Baby Signs

A Conversation Creating Lasting Bonds

By Nancy Cadjan, Certified Baby Sign Instructor

Wonder what your baby is thinking or what she's interested in? Want to ask her what she likes to eat? Want to know if that cry is because he is hungry, needs a diaper change or is hurt? You may be surprised to hear it,but a few hand signs can help you achieve all this and more.

By using baby signing, you can communicate with your child sooner and reduce stress for the whole family. Tantrums are often caused by a toddler's inability to communicate needs or wants. Being able to communicate using baby signing reduces the number of tantrums. And fewer tantrums mean a better relationship!

Signing gives your child the ability to tell you when something is wrong. Sixteen-month-old Dallin was teething. Instead of crying, he came to his mother, signed "medicine" and tapped his face where his tooth was coming in. His mother, Tricia, was able to give him a pain relieving gel."He knows that when he needs something, he can let me know," says the mom from Springville, Utah. "I can solve his problems, and we don't have to deal with the tears. I know my relationship with him is stronger because we can communicate."

Baby signing gives your child the ability to tell youhe needs something. Fifteen-month-old Alex was eating lunch when his mom gave him a banana. He shook his head "no" and signed "apple." His mother understood he wanted an apple instead. If Alex had not been able to sign, he probably would have resisted the banana and cried without any way to tell his mother he wanted an apple.

Baby signing also gives you the opportunity to see what your child is thinking about. Fourteen-month-old Jessica repeatedly signed "moon" when she and her mother went outside. Mom realized Jessica was interested in seeing the moon. One evening, she took her out to see it. After that, Jessica asked to see it every night. Their evening ritual continued for six months. This was their special time together.

More than20 years of research shows that children naturally gesture to obtain things they want. Who hasn't seen a baby lift her arms up to be picked up? By tapping in to these natural tendencies and teaching your baby some basic American Sign Language Signs (ASL), you can open a line of communication with your baby and learn her needs, fears and wants.

Some parents worry using signs will slow speech acquisition. Studies conductedduring the past 20 years show babies who sign generally speak at the same rates as babies who do not but actually have an easier time learning to communicate. When they begin to speak, they already understand the communication game and generally learn to talk faster once they begin to speak. Additionally, the research shows that babies who sign have a 12 point increase in their IQs. Extended research shows this IQ increase lasts through the child's educational years. Children who sign as babies also have larger vocabularies and greater interest in books. Plus, you get the benefit of being able to communicate with them while they are still learning to talk.

Want to see more?

• Toddler Talking: Common Speech Problems in Young Children
• How are You Doing?: Building Your Toddler's Social Skills
• Brainy Babies: Teaching Your Infant to Read
• Talk about it!