Let's Go to the Movies!

So Violet and I were both having a cranky afternoon today. Erik was off to the Bruins game, and Violet and I were missing Daddy and being pouty. So I thought, "How about a movie?" Violet is 16 months old and very active- she doesn't get to watch too much TV, but when she does she (surprisingly) enjoys it, and it really calms her down. So I thought that it would be an enlightening experience, if nothing else, to take my cranky baby to a movie. We chose a post-nap showing of _Slightly Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs_.

We arrived right before the _Where the Wild Things Are_ preview, and sat near the exit (just in case). Violet was enthralled and possibly overwhelmed by the big screen, but immediately started signing "cat" and pointing to the monsters on the screen. Then she started saying "woof woof", clearly trying to decide what kind of animals were on screen. She then proceeded to sign throughout the whole movie! Since she's 16 months, she's also an emerging talker and used a lot of verbal words to describe what she was seeing. The most wonderful point of the whole movie came about a third of the way through... Violet started fidgeting and I figured that we had reached the end of her attention span and would have to leave. Then she turned around, looked me in the eye, and signed "milk". That was all she wanted, and she didn't have to cry to get it. It was wonderful for me because it showed me that she understands how to "use her words" and ask for what she wants. She is really understanding communication. I wonder if we would have had a positive experience if Violet was not a baby signer?

New Class!

Join me for an all-new Beginning Signs Workshop on Monday, October 19th, at 2pm on the lawn at beautiful Westwood Park.

This 60-minute workshop will include EVERYTHING you need to know to start signing with your baby right away! You'll learn popular signs for meal time, animals, health and safety, and play time. You'll also leave with reference sheets that have pictures of every sign we learn, as well as songs and games you can use to practice with your baby!

The cost for the class will be $15 per parent/child pair. Please email me at littlehandsbabysigns@gmail.com to reserve your spot!

Starter Signs

For those of you who are anxious to get started before the October 19th class, here are a few starter signs you can work on in the interim!

More:

Tap fingertips together repeatedly


Eat/Hungry:

Bring fingertips to mouth


Drink/Thirsty:

Bring thumb to corner of mouth


Birdie:

Open and close thumb and forefinger (like a beak!)


Kitty:

Trace whiskers on your cheek using thumb and forefinger


Hat:

Pat head (and get ready for your baby to notice hats EVERYWHERE!)

Remember these tips when you're teaching your baby to sign:
1. Be Consistent: For example, sign "more" at every meal, and ask every adult (or older sibling) in your baby's life to do the same.
2. Timing is everything: Practice when baby is well rested!
3. Be Patient: It's ok if it takes a while! Like every other milestone, each baby follows his or her own timeline when it comes to signing.
4. Have Fun!: Babies thrive on your praise and will be anxious to make you smile :)

Happy signing and I'll see you in October!

Benefits of Signs, L.A. Times Article

Whilst perusing periodicals for some Baby Sign Language trivia, I found an L.A. Times Health article from 2006. As I was reading, most of the information fell soundly into the "Very interesting, but I've seen it before!" category. But I persisted! And I'm so glad I did. On the subject of the benefits of sign language for babies, Linda Acredolo, coauthor of _Baby Signs_ (a book which I personally use and love), gave voice to my precise feelings. In the article, she is quoted as saying, "The most important benefits are the emotional ones... It allows families a richer connection because they're better able to communicate. It also allows babies to share their world with their parents."

Incredible! Isn't that what we, as the nurturers of our precious little babies, want? To share our babies' worlds? Imagine the security and satisfaction that your baby feels when he knows that you understand him. He knows that you are his ally, that he can turn to you to explain your complex world and that in turn, you will understand his. *sniffle* Now I have to go check on my peaceful little babe as she sleeps... knowing that in the morning, when I go in to get her, she will be beaming and signing, "milk".

To read the full article, click here!

Caught!

If you have a baby, then you know how difficult it can be to get the perfect picture. If you have a signing baby, then you know that it can be almost impossible to get a good picture of your baby in the act! If you have a picture of your baby signing, email it to me (littlehandsbabysigns@gmail.com) so I can brag for you on this blog!

Here is my latest baby signing picture victory:

While washing her hands, Violet noticed that there is a picture of a kitty on her hand soap, and made the sign for "cat": tracing whiskers on her cheek. I loved knowing that she was most interested in the kitty, rather than the dog or bunny! It started a whole conversation about the pictures on her soap bottle.

Why sign with my baby?

It's a good question!

The best reason to sign with your baby is communication. Because with babies as with all people, being able to communicate effectively reduces frustration and validates needs, feelings, and desires. And signing with your baby is fun! Your baby will get a kick out of learning new signs with you, and you'll love having more insight into what your baby enjoys. Some research also suggests that babies who sign have larger vocabularies at age two, and may have higher IQs when they're older. See Baby Center for my source and more expert opinion.

How does sign language help a hearing child communicate earlier than waiting for speech? Think about this:

• At 3 months old, your baby starts batting at toys and attempting to grab them
• By 4 months old, your baby can grab a large object
• At 8 months old, your baby is raking smaller objects towards himself, and has perfected getting things from his hands to his mouth
• Before a year (as early as 7 months!), your baby has mastered pincer grasp, meaning that she can hold small objects between her thumb and forefinger
• BUT most babies don't start saying words until they are a year or more, and probably won't start using two-word "sentences" until they are 18 months or older.

Babies develop manual dexterity faster than language, and their cognitive ability greatly outweighs their ablilty to vocalize what they're thinking. Think of all the words your baby knows... does she get excited when you start talking about milk? When you say "sippy cup" does he automatically start looking around for it? Does your baby love to look at animals? Your baby knows these things in her mind, but she can't vocalize them yet. Baby sign language gives your baby simple hand gestures to name what's most important to him.

Wondering if the time is right? If your baby is waving "bye-bye" or blowing kisses, she's already shown you that she can learn baby sign language! But remember, in order for you baby to learn signs, YOU have to learn the signs! Get a head start so you'll be ready when your little love-bug wants to sign!

Birdies and Stars

Violet and I met up with a girlfriend of mine and her 12-month-old daughter today at a petting zoo, then we went to Marie Callender's for lunch (you know, because kids eat free on Tuesdays!). At the petting zoo I actually got a picture of Violet signing "bird"! It's her favorite sign, but I've never really been able to get a good picture... here it is:

Then, while we were sitting on the patio at Marie Callender's, Violet started excitedly signing "stars"- sure enough, she was pointing to the Macy's sign, which had two big stars on it! It was fun to know that she was thinking about those stars, instead of wondering what was making her so excited. This happens to be MY favorite sign, because it's so cute to watch her do her little "star boogie". Unfortunately, my camera battery had already died- next time!