Signing with Baby

Add sign language to the list of things I thought I'd never do. It seemed too complicated and a waste of time. Why not just wait for baby to talk? Well, here's the thing! They are ready to communicate you with way before they are in a place to have words.

I didn't start signing with Elyse until about two to three months ago. I wasn't super consistent and at first she never signed anything back. And now, she is a pro.

Lots of Moms start signing much earlier, but I'm here to tell you - it is never too late. Elyse's favorite sign is definitely "more". She signs it all day long and often combines it with more, eat and even a more, eat, milk... It is great and very helpful to know what she wants. However, it can be hard when you get "more" "more" and you don't know what she wants MORE of. Or, when you know she can't possibly be hungry and/or doesn't NEED anything else to eat. That is where the power of distraction comes in. Or, we just sign "all done."

Above is Elyse demonstrating her own version of two signs, but here are some other babies and/or pictures of the signs she knows and does or at least understands.

MORE

EAT

SLEEP OR NIGHT-NIGHT

MILK

ALL DONE (or finished)

And we are working on HELP, PLEASE and WATER (per conversation with another another Mom (thanks, Sam!).

HELP

PLEASE

WATER (PS: this pic is a little dorky, but it demonstrates the sign really well).

There you have it. Chalk it up to the list of things I thought I'd never do. But, now I'm a fan being able to communicate with my daughter!!