them when she learned to speak and ask for things... The odd time she does it still. Like when her mouth is full, she does the sign for More. and of course all the normal ones like waving bye are still there.

dublinlady

I havent used signing as such - i suppose in ways we have - developed our own little ways of communicating - like most she understands 'up' or hands out to be lifted, but recently we have started waving , high fiving and clapping. these arent sign language but im saying it because she sometimes does them all at once!! even though she knows waving means hiya or see-ya - when she does them together i think its because shes excited about 2 things - one - being understood and managing to communicate properly - two - the attention she gets when she does them! So if your baby makes the sign for milk and you are clearly delighted with her and then the same happens with other things - she just wants you to be happy with her so much she'll try them all!! thats just my interpretation of my daughter!
she also sticks her tongue out and blows raspberries for her daddy as she knows he responds well to that where as she does not with me as i dont encourage it!

lounakin

dublinlady wrote: »

she also sticks her tongue out and blows raspberries for her daddy as she knows he responds well to that where as she does not with me as i dont encourage it!

How can you not encourage it? It's hilarious! My daughter blows raspberries all day long and we have great fun! I also have been doing this basic beatbox beat for her since she was born for some reason, and a few days ago she started smacking her lower lip on her top gum when I do it. Yep... we've got a 6 months old beatboxer!

dublinlady

lounakin wrote: »

How can you not encourage it? It's hilarious! My daughter blows raspberries all day long and we have great fun! I also have been doing this basic beatbox beat for her since she was born for some reason, and a few days ago she started smacking her lower lip on her top gum when I do it. Yep... we've got a 6 months old beatboxer!

I get the waves and we do impressions of the dog together - she snorts out her nose - I guess we just play different games!! I don't like the tongue out - just me!

A 6 month beatboxer is pretty impressive!!

Since she's started crawling last week it's mostly action rather than signs.... Grabbing reaching pulling.... Need a new fire gaurd and the poor Christmas tree needs a body guard.. And as for the dog!! Well he spends most his time hiding in the corner!!

lounakin

Got a crawler here too! All of a sudden I noticed so many dangers... today she managed to get to the coffee table, pull herself up almost to a standing position and before I could grab her she splatted the side of her face on the foot of the table... officially the first booboo!

wmpdd3

My brother in law taught his kids 3 or 4 signs, food, bed, up , drink etc. i thought he was off his rocker when he told me to ask his 5 month old if he'd like a boob feed, but they all learned each sign between 5 months and age 2. It can be done. When they started talking it all went out the window.

Oral Slang

I did the baby sign classes in Hamleys for a good few months - 2 terms, but tbh didn't practise too much at home, they were more another class for her to have fun at & interact with other children.
At 14 months now, she's saying what she wants, so don't really have the need for them. She can say up, down, yes, no, ah ah, boob, wow, all her animal noises etc., so we get by just fine.

NyquistFreak

Did ye all do classes, or did ye make up your own signs or how did ye go about it? I have a five month old here who I'd love to get signing, he's only just started using his hands at all so I guess its a good time.to start!

pwurple

I got a book from the library, and looked at a few you tube vids on it. I actually used normal sign language, for the deaf. Just picked a few words like milk, more, dog... and did the sign as I said the word. They start to do a few signs themselves anyway before they can talk. Bye bye, blow kisses, pointing, that kind of thing. You just add on another few.

There are classes that teach the signs with songs and rhymes. we didn't do them, as I was at work and they tend to be weekdays. They are more social I'd say than anything.

lounakin

Here's an update:
I also used the normal sign language with the baby but since there are more american videos on youtube I ended up using ASL not really knowing it was different than irish.
She stopped the phase I mention earlier, in fact she pretty much stopped signing but that's because she's just discovered standing up on her own and that's all she's interested in now!
Still, she does one sign very well and understands it completely: pick me up.
The sign for milk she started doing only while she's feeding!

liliq

I use the super hands books, it's based on Irish sign language and is clear and nicely illustrated