#9 Teach Baby Sign Language

I am a HUGE fan of baby sign language! There are thousands of reasons for you to use sign language, but I will try to keep this brief and provide you with the top 10 reasons and/or attempt to persuade you to use baby sign language.

1. It will improve your child's IQ. Research has shown that babies who learned a second language are more intelligent. Personally, I have found that babies who used baby sign language speak earlier than other babies and learn colors earlier, too. Babies who use sign language learn that things have more than one label for things, so it is easier for them to label a color to things as well.
2. It will spare you countless headaches! Babies learn how to use their hands before they learn to control voice. If you teach sign language, your baby will be able to communicate with you and will not get as frustrated. Frustrated babies throw temper tantrums. If only it could cure them entirely! Trust me, it will decrease the number you would otherwise have.
3. Extra languages help, they do NOT hurt. If you speak a second language, use it, too. Even if you only use sign language through the age of 2, which most people do, it is going to help you and your child. People have an innate ability to learn multiple languages easily when young. There is nothing wrong with using 3 or 4 languages in your house, but please make sure that sign language is one of them!
4. Paying for classes is unnecessary! Baby sign language is becoming more popular and people are paying lots of money to learn sign language. If you go for the experience, have fun. However, the information is free and easy to find. My favorite place to get it is: here. or here. It has nice videos, although, the first one is not quite as user friendly as the second website. Some PBS channels have a show called Signing Time. It is designed for kids, but I learned a lot of signs on that show. Also, check your local library. My library has DVDs of the Signing Time episodes available for checkout. You can also check out YouTube videos where there are plenty of signing videos posted. In my area, the Meetup website even has a couple of groups that get together to practice signs, so check if your area has any groups.
   
5. Start now. You can start as early as birth. You can start as late as...well, even in adulthood, you can learn it, but it just gets harder after the teenage years. If you start at birth, you will already be in the habit when it matters. My first baby started signing at about 10 months old and my second started at about 12 months. I know that some babies start earlier, but I would not expect it to happen earlier than 6 months. Your baby will start when he/she is ready, because your baby is unique!
   
6. Do not give up. You do not have to use signs all the time and you do not have to do it correctly every time. Your baby will not start signing overnight, either. I tried using signs for about 3 months and then gave up. One month later, my baby started signing to me out of the blue. (I make mistakes, too!) The point is, that even after you think it is pointless to keep it up, it may just be one more month away!
7. You don't have to use the "correct" signs. If you want to be able to communicate with the deaf community, you probably want to use the American Sign Language version. It also helps if you are going to put your child in a preschool or Mother's Day Out program, so that the teachers know what signs are being used when your child is communicating. However, you can make up your own signs and your baby will never know the difference! Just use some gesture so you can communicate with your hands.
   
8. Start simply. Each "expert" will have different signs that they think you should start with. I would recommend starting with eat/food, drink, all done, hurt, and play. I also like potty, because I think it made potty training easier. I made sure to only sign it when I was certain that they were going potty. For example, when it was bathtime, if the baby went potty, I would sign it WHILE the potty was happening. It stuck, because later, I was told when they were going potty.
9. Why not? Could it really hurt your baby? There is so much research out there supporting me. You will feel so great when you are out in public and you understand what your baby wants. You will also be impressed when your baby is talking before all of your friends' babies. Even if your baby speaks after all the other babies, because every baby is unique, it will not hurt to use baby sign language.
10. It is exciting! I cannot express how exciting it will be the first time you realize your baby is communicating with you! Your baby will become a real person who is really able to express him/herself and you will feel so proud. Please, try using sign language!

Again, because every baby is unique, I would love to hear about your experiences with baby sign language. Until next time, when "babies cry to manipulate" is discussed.