Sign Language

If you don't know me, I have a 20 month old son. When you have a toddler, it is so hard to communicate and understand their needs and desires, because they can't voice them. It is especially frustrating as you approach the 2 year mark, when the frustration comes out as hitting, screaming and other tantrum events. I fully believe that the whole debacle with the 'terrible twos' is just the inability of the child to communicate properly with parents and those around him/her.

With Ian, I started teaching him some basic signs when he was about 9mo-1yr. We really haven't done as much as I'd like, but we do basic signs. I started teaching him eat, more, mommy, daddy, please and thank you. It is very slow going when you begin. You feel weird signing something a baby won't understand, but you have to remember, their brain is a sponge! They absorb EVERYTHING, no matter whether you think it is too complex for them or not. I was not as dedicated as I should have been, but kept doing them every now and then. He doesn't sign mommy and daddy, because he can say those words, but the others, he signs and says the word too. He actually signed before he spoke them. Signing is as much as a learning process for parents as children, because not only do you have to learn and use them, but you have to adjust to the fact that your child won't do it perfectly and will have their own little variation of the proper sign.

We are starting to hit the potty training age and my goal is to start relating the signs with the actions and maybe it will make that process easier in the long run.

If you haven't thought about this, I highly recommend it. It is something that I think will make both your lives easier.

The American Sign Language site is a great site that shows a video of the sign to go with the word/phrase. You may not find all the phrases that you need, but if you can use your imagination, I'm sure you can come up with a sign that will work for you and your child.

Also, Baby Einstein makes a signing DVD that Ian loves to watch! It helps both parent and baby learn the signs.