Baby Signs, Inc. has sent out another sign of the week. This one is the sign for "dirty." https://www.babysigns.com/pdf/Dirty.pdf As BSI pointed out, "Do you find yourself saying "Don't touch that. It is DIRTY!" to your child? Using the sign along with the word, DIRTY, can help to place emphasis on what you are saying." It's also a great one because you can make the sign for "dirty" across a room at your older toddler or preschooler when they are about to touch something gross. No yelling needed!
I actually taught my then-toddler to use this sign when she had gone "poo-poo" in her diaper. That was very helpful! They move around so much at that age it was difficult to figure out if anyone had a dirty diaper, or who it belonged to. I remember one morning going into my daughter's room, and she greeted me with three signs, one right after the other. She first did the sign for "dirty", thus, I knew she had a dirty diaper. She then made the sign for "milk" so yes, she was thirsty. Then she made the sign for "fish" so that I could admire her "Finding Nemo" calendar on the wall. Look at all of that information that I received from her in just about 15 seconds. Have I written lately about how much I love the Baby Signs® program!!!!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Baby Signs - The Original Research-Based Method of Baby Sign Language: Signing Sentences: When One Sign Isn't Enough!
Baby Signs - The Original Research-Based Method of Baby Sign Language: Signing Sentences: When One Sign Isn't Enough!
I just love the story about the set of twins sitting in the back of their mom's car as she takes them into a car wash. She thought it would be a fun adventure, but they let her know that "car baths" are scary. It's amazing how young children can combine signs to make small sentences to express even more thoughts, feelings and wants.
One signing mom told me a great story about her child signing, "more candy please". The mom really didn't want to give her any more, but tough to resist such great manners.
I just love the story about the set of twins sitting in the back of their mom's car as she takes them into a car wash. She thought it would be a fun adventure, but they let her know that "car baths" are scary. It's amazing how young children can combine signs to make small sentences to express even more thoughts, feelings and wants.
One signing mom told me a great story about her child signing, "more candy please". The mom really didn't want to give her any more, but tough to resist such great manners.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Check out this Youtube video to learn the signs for hot, cold and hurt. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrdIZU_jd9A&feature=youtu.be Teaching these signs to your baby will help her tell you what's wrong when she's feeling uncomfortable, hurt or sick. This video is from Baby Signs, the original baby sign language program. You can use the sign for hurt near his ear to ask if he has an ear ache. Or, you can use it near her stomach to ask if her tummy hurts, and so on. Very useful sign! Emma used the sign for "hot" once to tell me that her french toast was still too hot to eat. Find out what your baby wants to tell you - teach your baby to sign!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Sign for "Afraid"
Baby Signs, Inc. recently posted the sign for "afraid". For the post, please copy and paste this address: https://www.babysigns.com/pdf/BabySigns_Afraid.pdf. I have recently blogged about teaching the signs for feelings, including the one for afraid. Emma actually used hand patting her heart rapidly to show that she was "afraid". In that blog, I had written how she had the chance to use the sign for "afraid" when we went to the zoo and she was scared of the elephants. Another time she was watching "Dragon's Tales" which she loved. While watching one episode, however, she started signing "afraid", and so I knew to turn off that show - a very good thing to know.
This is also a good sign to use when your child has hurt himself, and is too upset to talk. You can ask him if he is "hurt" or "scared" using sign language. Even when too upset to speak, they can usually make the sign showing whether they are hurt or scared. The sign for "hurt" is done by putting the fingertips of both pointer fingers together. That way, you can know, right away, whether you only need to comfort or also provide some first-aid.
Happy Signing!
This is also a good sign to use when your child has hurt himself, and is too upset to talk. You can ask him if he is "hurt" or "scared" using sign language. Even when too upset to speak, they can usually make the sign showing whether they are hurt or scared. The sign for "hurt" is done by putting the fingertips of both pointer fingers together. That way, you can know, right away, whether you only need to comfort or also provide some first-aid.
Happy Signing!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Teaching feelings
Baby Signs, Inc. recently sent out a poster showing the sign for "happy." You can download it by pasting this link into your web browser: https://www.babysigns.com/pdf/Happy.pdf. I think teaching the signs for feelings is such a great way to teach your child at a young age about their feelings and that other people have feelings too.
I remember that we attended a play class, where there was a set of young twins. One twin was happy and playing with a ball. The other was crying and did not have a ball. My daughter, who was under the age of 2, turned to me and made the sign for "sad" (finger tracing tears on her face). Then she got a ball and she gave it to the crying twin. I was so proud that my daughter noticed that the baby was sad, and then tried to make him happy.
Teaching feelings is also a great for you to learn what is going on inside their heads. We were at the zoo, and as soon as we entered the elephant house, Emma started signing her sign for "afraid". Had she just started crying, I would have run through the gamut of things that could be wrong - is she hungry? is she hot? is she tired? is she wet? Since she was able to tell me that she was afraid, I didn't have to - I knew what was wrong - she was scared of that big, gray elephant.
When Emma was two years old, she used to say to me, "I so bappy." We had used the sign for "happy" with her, and so she was able to label that feeling at a young age. I just loved it when she said that to me - it would just make my heart well up with joy. Many precious memories of my daughter because of the Baby Signs® Program!
I remember that we attended a play class, where there was a set of young twins. One twin was happy and playing with a ball. The other was crying and did not have a ball. My daughter, who was under the age of 2, turned to me and made the sign for "sad" (finger tracing tears on her face). Then she got a ball and she gave it to the crying twin. I was so proud that my daughter noticed that the baby was sad, and then tried to make him happy.
Teaching feelings is also a great for you to learn what is going on inside their heads. We were at the zoo, and as soon as we entered the elephant house, Emma started signing her sign for "afraid". Had she just started crying, I would have run through the gamut of things that could be wrong - is she hungry? is she hot? is she tired? is she wet? Since she was able to tell me that she was afraid, I didn't have to - I knew what was wrong - she was scared of that big, gray elephant.
When Emma was two years old, she used to say to me, "I so bappy." We had used the sign for "happy" with her, and so she was able to label that feeling at a young age. I just loved it when she said that to me - it would just make my heart well up with joy. Many precious memories of my daughter because of the Baby Signs® Program!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Learn the Sign for Eat
This past Friday, Baby Signs, Inc. sent out another free signing poster. This poster featured the sign for "eat". I am sure that this will be a popular poster for parents. Many parents start signing with their children because of frustration: their frustration and their child's frustration. Teaching babies the sign for "eat" along with "drink", "more" and "all done" can really help ease everyone's frustrations. To do the sign for "eat", put your fingers together (on your dominant hand) and tap your mouth with your fingertips. Use this link to download your free poster: https://www.babysigns.com/pdf/Eat_poster.pdf.
As a new instructor several years ago, I remember talking with a friend of mine, who said that he and his wife were teaching their baby to sign. I was happy to hear that until he said that they were only going to teach him the signs for eat, drink, more and all done. He said, "After all, what else does he need to say." I was quite flabbergasted by his statement. As a mom who signed with her own child, I would urge you not to stop at those four signs. It's amazing what your child can tell you if he or she has the tools to do so. Although it was terrific finding out what Emma wanted, it was more incredible finding out what she was observing, what she had learned and what she wanted to talk about, etc. Those moments with her are so precious to me. How else would I know that before the age of 2 that she knew almost all of the animals at the zoo? Or that she was scared of the elephants? Or that she loved watching orangutans? Or that she could hear an airplane flying over our house? Or that she wanted to talk about her Nemo calendar? Or that she needed help (used when the toy she knew made noise wasn't making noise)? There are so many priceless memories like those all made possible by signing.
So definitely, if you are starting to teach your baby to sign, start with the signs for "eat", "drink", "more" and "all done" - just don't stop there. There is so much more your baby wants to share with you.
As a new instructor several years ago, I remember talking with a friend of mine, who said that he and his wife were teaching their baby to sign. I was happy to hear that until he said that they were only going to teach him the signs for eat, drink, more and all done. He said, "After all, what else does he need to say." I was quite flabbergasted by his statement. As a mom who signed with her own child, I would urge you not to stop at those four signs. It's amazing what your child can tell you if he or she has the tools to do so. Although it was terrific finding out what Emma wanted, it was more incredible finding out what she was observing, what she had learned and what she wanted to talk about, etc. Those moments with her are so precious to me. How else would I know that before the age of 2 that she knew almost all of the animals at the zoo? Or that she was scared of the elephants? Or that she loved watching orangutans? Or that she could hear an airplane flying over our house? Or that she wanted to talk about her Nemo calendar? Or that she needed help (used when the toy she knew made noise wasn't making noise)? There are so many priceless memories like those all made possible by signing.
So definitely, if you are starting to teach your baby to sign, start with the signs for "eat", "drink", "more" and "all done" - just don't stop there. There is so much more your baby wants to share with you.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Helpful Signs
Baby Signs, Inc. has been posting links to posters for parents, etc. to learn signs on a regular basis. Recently, it posted the sign for "sit down" (http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs088/1100670752341/archive/1104277780516.html). It got me thinking about how I still use signs with my daughter even though she is almost 7 years old and really has no need to use signs for communicating. I find, however, that I have the need for signs to communicate with her. I really don't want to be the mom who is "fussing" at her child to do something, like sit down, be quiet, etc. With signs, I don't have to be.
When she was going to preschool, I would drop her off at the door, and the first thing she was supposed to do was to wash her hands. She would always look back at me, and I would do the sign for wash to remind her to wash her hands.
One day, we were at an event at the library, and she kept standing up when she wasn't supposed to. So I would do the sign for "sit down" and she would then sit down.
Last year, in Kindergarten, I was volunteering in her classroom, and she and a little boy were holding hands. As sweet as it was, I didn't want my daughter holding hands with a little boy so I signed the word, "stop" to her. The little boy didn't know what I meant, but my daughter did, and she dropped his hand pretty quickly.
This year, in first grade, she always seems to want to get up and hug me the whole time I am in there to volunteer in her class. I have to gently sign to her to "sit down" although I then go over to her for a hug.
Signing with my daughter as a baby/toddler was so helpful. She could communicate with us so much - all that she wanted, observed, felt, etc. However, even though she doesn't need signs to communicate with us, it's great to know that I can still use them to communicate with her. I love not being that "loud" mom.
When she was going to preschool, I would drop her off at the door, and the first thing she was supposed to do was to wash her hands. She would always look back at me, and I would do the sign for wash to remind her to wash her hands.
One day, we were at an event at the library, and she kept standing up when she wasn't supposed to. So I would do the sign for "sit down" and she would then sit down.
Last year, in Kindergarten, I was volunteering in her classroom, and she and a little boy were holding hands. As sweet as it was, I didn't want my daughter holding hands with a little boy so I signed the word, "stop" to her. The little boy didn't know what I meant, but my daughter did, and she dropped his hand pretty quickly.
This year, in first grade, she always seems to want to get up and hug me the whole time I am in there to volunteer in her class. I have to gently sign to her to "sit down" although I then go over to her for a hug.
Signing with my daughter as a baby/toddler was so helpful. She could communicate with us so much - all that she wanted, observed, felt, etc. However, even though she doesn't need signs to communicate with us, it's great to know that I can still use them to communicate with her. I love not being that "loud" mom.
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