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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to wonder if baby signing is a waste of time?

117 replies

autumnlights12 · 20/09/2012 19:13

I'm signed up to a class which begins tomorrow; seemed like a good idea at the time. Now, I'm sat here idly wondering why I signed up. Slightly empty diary at end of week, so wanted to start filling it up, probably.
So baby signing Mnetters, is it worth it? Does it help? Is it fun? Does it help them to communicate? This is my third baby and a friend made a comment today that she thought baby signing was: 'for keen first time parents who are in a rush for the next stage'. And frankly, if I'm to walk into a room full of people I've never laid eyes on before, god help me it had better be worth it!

OP posts:

ChunkyPickle · 20/09/2012 20:12

DS has never been that interested in communication (prefers dragging you to whatever he wants), but even he madly bashes his fists together for emphasis when yelling 'oooo oooo eeeeteeees' (more, more, sweeties).

I think it's a great idea, but don't be upset if you have a stubborn one like mine who refuses to communicate in words or signs until he's good and ready! I'm sure they're taking it all in (otherwise he wouldn't bolt for the door the moment I casually mention putting my shoes on) and just refusing to do it just to mess with your head

JarethTheGoblinKing · 20/09/2012 20:12

I'd just use signs when talking to DS. Sat with him watching Something Special, sang the odd song with signs, that sort of thing.

mummysmellsofsick · 20/09/2012 20:15

I'm thinking of going but don't you already know what your dcs want to say? Mine pulls my top when he wants milk, crawls to the kitchen when hungry, puts his head on one side when tired, crouches when about to poo, points if he wants a toy or person who is out of reach... I suppose as they get older they want to say more complicated stuff? What are the most useful signs then?

nocake · 20/09/2012 20:21

DD loved it and uses loads of signs. I was going to list them all but there are loads. More is her current favourite but nappy, milk and please are also used a lot.

HoratiaWinwood · 20/09/2012 20:42

Sometimes they sign something that's out of sight. Like asking for a drink, or signing milk from the back seat of the car.

Or something they can see that you can't, like a plane right on the horizon, or a ball under the sofa.

nightowlmostly · 20/09/2012 20:45

I went to my first sing and sign class with my 5 month old DS the other day, and I really liked it. He might be a little young still, but it's good for me to start learning the signs now so by the time he is really learning them I'll be doing it instinctively, hopefully!

I love the idea of him being able to ask for milk, food, more etc, before he can say the words. I'm sure it'll help his language development as well in the long term. The argument that if they can sign they don't bother to try and talk doesn't make sense to me. Babies crawl before they can walk, but they still want to walk as well!

Go, you'll really enjoy it.

MrsTerrysChocolateOrange · 20/09/2012 20:46

I went to sign and sing and DD and I loved it. The only sign that was absolutely indispensable was 'help'. She would go to the door she wanted open or stand under the worktop under the toy she wanted and instead of screeching at the top of her voice, would sign 'help'. I wouldn't get her the thing if she shrieked, I would ask if she wanted some help and sign it. She would sign help then I would help her. Flipping awesome.

JsOtherHalf · 20/09/2012 20:46

Ds signed 'medicine' in his cot whilst teething, he would have been 15 months or so.

Iggly · 20/09/2012 20:47

Sing and sign here. Fabulous for DS.

Once he could say the word, he stopped signing them. His speech is excellent now (2.11) - more advanced than his peers and he started talking around 18-20 months and by 2 was very fluent!

rollmeover · 20/09/2012 20:50

I use it for my dd who has the most horrendous scream when she cant communicate what she wants. She has about 20 signs now at 18months though now she is begining to talk she is showing less interest. The terrible twos have arrived anyway and she is still throwing herself about and screaming like a crazy thing several times a day, but I do think that the signing has helped a lot. And its so cute when she signs please and says "peeeesss" at the same time. i also think that its going to help with potty training as she knows when to tell me that her nappy needs changed.

A few of our signs are made up, and dd adapted them so its her own little language but ive not got hung up on her doing it properly.

We didnt go to a class, I just started doing it about 10 months (when the screeching started) but she didnt sign back till about 14 months and learned a new one every few days/week.

Though I have noticed that she will not do the sign for "sorry" no matter how often I tell her........

Honsandrevels · 20/09/2012 21:07

I took dd1 to tiny talk and although I was a bit skeptical about the whole thing at first once she did her first sign 'milk' we did lots of signing.

Sometimes she'd sign she wanted to go to bed and I'd be quite surprised as she didn't seem at all tired but sure enough she needed a nap. She made up her own signs for things too. It didn't stop her from talking at all!

I knew the signs obviously for dd2 and dd1 signs with her too.

Honsandrevels · 20/09/2012 21:08

Sorry not enough commas in that post!

wheresmespecs · 20/09/2012 21:09

I remember looking into it when we started - the evidence is that it helps speech and language learning, it doesn't hinder it. Which made sense to me - people don't seem to understand you do the words as well as signing! And the positive feedback babies get when they sign something encourages them to communicate more, surely.

I liked that DS could sign at me at a party across a room when he was one - 'loud' and 'home', because he was finding it all a bit much with older children. Better than just crying.

The sign for hurt or pain was useful - obvs they find a way anyway, but just pointing is more vague. At a playgroup a kid crawled off under a table and was out of view of adults for a moment - DS sitting on the floor could see him and when the boy started wailing, could point to his head and sign 'hurt' to tell us he had banged his head.

Funny moments like DS in his buggy signing 'dog, dog' over and again - no dogs around, then i saw a cartoon dog on a van.

like i say, none of these classes are essential - but if they are fun and have a positive effect, why not? i'm currently looking for some sort of toddler gym class for DS - he's not physically that bold and I think something that focuses on doing physical activity might benefit him. Of course, there'll be some mum somewhere who scoffs and says 'don't you take him to the park?' or 'are you training for a medal?' or something.... but there you go, there'll always be one whatever you do!

SirGOLDBoobs · 20/09/2012 21:33

Signing is amazing. I was always cynical about it, until a friend persuaded me to give it a go. One of the best things I did in the first two years!

I taught it at home, with a Sing and Sign DVD, and a book to teach me more. The animal signs were good fun. The signs for really helpful things like help / more / eat / drink / please / sorry / pain / where / sad / happy / tired / nappy... I could go on! They were wonderfully helpful.

DS is nearly 3 and they still come in useful if we're sitting apart on the bus or its busy, and we can tell each other what's going on.

MrsTerrysChocolateOrange · 20/09/2012 21:42

Talking about being cynical, DH thought it was hippy woo and took the piss a bit. Until DD was sitting with him eating and signed more. That got him. HA! She couldn't talk but she could tell him she wanted something.

RightBuggerforGOLD · 20/09/2012 21:56

Dd loved it and picked it upreally quickly. It was amazing to communicate with her before she could speak.

2rebecca · 20/09/2012 22:58

Has anyone done it with their second kid? It wasn't popular when I had my kids but seems to me like the sort of thing impatient first time parents with too much time on their hands do. They all talk eventually, and then you wish you could shut them up, until they become teenagers and become monosyllabic.

MrsTerrysChocolateOrange · 20/09/2012 23:08

There were a couple of third children in my group. I live in hippy central land though.

OrangeandGoldMrsDeVere · 20/09/2012 23:09

all mine sign.
I used to work in the Deaf community so was fairly fluent. My older kids picked it up as I was pretty dedicated.
With the little ones its because I sign a lot at work but in much simpler terms. I teach them, they love it and its fun.

I can tell them off across a crowded room.

As DS2 has SN we mix with a lot of other children with SN. The kids being able to sign means they can communicate with a wide range of people.

I think it should be taught in schools as a language option. Apart from the obvious advantage of being able to converse with Deaf people it improves general communication skills.
Eye contact and facial expression and lip pattern is all very important in signing and improvement in these skills make you easier to understand generally.

gemma4d · 20/09/2012 23:16

DD1 did Sing & Sign, DD2 is doing it now. Late talkers in my family so I place high value on it to reduce frustration.

The added benefit was when I 'signed' with my husband (who was in the car) while I was in a queue in a shop to check what I was ordering! V. handy.

sashh · 21/09/2012 05:18

Appart from the not calling accross the play ground. When you are upstairs vacuuming and can't hear the door bell your signing friend can tell ask your children, through a closed window, to 'go fetch mum'.

Also useful in night clubs. Signing between cars. Signing from cars to people on the pavement.

Signature are currently developing a GCSE - ideal for those who will not be able to get GCSE / Ebacc in a foregin language,

MrsTerrysChocolateOrange · 21/09/2012 05:21

I would love to have actually learnt to sign, rather than just the very basics with DD. I agree it's useful. When I was with DD on me attached to boob, asleep DH could fetch me water without being shouted at.

sashh · 21/09/2012 05:30

MrsTerry

Where are you. There are a lot of classes, both at colleges and deaf clubs.

MrsTerrysChocolateOrange · 21/09/2012 05:42

Canada. I looked into it a tiny bit but here there is ASL and also French Canadian SL (LSQ). The only person who signed I knew at the time was French Canadian but what use is signing in French Canadian?

I wish I could find British SL because I'd like to use something useful.

Lougle · 21/09/2012 05:43

DD1 goes to a school with a total communication policy.That is that all the staff use sign all the time, no matter how verbal a child is.

She gets tired and overwhelmed, or shy, and she can revert to sign instead of getting hysterical (for example, if she needs the toilet, she can just flick her fingers across her shoulder).

Do it, it's a fantastic tool.

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