[clowe77]

Hi! Has anyone done this and if so when did you start and how did it go? My son is 5mo old and I would really love to start teaching him as soon as it makes sense. Would be amazing to start to communicate with him this way, I'm sure :-)

[Buckeroo]

Hi, we started when my son was 8 months old and it is really amazing how much they can communicate with you through signs. :) With our second one, we started signing with her pretty much from Day 1. With both kids, signs just opened up a window into their worlds, when they can "tell" you what they want/need, what they see, what they remember, etc. I can go on and on about this... :)

[clowe77]

Thanks Buckaroo!! Are there any good books you can recommend to help parents teach baby sign language to their LO's? I know some of the signs but don't even know where to start in terms of HOW to teach. for example, how would you differentiate between "milk" and "drink" and "more"??

Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.

[Buckeroo]

HOW to teach is not difficult at all. :) If you join a Baby Signs workshop, you will learn all you need to know to get started --how to teach and choose signs, learn 100 of the more common signs, tips for success, etc. You can also click on the Baby Signs banner at the top of the page for more signing resources.

If you are the more patient, DIY type, the Baby Signs: How to Talk With Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk book is a very good start and is available at the public library. The only difference is that with the workshop, someone walks you through every step and there is unlimited consultation (without charge) after the workshop. Happy signing!

[peainpod]

I'm reading the Baby Signs book (available in Dymocks) in preparation for signing with my baby (almost 6 mths now).

The book advises to wait until the baby shows signs of wanting to communicate with you (usually around 9-10 mths) as they will pick up signs a lot faster. Of course you are always welcome to start signing with them earlier but according to the research from that book, they probably won't respond for a few months until their systems are more mature.

So signing at 5 mths means you'll probably end up signing for a number of months before they "click on" to what you are doing. If you hold off until they show interest in communicating with you, you may get results a lot sooner.

The book also suggests that you can always make up new/dif signs if you don't like the standard ones that are offered. Basicaly, it's whatever works for you and your baby.

[Buckeroo]

There is no "perfect" time to start. Parents who choose to start earlier (i.e. before 6 months) will, yes, have a longer wait before their baby signs back. Realistically, babies won't be developmentally ready (in terms of motor skills) to imitate simple signs until around 6 months. Case in point: With our son whom we started signing to at 8 months, he signed back after 6 weeks; with our daughter whom we signed to from Day 1, she signed back only when she was 6.5 months.

That said, parents who start "early" can get into the hang of signing sooner so that by the time their babies are ready to sign back, the parents are more "natural" at signing. When parents start "later" (from 6 months+), their wait for babies to sign back tends to be a bit shorter, as by then, babies can start to imitate/make simple signs back.

"Basicaly, it's whatever works for you and your baby."
Yes, this is correct. The whole objective of signing with your baby is not to learn sign language as a second language but rather to have a means to communicate effectively with each other before the words come. :)

[rani]

We started signing at around 6 months and D caught on at around 7 or 8 mths. We only taught him the basic food signs, wish we had continued and taught him a few more. We used Joseph Garcia's Kit

[peace]

With our little girl, we introduced a few signs when she was 13 months old. I couldn't believe it when she actually signed "sleep" and "bird" after only a week! And that was the start of our amazing baby sign language journey. :)

Just to share with you, I took a Baby Signs Workshop to better understand how to make the most of sign language. It was truly a worthwhile investment (in terms of time and $) and I highly recommend it.

All the best!