Baby Sign language

I am such a believer now in baby sign. It is Amazing! I started signing with him when Bryce was very young and stopped because I received no indicators from him that he cared at all what I was doing. Out of the blue, he signed "more" while eating dinner at my mom's. I was so proud and immediately started signing to him again.

I say I am believer now because I've had countless moments where he was communicated to me with sign when he was too upset to talk or didn't know how to vocalize what he needed. Here is the moment that sold me. Bryce just learned the sign "night night" and one morning before heading into work I asked if he was tired and he signed on his own to me, "night night" I reacted quickly to see if he understood what he said or said it because I asked him.

After I picked him up to carry him to bed he started clapping on the way upstairs. He signed it again as I put him down. He went to sleep right away without a peep. I closed the door and couldn't believe what had just happened. He didn't reach the point of fussy and crying and didn't have to settle himself down to sleep. He did it for his nap with Ann and for bed that night too. It isn't always that easy to make him sleep, don't let me fool you! But wins are worth mentioning!

Now at almost 16 months, he craves signs and mixes them with vocal words too. I need to catch him signing on a video but for now, here is a list of signs he knows that I can remember.

more
milk
food
drink
all done
cat
dog
diaper change
cookie
bird
airplane
night night
bunny
yes
bath
thank you
please

If we don't know a sign and he looks like he is asking what something is, we'll make it up along with vocally tell him what it is.

Some people and books argue that teaching a baby sign will delay their vocal speaking. I have to disagree. Bryce chats and says lots of words and says more every week. Here are a few of his favorites:

grape
juice
cheese
dog
bird
goat
car
go
you

He also shakes his head yes and no. Oh great!

I didn't think prior to teaching him to sign is teaching a younger baby to talk back. We'll be jogging, shopping, in line, anywhere really and he'll be in his stroller signing "all done" meaning he wants out of his stroller. Doesn't quite work every time Mr to get what you want!