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Sign Language for Babies Benefits Baby and Mom

Infants often develop the cognitive abilities to communicate months before they physically develop the ability to speak. Parents can not speed up the rate of speech production, but they can communicate with their child earlier by teaching them sign language for babies. Sign language for babies teaches infants to use specific hand signals to communicate their wants and needs. Research has shown that teaching a child baby sign language has many benefits for both the child and the parents.

Baby sign language can make life easier for your baby. In many cases tantrums and fussiness are caused by the frustration that baby feels when he or she can not properly express what they want or need. Giving infants a channel of communication results in children that feel more in control; many babies that are taught sign language at an early age transition easily through childhood, with many skipping over difficult stages such as the “terrible twos”. Sign language for babies can also make life much easier for parents- a calm baby results in less stress for Mom and Dad which makes for a happy household.

Baby sign language is easy to teach. An ideal time to begin is when a baby is between the ages of 6 to 9 months, but teaching can begin earlier (may take slightly longer to see results) or later (baby will still receive the same benefits as their younger counterparts). Parents can start by picking out 3-5 activities that they do often with baby; for example many start out by teaching the signs for “eat” or “milk”. Parents should then make the sign whenever doing that activity; for example when feeding baby a bottle ask “do you want some milk” while making the sign for “milk”. Parents should be patient; babies often recognize the signs before they are able to form the signs themselves. As babies pick up signs new signs can be introduced.

Research shows that babies that are taught sign language benefit in many ways. Signing babies usually begin speaking sooner and have larger vocabularies than non-signing babies. Signing babies also show a greater interest in books and reading when they grow older. One controlled scientific study even showed that babies that were taught sign language actually scored higher on IQ tests at the age of 8 in comparison to the group of 8 year olds that were never taught to sign.

Baby sign language has many benefits; but all of the research cannot quantify the feeling of closeness between a baby and its parents when they can communicate with each other. Spending a little bit of time and effort teaching baby sign language will give parents the joy of being able to glimpse into their baby’s mind and personality months before spoken speech is possible.  Sign Language for Babies is a very useful and beneficial technique for baby and Mom with the added benefit of faster language growth.

Does the zodiac sign change for everyone or just babies that are born recently?

Okay so Im sure we all heard of the changes. I went to bed as a Virgo and woke up as a Leo? Which I totally LOVE! Hello Virgo the Virgin is for women. Leo the Lion is for men. HAHA! But anyway does the zodiac sign changing affect everyone?

Communicate with your baby before they can talk with Baby Sign Language. Suitable from 4 months to 30 months. Read the rest of this entry »

Confused by Nipple Confusion?
 by: Michelle Higgins

You need to go back to work and would like to bring on a combination of breast and bottle. But you have heard that this could lead to ‘nipple confusion’. Do you need a lactation consultant? Perhaps you need a primer on nipple confusion.

What is nipple confusion all about?

Babies who are fed both by the breast and the bottle can sometimes have Read the rest of this entry »

How To Treat Baby’s Diarrhea
 by: Adwina Jackson

If you see these signs in your baby, you must treat her by giving as much fluid as you can. You can give either breast milk or formula (if your baby is not more than 6 months old). Water and soup are other alternatives for older babies.

There are also special fluids designed to replace water and salts lost during your baby’s diarrhea. According Read the rest of this entry »

Overdue with first baby and no signs of labor?

I'm over 42 weeks pregnant with my first baby and although I have had signs of false labor several times, I have not dilated any so far. I've heard a lot about how dangerous it can be the longer overdue you carry a baby and the placenta drying up. I don't want to medically induce unless I have too, because I know he will come when he is ready, Read the rest of this entry »

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is “why should I teach my baby sign language when he/she is not deaf?”

Well that is a good question. Even if your child is not deaf, there is scientific research that has been done to show the benefits of sign language for hearing babies.

Drs. Acredolo and Goodwyn, founders of Baby Signs program, have spent a lot of time and energy into research Read the rest of this entry »

Can My Baby Learn Sign Language?

When parents first hear the idea of teaching their babies sign language they are very hesitant. They ask many questions. “How is that possible?” ” How am I going to teach my baby if I don’t know it?” “Why would I want to teach my baby sign language?” “Will my baby want to talk if they use sign language?” We will address these questions and hopefully get you and Read the rest of this entry »

Parenting brings with it more trials than simply getting up for nighttime feedings and changing dirty diapers. Parents also must respond to upset and frustrated babies who are unable to communicate their needs and wants. Young children typically do not talk prior to reaching the age of ten months and even then, they are restricted to just a few simple words that do not express the majority of Read the rest of this entry »

Is having dreams about babies a sign of pregnancy?

is having multiple dreams about having a baby a possible sign that you are pregnant or want to become pregnant last night i dreamed my baby was sleeping and i woke her up and her little eyes were opening and she was nice and warm and i was about to go feed her a bottle in the kitchen but then i woke up! i became really depressed after i woke up i have Read the rest of this entry »

ASL interpreting songs from a foreign language?

What should I do when interpreting a children's puppet show into American Sign Language, when the performer is singing in a language I don't know? I have tried just sitting there, holding one hand in the other and maybe swaying my shoulders. That felt stupid and stiff. I also tried putting a puppet or stuffed animal in my lap and having it wave Read the rest of this entry »

What is British sign language;explain?

One of the first official historical record of BSL dates back to 1576, when a wedding ceremony was conducted in sign language in Leicester. The 18th and 19th Centuries appear to have been a far more positive time in history for individuals using it. Examples of events during this period are as follows:
* Reference to the development of a sign language finger alphabet, Read the rest of this entry »