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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
sashh · 21/09/2012 05:57

MrsTerry

LOL.

Canda has 3 sign languages. Non of them anything like BSL. ASL and French sign language are very similarr so if you learned ASL you would be OK in France.

If you have a look at the forrest book shop you can get DVDs and books - but ideally you need people.

www.forestbooks.com

MrsTerrysChocolateOrange · 21/09/2012 06:09

I know. I speak a couple of languages and the trick is definitely people. Although I live in the British ghetto of Victoria so I bet I could find someone who signs in BSL. It is one of those bucket list things for me.

MammaTJisWearingGold · 21/09/2012 06:11

No official baby signing here, but I had learnt quite a bit and the little DC had picked up some at mum and baby groups we went to. Certainly worth the effort as far as I am concerned.

Longtalljosie · 21/09/2012 08:48

I'll never forget the first time DD properly signed for something she needed. She was about 8 months or so and in her highchair, I had forgotten to give her her water. She signed "drink" and I said, "oh goodness, sorry" and rushed to the lounge to get it. She just exploded with joy at being understood...

valiumredhead · 21/09/2012 08:53

mrsterrys I learned to sign in BSL - I loved it but it was hard and I have never been so nervous as when I took my exams.

I have mixed feelings about baby signing, on the whole I don't like it.

SecretCermonials · 21/09/2012 08:53

Did signing with DS1, will definitely repeat and start earlier with DS2 (due dec), signing worked for us, and despite having speech issues DS never really had a meltdown over not being understood, as he could sign most things. It also helped his speech as you dont sign in silence.
It also gave me a very proud moment when he had a full blown (well as can be between toddlers) conversation with a deaf little girl at soft play, there was much one sign talking from him but the little girl was thrilled.

We love it Smile

HoratiaWinwood · 21/09/2012 11:40

valium - why?

Original poster
autumnlights12 · 21/09/2012 12:07

just back from baby signing. We loved it! Fantastic! I mush prefer this sort of activity to those baby groups where you turn up and sit around and hope someone talks to you.

OP posts:
Original poster
autumnlights12 · 21/09/2012 12:08

much prefer. Not mush. I'm talking and now typing mush.

OP posts:
TheSmallPrint · 21/09/2012 12:17

We did basic signing with my boys but I found it useful. In fact when I need to remind my 8.5 yo DS to say thank you I sign it to him and then he remembers his manners!

TheSmallPrint · 21/09/2012 12:19

I also remember when he was little and we were play tickling and he kept signing 'more' 'more' every time I stopped while giggling madly. Smile

MarysBeard · 21/09/2012 12:24

I think it would probably have been unnecessary from a communication perspective for my DDs but I can see why people go from a social/something to do together with baby perspective.

Frakiosaurus · 21/09/2012 12:31

IMO its invaluable for bilingual or multilingual children. It's also very helpful for monolingual children not just for the obvious them telling you what's up but because it helps some people take their DCs early, pre/proto-verbal attempts to communicate seriously.

Babies can be very competent communicators.

soorploom · 21/09/2012 13:27

please do this class all mine did it and they could ask me for things before they could formulate words honestly it bypasses frustration, screaming, tantrums (mine and theirs) because you know what they need and i think it helped with my dcs simple speech because they did both at the same time

OrangeandGoldMrsDeVere · 21/09/2012 13:39

valium is it because they mess about and change the signs?
I have reservations about that.
Don't mess with a language Ethan doesn't belong to you iyswim.

valiumredhead · 21/09/2012 13:50

Sort of orange - BSL is a language in it's own right, it's some people's mother tongue, to me it's bit like not teaching a foreign language correctly 'but it's ok, it's only for fun.'

I also see it as completely unnecessary, a hearing baby does not need to sign to make itself understood -pointing and grunting has always worked fine and then you can reinforce with 'Oh you want the DRINK, can you say drink' etc

I actually looked after a baby that had been taught to sign from an early age and imo she was held back because she was SO quiet and signed all the time - but that is an extreme example.

OTOH I think that it can only be a good thing that more people sign and see it as 'normal.'

aldiwhore · 21/09/2012 13:51

My youngest enjoyed but I can't say he was a better or worse communicator than his older brother at the same age.

If you both enjoy it, it's worth it.

aldiwhore · 21/09/2012 13:52

Fair point valiumredhead can't say I disagree either.

valiumredhead · 21/09/2012 13:55

I think my feelings stem from the importance of BSL being taught correctly as it is a language, so it was drummed into us to get the signs right.

Just realised how much I miss it, I used to go to 'deaf social clubs' to practise my signing. I might enrol in a class agin to see what I remember!

NameChangeGalore · 21/09/2012 14:01

DD was taught baby signing in nursery. She used to sign "thank you" "milk" "biscuit" "water" when she was about 10 months old. Then she gradually grew out of using it as she began talking. She began talking really quickly though, don't know if this was anything to do with the signing.

loopyluna · 21/09/2012 14:03

IMO its invaluable for bilingual or multilingual children.

Why?
I find bilingual and multilingual children to be excellent communicators anyway. One of my DDs was saying quite a few words in 2 languages from 6 months on and capable of conversation in both at 18 months. She was also translating for various family members at this age. My other two DC were slower to talk but still faster than their monolingual peers. I really never saw the point of adding signing to the mix. Was I missing something?!

valiumredhead · 21/09/2012 14:05

I don't think so loopy

Bilingual children do tend to be good communicators.

valiumredhead · 21/09/2012 14:06

Babies can be very competent communicators

I agree and they don't need sign to communicate imo.

MrsTerrysChocolateOrange · 21/09/2012 14:06

I actually agree that it should be taught correctly. My baby signing person agreed. She did teach the 'baby' sign but would tell us the actual ASL sign so I used that one. Many people in the class did.

valiumredhead · 21/09/2012 14:07

I love watching ASL on films - very different sometimes from BSL!