Baby not signing yet at 8.5 mo and starting nursery soon

[Maia290]

We have been to baby sign language since DS was 4 mo, he is now 8.5 mo and he still doesn't make any sign, he is starting full time nursery in 2 weeks time. Do you think I continue signing to him once he starts nursery?
I was keen to do baby signing specially because we are a bilingual family so I thought it would be easier for DS to learn both languages, as signing would linked them.
My DH doesn't really sign very much to DS. I try to sign to DS, but I sometimes forget to do it.
I am trying to reinforce just a few signs, such as milk, food, sleep, book by repeating them lots of times.

Don't think it's something to worry about - I ran a baby room and we didn't use it in our setting so it's not something they will need to have accomplished by their start date.

You can carry on - but if it's something you forget then is it really worth it. If you want to do signing, it's like anyother aspect of parenting - you need to be consistant if you want the signing to sink in and mean anything.

It will click soon but you need to be very consistent. Nursery may sign too if you ask them to!

If you and DS both enjoy the classes then keep going. Go with no expectations though I would say. I enjoyed signing classes with both DC but that's only really because they saw it as a big singalong / playgroup time and I could relax for an hour. They picked up the signs but that felt like a bonus really. And to be honest they weren't signing properly until 11 or 12 months at the earliest.

If your class has a DVD with songs etc then that might be worth buying to play at home - again for entertainment value more than anything, but the signs will be reinforced at the same time. Also means you can sing the songs in alternative languages too.

Don't sweat it too much. It will come. You don't want your memory of these months to be overwhelmed by manic, panicked, in his face signing. You are doing the right thing by picking a few signs. Lots of praise if he even attempts to do it back to you.