What do they want?! Your baby is crying, looking at you to help them and the routine starts.
You change their diaper.
You give them a bottle.
You give them a snack.
You sing them a song.
You give them a toy.
You rock them to try to get them to sleep.
You say “SHHHH!”
You dance around like an idiot .
But why should we have to go through every trick in the book when your baby (yes, your little baby) could tell you what they need!
I have been a nanny for 10 kids (4 families) over the past 8 years, and now have a one year old son of my own, Miles. Miles and 8 of the children I nannied for could tell me what they needed before they could talk (the other two were over 5)!
How, you ask?
Baby Signs.
What an amazing concept. Your 6 month old baby could tell you simple things like ‘milk’ or ‘more’.
Baby Signs is a simplified version of American Sign Language adapted byDr. Linda Acredolo and Dr. Susan Goodwyn after they realized that babies were using simple gestures from a very early age. This program has changed my life, and has surely kept my frustration levels lower now that I understand Miles’s needs. I started using the signs when he was 4 months old (I started early because I already knew the program. You can start at ANY age…it’s never too late!) and by the time he was 6 1/2 months he had started saying ‘more’ when he wanted another cheerio, and ‘eat’.
Yes, most of the signs in our house started off food related. It is something he wanted, and I used that! When he was 10 months, he had at least 10 words he could sign to us, and was even starting to sound out some of the words as he would sign them!
ok, you get the idea.
Despite what people would say to me when I would tell them I was signing with Miles, this program promotes early talking! Miles is now almost 18 months, and he still uses signs when he talks. He has even made up a few and adapted some of the signs to make them his own. I would love to say that it’s because he’s so advanced, but all babies do it! I’ve watched a lot of babies and I’ve seen them use their own little gestures for certain things. The first babies I watched were twins and one would brush his fingers on his cheek when he wanted his blanket. You see, his mom would rub the blanket on his cheek when she would rock him, and he turned that into his own sign for ‘blanket’!
Children are amazing, and these Baby Signs help to make them shine! Not to mention, you’ll really impress the people who see your baby sign. That’s fun, too.
The Baby Signs company has so many books for parents, as well as books, music, DVDs, & flashcards for your baby. They offer products in spanish as well, and they have an amazing Potty Training program that I used with the current twins I am watching successfully, and now I’m starting it with my son. What a neat little program that introduces potty themed signs to little ones, and it comes with a DVD, a book for baby, book for mama, stickers and a train whistle (all aboard the Potty Train is the theme). You can find info about the entire program, as well as purchase products at their website:
www.babysigns.com
The Starter Kit includes:
- Baby Signs Favorites DVD
This full-length DVD for babies teaches six easy starter signs: Dog, Cat, Book, Hat, Duck and All Done - Parent DVD with introduction from the authors and Video Dictionary with real-life demonstrations of 100 signs.
- Parent Guide
This 80-page guide provides step-by-step directions for signing families - Signs at a Glance Flip Guide
Quickly find a sign with this unique flip guide. Includes 86 sign illustrations and 14 useful signing tips - 4 Chunky Board Books
Four 4×4″ board books, 14-pages each, teach the following signs:
My Mealtime Signs (Eat, Drink, More, Milk, Cereal, Bib, All Done)
My Bedtime Signs (Stars, Moon, Book, Light, Sleep, Love)
My Bath Time Signs (Bath, Bubbles, Water, Toothbrush, Frog, Duck)
My Pets Signs (Cat, Dog, Bird, Bunny, Fish, Turtle)
42 COMMENTS
casey
14 years agoSo cool! I have 7 month old and would love to try this. :)
Phan
14 years agoI want one tooo!
abby wax
14 years agoi’ve been dying to try this! I think my son would do well with this since he hears spanish/english at home. it might help him communicate with everyone in a common language.
Tiffany
14 years agoI love this idea!!! Thanks!
Heather
14 years agoI ould love to have this! I did some with my daughter, but had to piece things together since I didn’t have much extra money. Now that I have a baby boy it would be really helpful.
megan gallt
14 years agoI have been trying to teach my son on my own and this look like a great program. I want him to be as fluent as possible as young as possible. It could be a great thing for his future. What a great program.
Randi
14 years agoWe would LOVE to win this starter kit! We have been doing the signs for “eat” and “milk” since my daughter was 3 months old. She’s 5 months now and we so badly want to take the classes but the closest one is over an hour away. This starter kit would really be useful to help us as we try to teach our daughter to sign. Thanks! :)
Tamera
14 years agoWow! I used to be able to sign very well, but then years went by with no practice…What a wonderful way to start back up wig my little boy! He will be 6 mo April 16, either way I think I’ll get this!
Bobbi
14 years agoI’ve been wanting to try this!
britney hill
14 years agowould love to win!
Samantha Dean
14 years agoWe’ve been trying to teach our daughter to sign – this would be awesome and so helpful!
ashley mervau
14 years agookay I totally know this works!!! I was just talking to my husband about how I would love to start doing this with our son now. When I was a daycare owner one of the babies did sign language and it really helped me figure out what he wanted. I know only 2 signs but would love to know more!!!!!
Eleanor
14 years agoI love this. I print up the signs with pictures everytime I get one in email and hang it outsive my infant preschool class to go alone with my sign of the week on my lesson plan. My parents really like being able to see the signs their babies are learning. Love Love Love you guys and thanks for all these great signs.
Katherine Albers
14 years agoI have been trying to teach myself and my son sign language for a couple of months now…. no luck. I would love to try this.
Priscilla
14 years agoWhat a great program and a great giveaway! Thanks for sharing your experience with it too.
Patricia
14 years agoI would LOVE to win this. I have 2.5 month old and would love to get her started with this.
Bianca
14 years agoWhat a great giveaway! I would love to begin this program with my little guy. He’s only six-weeks old now, but I think he’d catch on to the sign for ‘milk’ very quickly! :)
Tammy W
14 years agoTotally need to start doing this with my 13 month old.
sarah henry
14 years agoI do speech therapy with toddlers but would love to teach baby signs on the side. My son did so well with sign language and now speaks in 10 word sentences as a 27 month old. I would love to share this with other moms!
Jayla Gonzales
14 years agoI would love to try this my bri bear is 7 months old and signs would drffinetly help us communicate :)
camille
14 years agoMy baby always seems to want to say something to me and at 8 weeks it’s impossible! I’d love a chance to teach him to sign!
Sheila K
14 years agoWow, this is a really great idea. I would love to learn to sign with my baby girl, she is only 2.5 months old but I can tell she already has alot to say. Please pick us, I would love the opportunity to communicate with my baby.
Nicole
14 years agoI just recently heard about this system. My baby is due in a few weeks and I can’t wait to get started!
jessica sykes
14 years agopick me!! i have 2 month old twin boys and would love to teach them sign language it would make my crazy life so much easier :)
Jaime
14 years agoThis is awesome!
Jennifer McLarty
14 years agoI LOVE this concept! It would be great if my 7 month old could actually tell me why she was crying instead of me guessing and getting more and more stressed as I keep guessing! I think this would make it less stressful for both the parent and child.
allison
14 years agoI remeber seeing this in Meet the Fockers, but never knew it was real. I would love to use this system with my baby.
Jamie Davis
14 years agoI’ve seen this exact system at work with a friends children and would love to try it for myself. First-time-mom due August 1
Jodi bardwell
14 years agoMy son is so ready for this. I know he gets so frustrated with me when I don’t know what he wants. He is 7 mos old.
Terra
14 years agoI never did this with my first born but I’m really wanting to try it with my second on the way <3
Courtney Haney
14 years agoWe would LOVE to have the Baby Signs program. It looks incredible. My husband and I have been trying to learn some signs on our own, but it’s just not the same when you can see them (like on a DVD). I really believe our daughter would benefit from using Baby Signs. It looks like a great program!
Erin Gorman
14 years agoI love signing with my baby (and preschool class!). This would help me learn signs to teach my son! How exiting!
Jill Martin
14 years agoI just shared this on my VISIT FLORIDA family insider Facebook page. We LOVED Baby Signs. Can’t rave enough about the benefits!
Stephanie
14 years agoMy 4 year old nephew is having trouble talking, we starting signing early but never kept it going. I think it would help him a lot, he gets so frustrated that he can’t communicate with us. Also were trying so it would be great to get a head start.
Caitlin
14 years agoSigning has always seemed really neat to me but I’ve been so unsure of how to do it or get started. This seems like it’d be a great stepping stone!
Lisa Burkholder
14 years agoI would love to win this one! My son Griffin is will be three in October and still is not talking! We are trying to teach him signs now. Thank you :)
Shannon Alexander
14 years agoI have always wanted my children to learn sign (even before I was having kids it was always a goal). Thank you so much for the opportunity to win this. I have 3 kids age 8 months- 4years. they would love it.
shannonsweep at gmail dot com
Deborah Turnmire
14 years agoI never got to try anything like this with my oldest. it would be really neat to actually KNOW what my little man wanted for a change :)
Meaghan Quillen
14 years agoThis is rad. I really could use this to help with potty training, my 2 yr old isnt talking too much yet and its a struggle!!!
Annette
14 years agoI would love to utilize this. My 22 month old was diagnosed as delayed in speech and communication. We started with some basic signs and she has really improved. I think this would help her leaps and bounds!
Cristina rothfuss
14 years agoThis would be perfect for my 7 month old!!!!
Beth
14 years agoI would love this!