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Original poster

Any mums here who signed with their babies? I need your input.

105 replies

asmallpoll · 02/02/2006 19:34

Hello.

I have been teaching signing to hearing babies for a little while now.

After a really good start I have found that my numbers have started to dwindle quite alot despite lots of promotion and demonstrations at various meetings and groups.

I found out today that there is a group of mums who frequent the local social circle who have been criticising signing in general saying amongst other things that it delays all speaking in babies and is only for special needs children and no others I live in a semi rural area and word travel fast

What I would like to find out here is what your opinion of baby signing, with hearing children, is? I'm sure there will be a mixture of comments and I would like to show them to mums who come to talks in the future.

I really don?t want to give reams and reams of information from experts which is why it would be interested to hear from you.

All of your opinions would be gratefully received be they positive or negative.

Thank you.

OP posts:
Original poster
asmallpoll · 02/02/2006 20:00

Bundle - you've been rumbled. I think you must be one of the gobby mums who have been slagging off my group.

As the title of the thread asks specifically for input from mums who did sign with their babies I am going to ignore any more posts from you,

OP posts:
kittyfish · 02/02/2006 20:02

Wow, early as 9 months or earlier than that? Lucky you but it isn't really a reason to dislike it. As for being a bit up itself, couldn't be further from the truth as you would now if you had tried it. Not very good reasons imo.

meggmoo · 02/02/2006 20:03

Ah
I think it's rather cute, Bundle is keeping Cod's seat warm till she can stir things up!

bundle · 02/02/2006 20:03

I would not slag people off for doing it, and to be honest if you're really trying to find out why people have left your group, you should be open to all opinions. I know a lot of people who do signing, I know what it involves and why I choose not to do it. I wasn't being nasty, honestly, and I'm very happy to hand the books over to someone who doesn't feel like me. If you can't face any negative comments don't post on the www.

bundle · 02/02/2006 20:04

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

popsycalindisguise · 02/02/2006 20:04

Fantastic - didnt discover it with ds1 until too late really. He was about 17 months or so but it helped bridge the gap to talking.

ds2 is 11 months now and I started as soon as he cold clap (around 8 months) and it is briliant. He signs the following: more, yes, drink - regularly
He has also signed the following a few times: dog, all gone and today he signed 'mummy' back to me.

It really is fantastic IMO

kittyfish · 02/02/2006 20:04

I can never be bothered to decipher Cods post tbh.

starlover · 02/02/2006 20:05

my 10 monbth old could tell me if he wanted milk, a drink of water, a bath... he could "show" me things he saw such as "duck" or "car"

i find it pretty hard to believe you had that level of communication with your children at that age bundle!

i am not saying that everyone should sign, and i think it's totally up to you what you do with your kids... but to be so anti and make out like we're doing something pointless and "up ourselves" is a bit harsh coming from someone who has never even tried it

kittyfish · 02/02/2006 20:07

Neg comments are fine as long as they are backed up by a reason. Neg comments just to shitstir are pointless and childish. Sorry.

expatinscotland · 02/02/2006 20:07

I had a climbing partner whose parents are deaf. He learned to sign before he could speak, of course, BUT he also spoke earlier than most of our friends.

Wouldn't say it causes speech delays! How ridiculous.

bundle · 02/02/2006 20:08

starlover, I'm sorry that you don't believe that my children could communicate with me at an early age, it's pretty harsh of you to say so.

getbakainyourjimjams · 02/02/2006 20:08

Signing increases speech acquisition, all research shows that. The difference it makes to children the vocab (both spoken and signed) with SN is huge, the difference to NT children less clear- but presumably follows similar lines.

I sign a bit with ds3-mainly because he is at high risk of a SAL disorder. I would have liked to have joined a local group, but the times were all wrong. Also I want to use Makaton with him, and the local group used BSL (adapted I guess).

bundle · 02/02/2006 20:09

there's no way I'm shitstirring, these are my beliefs. i looked at the books (still no takers?) for work reasons so do know what it's about.

starlover · 02/02/2006 20:09

i didn't say that bundle.. i said that i found it HARD to believe that you had that level of communication with them.

not that you couldn't communicate at all..

which funnily enough seems to be true right now

amyjade · 02/02/2006 20:10

Dd2 started sing and sign classes a few weeks ago and she loves it especially the singing. it's a great place for her to meet other children her age it also gives me a chance to meet other mums.
Would definatly recommend it, can't wait untill she can sign back at me.

Can't see anything wrong with wanting to teach a child new skills?

getbakainyourjimjams · 02/02/2006 20:10

Incidentaly I decided not to do it with (NT) ds2 because I was so immersed in therapies for ds1. I then spent months wishing I had as he couldn't speak clearly until nearly 3.

hunkermunker · 02/02/2006 20:11

I didn't bake cakes with my 7mo, am I a bad mum then?!

DS1 really enjoyed the signing class, the signs are the work of seconds to learn for me, I had an interest in signing anyway as my job exists largely because of the deaf community...how this is being up myself I'm not sure.

starlover · 02/02/2006 20:13

yes hm you are! actually you don't bake the cake with your child. you sit him in front of cbeebies while you do it!

getbakainyourjimjams · 02/02/2006 20:14

"and I can't see why you're so positive about it (unless your children have SN/want to communicate with someone who has SN)"

So what are you going to do when you bump into that SN chuild in the inclusive classroom, send your kids on a crash course in Makaton. Seriously it takes a bit more than learning Makaton to suddenly comunicate effectively with children with SN, although its a god way for a teacher to do songs etc in the classroom.

ANyway how on earth can you be sure yoour children don't have SN as babies. I have no idea whether 12 month old ds3 has or not.

starlover · 02/02/2006 20:14

who'd have thought that baby signing was such a contentious issue eh? lol

MarsOnLife · 02/02/2006 20:15

bundle... I'll have the books please.

lovelymarslady at aol dot com. Far too mean to CAT.

Hausfrau · 02/02/2006 20:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

hunkermunker · 02/02/2006 20:15

Anything can turn into a ruck on here, SL!

getbakainyourjimjams · 02/02/2006 20:18

Wel I'm learning for free (was given a bunch of Makaton signs years ago for use with ds1- not that he's ever produced one- signing isn;t great for all SN- not children who can'\t imitate anyway). I looked into classes as I thought it would be a nice way to socialise with ds3. We do swimming already.

Original poster
asmallpoll · 02/02/2006 20:22

Well.

I can kind of see where you are coming from Bundle as when I went to a Sing & Sign class there were quite a few mums who had the flash pushchairs and wated to latch onto the latest craze.

The class that I run I do in my local community and it's a course I wrote myself the music is original too and it costs peanuts compared to the usual bigger franchise run outfits. So I consider what I do to be voluntary work (as I don't see a penny)

I really thought it would be a great thing to do but I can see from most of your comments why some of the local mums have reacted the way they have I don't accept your comments about not posting on the WWW, I find that a little petty and trite. If my opening post was something like Please give me the recipe for chocolate and someone posted, yuck no it's shite spend the time filing your bunions off instead - I would think that person was an arse.

I know I have an added interest as the course I teach is "my baby" but I wanted to get a better idea of how signing has helped or perhaps hindered from parents who had tried it.

OP posts: