Baby sign language - anyone had any success?

[Sbena]

Baby is almost 10 1/2mo and I first introduced one sign about 3-4 weeks ago. I've not really been forcing it, but we do the sign for "finished" after every meal. He loves seeing me do it, and he loves when I hold up his hands to make the sign but he has never done it independently.

Has anyone had any success with baby sign language? Would love to not bother, but I feel that if he could eventually use it and communicate a little it would make everyone's lives easier!

Thanks everyone! I'll keep at it but maybe introduce a different sign. "finished" isn't all that useful to a baby who's never full!

My sister did tiny talk with my niece. Long before she could talk she could communicate pretty will with signs “more biscuits please” was a favourite but would also sign for milk, when she was hungry, when she was tired, finished. “Where’s daddy” was a regular one too which was sweet. Honestly I thought it was amazing. Just started with my three month old.

Try 'more' instead

A friend teaches Makaton, so automatically taught her DCs (much like a PP, it is so natural to her, she uses it as she speaks in day to day life). It proved invaluable as one of her DCs was speech delayed. The DC didn't speak in a decipherable way until they were nearly 4, but was able to communicate their needs very well from a very young age.

It worked really well for us. You're at a good age for it. I'd maybe add a second or a couple more signs and see what happens. I found DS2 picked up finished but would never sign more. DS3 seems to have picked up more as his first one but has not yet copied finished. I can't remember what DS1 used as he's a teenager now but he had loads of signs at one point.

It's great fun and so exciting to communicate with them before they can physically talk!

DD1 was a week or so prem and it seemed like a good way to stimulate her ( and get me out of the house).

At her one year Health Visitor check she was behind on the stages of development - she'd achieve the list but a few weeks later - the HV was trying to get her to do something, involving passing an item from the table. DD1 obviously wasn't doing it correctly.

I asked what they were trying to do, and it was to show that DD1 could utilise both hands together in a coordinated way, but instead she was just passing with one hand and leaning to stretch. I grabbed my emergency pack of chocolate buttons and gave her one. Then I signed the two-handed sign for 'more'. DD1 quickly moved her hands to sign 'more' back to me. I asked if that was using two hands together enough for her.

I will admit to smugness, but the HV was awful to me all year - she'd really wanted me to stop breastfeeding so that they could get details on the amounts DD1 was eating as she'd been quite unwell and struggled with weight gain ( in hospital - while being off the chart - literally - with toxic jaundice levels at day 10 and I was in regular contact with the breastfeeding specialist throughout) but I'd made it plain that if she directly told me not to breastfeed I'd put in the biggest complaint of her career.

We did a bit with our kids. My daughter did quite a bit at nursery from 1 as there was a deaf boy in her class.

Tbh from what I saw it either delayed actual speech or they were quick talkers who didn't see the point.

My daughter was a quick talker and although she knew the signs for her friend at nursery she preferred speaking.