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Communicate With Your Baby - Use Sign Language
All babies are born with the ability to communicate far before they have the physical ability to speak in words. Even though a child will likely not speak before their second year of life, after they are about six months old they are able to understand your language and use basic signs to communicate their needs and wants to you.
By using baby sign language with your child you are able to take advantage of their ability to communicate their needs to you and alleviate the frustration that comes with a crying baby and not understanding why they are crying. Imagine being able to quiet your baby by knowing exactly what it is they want rather than having to guess.
By teaching your baby some simple signs as well as their corresponding words, you can effectively communicate with your baby. Research has shown that signing with babies and toddlers does not keep them from speaking, but rather encourages them to communicate. With signing they learn they can be heard and they can initiate communication with you and quickly learn to speak when they are physically able to do so. It is even believed that babies who sign later grow up to have a higher IQ and better communication skills than babies who do not.
If you choose to sign with your baby, and teach those signs to everyone your baby comes into contact with, they will be able to communicate their needs with everyone in their lives. This creates a very different situation for caregivers. They do not need to wonder why your baby is crying, they can have the baby tell them. This creates a wonderful bond and sense of trust between your baby and both yourself and their other caregivers.
Baby sign language is very easy to learn and teach your baby. You have the option of using American Sign Language (ASL) signs or making up ones of your own. It really does not matter which you choose to use because only you, your baby, your family, and caregivers need to understand the signs. Once your child is old enough to talk they will no longer use the signs.
When signing with your child it is important to keep a few basic things in mind. The first is to always verbally say the word and use the sign. This insures your child learns words and not just gestures. Be patient in trying to teach signs. It will take a while for your baby to sign back to you, but once they do then they understand about communication and will quickly learn more signs. Share the sign language you use with everyone your child comes into contact with. Make sure if you use signs with your child that you do not leave them in the care of people who do not understand their signs or you will have both a frustrated baby and caregiver.
The most important thing to keep in mind when teaching your baby to sign is to keep things simple and fun. Always praise their attempts and encourage them with love. There is no better satisfaction than being able to communicate with your baby.
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