Combining Signs

Dr. Acredolo blogs about babies combining signs - see below for her quoted blog posting. Babies who sign can combine signs/words sooner than those with words only. Once Emma signed "more" frequently, I started showing her the sign for "more" with the addition of "please". Since she was picking up signs more quickly by that time, she was able to start using her manners when requesting more of something. One mom shared the story of her child signing three words together "more" "candy" "please". She didn't really want to give her any more, but how could she not - three signs put together! Love the car wash story contained in this blog! Those children let their mom know that even though she thought they would enjoy the car wash, they were scared of it. Not only did they put together three signs, they also told their mom exactly what they were feeling and why. "There’s no doubt that a single sign—such as MORE, for example—conveys important information. But there’s also no denying that the combination MORE + COOKIE is even clearer. Babies seem to know this intuitively; that’s why as soon as they can, they begin stringing two words (or signs!) together and sentences are born. This important intellectual milestone—the ability to put true words together—typically occurs on average around 20 months, with many babies waiting until their third year. Things happen much earlier, however, with signs. Because signs are easier to learn than words, babies can begin putting them together with each other and with single words as early as 12 months! The most useful signs in this regard are MORE which can be combined with lots of other signs or words (e.g., cookie, milk, book, bubbles, etc.) and ALL GONE which is equally combinable (e.g., with water for down the drain, food words or signs, and even animal signs when animals run or fly away). Many signing babies, however, don’t stop with just two. Here’s a great illustration: Michelle, mom to toddler twins Jimmie and Julianna (see photo), decided to make a detour from shopping and take the kids for their first trip through the car wash. She thought they might enjoy it. Instead, they began crying hysterically, clearly terrified by the onslaught of water, brushes, and noise. That night when Daddy got home, they immediately told him all about it…with signs: CAR + BATH+ SCARED! For weeks afterward, when they would get in the car they would repeat the same “sentence” just to make sure Mom wouldn’t forget and take them there again! Yup! Sometimes one word (or sign) alone isn’t nearly enough! Happy Signing! (and don’t forget to look for us on Facebook)" Linda Linda Acredolo, Ph.D. Co-Founder, the Baby Signs® Program and Professor Emeritus, UC Davis

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Sign-of-the-Week--Love-.html?soid=1100670752341&aid=_4YB7Mvhb3k

Just in time for Valentine's Day - teach your child the sign for "love". Loved when Emma would sign "love" to me! Parents often wonder how to teach the sign of love to babies and toddlers because it is not something they can point at. When you sign love to your child, they are going to be able to figure out the concept of love by your body language, your facial expression, etc. You can give them a big hug full of love as well after signing it! Your child will learn the meaning of it! The sign, "I love you" is done with your thumb, index finger and pinkie out representing the letters - i, l, y. My now 7 1/2 year old daughter and I still do that every time she heads off to the bus - love when she signs that to me!


http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Sign-of-the-Week--Love-.html?soid=1100670752341&aid=_4YB7Mvhb3k

Baby Signs - The Original Research-Based Method of Baby Sign Language

Baby Signs - The Original Research-Based Method of Baby Sign Language

Love this story! It's amazing the things you can find out when you give your babies a way to communicate. I can't remember a similar story with Emma, but she still told us so much with her signing. One time, we were at the zoo, and she had signed the names of all of the animals. Her favorite animal appeared to be the orangutan - every time we tried to move away, she kept making the "more" sign. She didn't express anything but delight all of the way through the zoo, seeing tigers, lions, alligators, etc. However, when we stopped in at the elephant house, she made her sign for "elephant" and then made her sign for "afraid". Had she just started crying, I don't think I would have immediately assumed that she was scared. I would have thought she may be hungry, or wet, or tired, etc.

Baby Signs - The Original Research-Based Method of Baby Sign Language: Beware: Conformity Starts Early!

I thought this was an interesting article about how early conformity shows up. I have heard similar things from my 7 year old - she won't say she likes a particular singer because no one else likes him and similar things. It's amazing how important friends and their acceptance become even at early ages.


Baby Signs - The Original Research-Based Method of Baby Sign Language: Beware: Conformity Starts Early!

Using the Sign for "Dirty"

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!!!!

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.

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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

Potty Training - Fun and Easy? Or Almost Broke Me?

I have to admit that potty training my daughter was one of my least enjoyable experiences of being a mom. I even preferred the getting up several times per night with a newborn to potty training her. That's saying a lot. I asked for advice from just about everyone and from every resource I could find - because not one book, or piece of advice seemed just right.

The one piece of advice I did use was "wait until she's ready" - as if, one day she would wake up and tell me, "Mom, I am ready to use the toilet like a big girl." That never happened although I did hear that Urban Myth that it did actually happen that way to one lucky mom. May she know how good she had it!

I also tried the "let her run around naked - she won't go on the floor" method. That didn't work so well, and yes, she did.

In an effort not to lose my mind, I put her in pull-ups while potty training her. You know what? That was a bad decision on my part. I think much of potty training is parental motivation. If you are motivated to get your child potty trained, that's going to increase your chances of success. Like before there were disposable diapers, the vast majority of babies were actually potty trained between the ages of 12-18 months. Anything different with the babies? No - the main difference was parental motivation - those parents didn't have disposable diapers. I found that when my daughter was in pull ups, I was much more willing to say/think, "she can just go in her pull up." However, those times, when she was in underwear, I was making sure that she tried to go potty every half hour.

I remember attending a Baby Signs® Conference the summer after my daughter was finally potty trained and hearing the great news that the Baby Signs® Program was putting out a potty training program. Would have been even better news to me had it come out a year before! The surprising thing is that I didn't even think to use signs when I started potty training her even though she had tons of signs, and I was even a Baby Signs® Certified Instructor. It definitely would have been helpful to tie the two together.

My daughter is now almost 6, and has been fully potty trained now for almost 3 years (yes, made it just under the wire with having her potty trained by age 3). However, it is not an experience I would want to repeat.

If you are in the process of potty training your child, be sure and visit www.pottytrainwithbabysigns.com as there are some freebies and other information on there that may be helpful to you. Good luck to you!

March is Reading Month

March is “Reading Month” so I thought I would make my first blog post about reading and signing. As I tell all the parents and grandparents in my classes, it is important to have consistency and repetition when you are teaching your baby to sign. Reading books is a great way to provide that needed repetition for signing. Books also give you and your child quality one-on-one time as well as great snuggling time. Many of the books that I have listed below are ones that I read and/or still read to my daughter. I have placed the signing words in the parentheses. Some great signing books are:

What Shall We Do with the Boo-Hoo Baby? By Cressida Cowell - A really cute book about a crying baby and the cow, cat, dog and duck who try to make the baby happy by feeding him, bathing him, playing with him, and finally putting him to bed. (cat, dog, cow, duck, baby, eat, bath, sleep, play, sad)

Maisy Goes to the Playground By Lucy Cousins - Maisy the Mouse shows all of the fun things to do at the playground (slide, boat, water, swing, play, duck)

Blue Hat, Green Hat By Sandra Boynton - Four animals show items of clothing, but one gets it wrong each time (hat, coat, socks, shoes)

Moo, Baa, La La La! - I am a big fan of Sandra Boynton's books. This one is a fun, quick read (cow, sheep, pig, little, dog, cat, duck, horse). My 5 year old daughter just read this book to me last night – that was pretty cool.

Goodnight, Moon - This classic book by Margaret Wise Brown is a definite must-have for all families with young children, but especially for those signing families (moon, balloon, cow, bears, little, comb, light, socks, mouse, stars).

Look for more great signing books in future posts.

Print the coloring page for “Book” for your child.

https://www.babysigns.com/pdf/Sunshine_Book.pdf

Print out the “book” poster and use it in your child’s room or on your child’s book shelf. https://www.babysigns.com/pdf/Book.pdf