Baby Signs | What you need to know to avoid frustration with your little one
With these 5 tips, you too can successfully start with Baby Signs and avoid moments of frustration.
As a parent of a baby, toddler, or preschooler, you probably recognize this situation: your child gets upset because they're trying to express something clearly but can't find the words. Most children go through a period after the age of one where they quickly become frustrated and can develop tantrums.
The cause? They want to tell you something but feel misunderstood. This article explains how baby signs can prevent these frustrations and provides 5 tips for successfully starting some baby signs at home.
Frustrations and Baby Signs
Put yourself in the shoes of a one-year-old child: you've worked incredibly hard this past year to grow and learn new skills. You already know your first words like "daddy," "mommy," and "kitty." You understand when your mom or dad tells you it's time to eat or go to bed; you have your own ideas and needs. Sometimes your parents understand you perfectly, but every now and then you need something or want to communicate something, and they don't seem to understand you at all. For example, after dinner, you might think, "I'm not done yet, I want another banana." You communicate this by waving your hand and making a noise. But instead of getting a banana, you're taken out of your chair and placed on your blanket. It's incredibly frustrating, and it's perfectly understandable that you let mom and dad know. A simple gesture can completely change this situation. Imagine your child knows the sign for banana and can express their desire this way even before they speak. This way, you understand each other and avoid the frustration.
What are Baby Signs?
Baby sign language - this involves adding simple gestures to support the words you speak. You continue to speak normally with your child – because, of course, the priority is always that your child learns spoken language as well as possible.
When speaking, you use your hands more. This makes the words spoken visible to your little one, which promotes learning and development opportunities.
It's essentially the same principle as waving goodbye: you wave your hands back and forth while saying "Bye." By seeing this, your child will learn the meaning of the gesture and will eventually adopt it.
There's no need to practice the gestures with your child or demonstrate them more often. You use the gesture completely naturally whenever you say the corresponding word.
Your child communicates with his hands from the age of 6 months
A child can make their first gestures as early as six months old. This is because the large movements of the hands develop earlier than the small muscles we need to pronounce words.
On average, children begin using gestures between 8 and 10 months of age. Compared to language development, gestures allow communication to begin several months earlier. Being able to express themselves clearly at this early stage strengthens the bond and ensures good communication between you and your little one.
Tips for getting started with baby signs
Interested in trying out some baby signs? These 4 tips will help you gain the necessary knowledge and successfully support communication with signs.
Tip 1: Don't start too early
The effectiveness of baby sign language is greatest from 6 months to 2 years old. This is also the age I recommend starting with baby sign language. Learning sign language will take much longer for a 6-month-old than for a 1-year-old, for example. Learning to coordinate their hands simply takes a lot more time.
Are you impatient yourself? Then start with gestures a little later in their development. The chances of your baby adopting gestures within a few weeks are much greater than if you start at 6 months.
Tip 2: Gestures for parents – gestures for children
Broadly speaking, there are two types of gestures: "Parental Gestures" and "Children's Gestures." "Parental Gestures" are gestures that are useful for setting boundaries, for example. Think of the gesture for "wait," "ready," or "careful." "Children's Gestures" are gestures about things or situations your child really enjoys and wants to talk about.
To successfully introduce gestures, it's important to use both types of gestures. To start, choose gestures that represent things your child really enjoys or that have a direct, positive impact on communication. This will make your child more likely to use the gestures themselves.
"From 6 months, your child communicates with his or her hands."
Tip 3: A small start
You don't have to become a sign language interpreter to successfully prevent moments of frustration with Baby Sign Language. Starting with 6 to a maximum of 12 signs is sufficient. This way, you keep learning sign language manageable for both you and your child.
As soon as your child begins using the first signs, you can gradually introduce a new sign. This way, you'll grow together and easily learn the signs that suit you.
Tip 4: Provide a memory aid
When you're just starting to sign, the trick is to keep it in mind even in the hectic pace of your day. Don't stress! It's normal to forget sometimes or to leave out the signs if it's inconvenient.
In general, it's important to use the gestures you've chosen with some consistency. A reminder can help with this. A reminder could be a Post-it note on the refrigerator or a (homemade) poster of the gestures you use.
How to learn baby signs with De Gebardoodle
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