Babies are adorable being so tiny with literally no care in the world, except food, sleep, and comfort of course. Most babies do not start talking until they are about 12 months old, which means that they cannot fully express their feelings. As a parent, there would be times when your baby is crying and you are at a complete loss of what they want. In a time like this, having a proper way of communicating with your toddler is your greatest. Thankfully, there is a way to communicate with your child, and it is called Baby Sign Language.
What Is Baby Sign Language?
Baby sign language refers to a series of simple gestures that your young child has the capability of learning and using properly, well before they can speak. Your child is ready to learn sign language, when they start pointing at things with their fingers, picking things up, and putting the fingers in their mouth. Teaching Baby Sign Language is a very easy process that requires no training. All you need to do is do the sign to your child while saying the word that they represent. If you decide to assign the “peace sign” to milk, always have two fingers up when handing over the bottle to your baby. It will take some time for your child to start mimicking the sign, so you have to be consistent.
Tips For Introducing Sign Language To Young Children
Below are tips that will help you successfully introduce sign language to your baby.● Take It Slow: You must be sure to take it slowly, as you do not want to confuse your child. Start with a few signs that represent the basic needs, including eating, drinking, and sleeping. Also, keep the signs as simple as possible to avoid confusing the baby. ● Always Say The Word: The purpose of teaching your baby the sign is to enable them to communicate with you properly. As such, it is important to always say the word that the sign stands for, whenever you are making the sign. ● Repetition: Young children rely on repetition to learn. This is why it is important to keep doing the sign until they pick it up. In the same vein, when asking questions using the Baby Sign Language, be sure to ask exhaustively to be certain that they understand you.
Following these tips, your young children will pick up sign language in no time. A lot of parents have the fear that learning sign language will make their child, begin speaking later than expected. Some even believe it will affect their ability to communicate properly. There is nothing to worry about, as sign language does not delay verbal learning skills, rather it makes it faster. A child that can communicate fluently in Baby Sign Language is likely to start speaking faster than his peers. All in all, Baby Sign Language comes with most of the benefits of early learning including higher IQ.