Hey there mama friends! My name is Andrea and I'm so delighted to be guest posting on Wifessionals today. If you want to keep up with all things baby, birth, and motherhood, follow along with me over at Hand and the Heart. We live in the glorious Pacific Northwest and spend most of our days outside exploring and going on adventures.My son Benjamin is now 17.5 months old and transitioning into a full-on toddler. He has words on his lips, stocky legs for running and climbing, and a mouth full of teeth. It doesn't seem that long ago though that he was a squishy chunk of a boy who could do nothing but drool and babble.
My husband and I knew sign language was something we wanted to do with Ben, and we started when he was around five months old. We all know that babies absorb and understand so much more information than we realize. Sometimes (okay, a lot of the time) we felt really silly signing to him while he gazed back with a blank expression. But I knew it was sinking in somewhere and his brain was making the connections long before he had the motor skills to reciprocate the signs. Sign language is such a fabulous and expressive way of communicating before oral language and the ability to articulate speech patterns are developed.
I'm not certain of the conclusive data on the relationship between sign language and increased abilities, but as a former school teacher I truly do believe the word associations and visual connections help with language development far before babies speak their first words. Some studies do suggest that infants and toddlers who use sign language perform higher on IQ tests when they become children. Whether that is true or not, it's still an excellent stepping stone to speech. As with everything, consistency and repetition are key components to success! Ben didn't really starting signing back to us until he was closer to 10-11 months, but some babies do it sooner! We thought for sure we were wasting our time, but the day he signed "more" (directed as his blueberries of course) was so exciting for us. Sign language is obviously a really fun bonding experience for the baby and the parents. Babies love learning everything about their environment!
As I've said, doing sign language with our son was fun when he was a baby, but now it is actually really helpful that he is a toddler, and we are so thankful we started early. As babies turn into toddlers, their need to express themselves grows, and without the oral language to support their needs and wants, frustration is quick to morph into a tantrum. We definitely notice that sign language has been a huge piece of Ben communicating his wishes to us in a simple and clear way. I'm positive we have avoided a lot of confusion and misunderstandings due to his ability to sign his needs. For example, if Ben is getting frustrated because he can't open something on his own, he might start to whine, but when I look to see what he is upset about, he points and signs "please" to what he needs help with. If he is getting fussy because he's hungry and it's close to dinner, he will sign "eat", or "drink", and is very good at signing "all-done" when his stomach is full. When he was nursing more than he is now, he would sign "milk" if it was close to a feeding time. He is starting to say more words (which is really, really sweet), but the sign language component is still a huge piece of our daily communication. He will carry a book over to us and say "boooo" and then sign "please".
Even the sheer fact that my son can communicate to me (non-verbally) and knows I understand what he wants helps him feel more confident, secure, and emotionally stable. He might sign "up" and if I tell him "no, I can't pick you up right now," while shaking my head no, he might then sign "up please," and if I still say no, he might fuss, but will then toodle off to play by himself while I finish making his lunch. When I validate that I understand him, he is far less likely to get upset or give me the toddler 'tude.It's also been really interesting to see the variation of the signs he does. The sign "please" requires taking your hand across your chest in a circular motion, but Ben takes his hand and wipes it across his shirt, with the most hopeful little expression on his face! It doesn't really matter what the official sign actually is, as long as you understand the meaning of the sign your child has adapted.
Sign language can be a lot of work in the beginning, but the investment really pays off as your child gets older.
Do you have advice or a post about baby sign language? We would love for you to link it up below!
