How to teach your baby sign language

When parents first hear the idea of teaching their babies sign language they are very hesitant. They ask many questions. "How is that possible?" " How am I going to teach my baby if I don't know it?" "Why would I want to teach my baby sign language?" "Will my baby want to talk if they use sign language?" We will address these questions and hopefully get you and your baby on the road to understanding each other better.

You can start sign language at any age. If you don't know sign language yourself there are many books and dvds that can help you. Start out with small words or everyday words that will help you and your baby. Your baby will begin to look in your eyes, watch your face, and follow your hands when they are only weeks old. Think about how old they are when they start waiving bye-bye, six months? If they can learn the concept of waiving they can learns 100's of other words with their hands. If the ASL (American Sign Language) word looks too complicated for a baby don't worry. They adapt the word to their little hands. They even start to make up their own sign language to explain things to you. It really does work.

The great thing about teaching your baby sign language is it cuts down on frustration. Have you ever seen a toddler that is trying to explain verbally what they want and the parent not understand them? It is utter frustration that leads to crying, fits of rage, or whining. It's difficult for toddlers that have a limited vocabulary to express themselves. The thoughts are in their head but just cannot put them into words. Children that have learned sign language are able to express themselves in a way that is understood by parents. There are simple signs for play, milk, more, cookie, cracker, and many more words used daily with toddlers. A great place to find more detail: Click Here!

Not only will your child want to speak words, studies have shown they start using them earlier. Children that have learned sign language enjoy communicating. They also feel less frustrated when they are understood. There are even some studies that show a child that has learned sign language has an increase IQ by up to 15 points.

There are many great tools out there to teach your baby of any age sign language. You can search your local area for classes on baby sign language. You can get a group of moms together and hire someone at a group rate. There are also fabulous books, flash cards, and dvds that will show you how to teach your baby sign language in a simple, easy, and enjoyable way.