Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Flip

Original poster

Baby sign language -anyone tried this?

14 replies

Lottie27029 · 31/05/2012 22:45

My ds is 9 months old he is a typical male pretty lazy lol but I am intrigued about teaching him baby sign language so that maybe we could communicate in this way too, he is not deaf or having any difficulties but I would like to give this a go. Has any one else done this or tried currently doing etc?? I work with people of all ages with learning difficulties So do kno a bit of makaton and basic British sign language but have done a bit of research and found some sites with bby sign language gestures and it looks like a fun thing to start. ...

OP posts:

balia · 31/05/2012 22:49

I did this with my DS and it was fantastic - didn't really believe he would do it TBH but he really did - and picked it up really quickly, too. My MIL's face was a picture when we went to visit and LO was signing for milk! Now at 5 he still does the thankyou/please signs. Go for it. Do get a proper class, though, it is much more fun.

woopsidaisy · 31/05/2012 22:50

Hi Lottie. I did this with DS2, but would have loved to have done it with DS1 also if I had known it existed!
I did it through Sing and Sign. The classes were good fun, and I was amazed at how into it DS was. I think they only let you start from seven months, and I found that from over one he really "got it".
I bought the DVD and he still sometimes puts it on and sings along!
Both of my DSs loved Out & About too.
I'm still friends with one of the mums I met in the class too.

Original poster

Lottie27029 · 31/05/2012 22:54

Thanks for the quick replies lady's its great to hear of others experiences think I may get started with ds tomorrow and see how well he picks it up in the weeks to come, and will have a search for any classes that may be near me. :-)

OP posts:

Original poster

Lottie27029 · 31/05/2012 22:55

Just looked at the sign and sing website woopsidaisy and think I may well download there iPhone app thank u x

OP posts:

HSMM · 31/05/2012 23:02

I am a CM and find makaton works fantastically with pre verbal children

baileyslover · 31/05/2012 23:02

My DS is 18months and we have been going to signing for a year. He loves the classes and uses several signs that really help avoid frustration as he doesn't have the biggest vocab. I am a big fan

EclecticShock · 31/05/2012 23:03

It's a great idea, my ds had a language delay and it definatley helped him to overcome it. I think it's great for all children not just those with delay.

EclecticShock · 31/05/2012 23:04

Good idea to always repeat the associated words though, it Gould never just e the signs that you model.

EclecticShock · 31/05/2012 23:04

It should never just be even...

QueenOfTheGymBunny74 · 31/05/2012 23:06

I did it with my DS, but as he was dc#3 he was a really young talker anyway, but we still used it a lot. It was very useful, I'd strongly recommend it. I bet he's forgotten it all now :(

Some signs we just made up ourselves, like milk, as he was breastfed, so it was a double tap on the chest, and lemon, which was to put your fingers to your mouth and make the face DS made when he first sucked one :o

RueDeWakening · 31/05/2012 23:08

I did (do) it with DS, now 2 and a bit. We were advised to start by the hospital because he was very prem, and as they expected him to have some delays they thought it would help. We did a class through our local children's centre (open to all, £15 for 6 weeks I think it was) and went from there.

As it turns out, DS doesn't appear to have any long term effects from his start in life, but I'm glad we did the signing. It also means that in M&S earlier today when I was served by a deaf lady I could sign thanks to her as I finished :)

NewYearsDaysie · 31/05/2012 23:49

I used makaton (and my own signs) with Dd1 as she was a late talker (had 3 words til 3yrs 1month then fluent sentences..strange girl) but it helped so much. Even foe little things like when she hurt herself, wanted milk or even potty training. DS liked it but talked early so didn't use it but have started it with DD2 now and she's showing the same lack of enthusiasm for words...she catches in quick to the signs tho...give it a go. If you don't like it/DC don't like it you can always say 'it wasn't for us'.

TheGoodPhariseeofDerby · 01/06/2012 00:31

Here is a DVD that might interest you, specifically designed for babies and toddlers. It also comes in downloads and continues onto high levels of BSL. I've used the Beginner sets with my older children and find them of very good quality, but recommend you pick a chapter at a time to do as they have a lot of content and just pressing play and trying to go straight through may be too much at first. I would highly recommend learning sign language and using it with your DS has many positives, I've found.

Longtalljosie · 01/06/2012 09:53

Yes we did it. I got a lot of faces from my family as though I was an insanely pushy parent but I mostly went because it was a good class and got us out of the house!

You learn all sorts of signs, but we just concentrated on the ones we need - which were milk, food, drink, finished (at the end of meal times), bathtime.

Interestingly we never really used "more" but one day well after we'd stopped signing DD and I were at a very noisy family lunch with everyone talking across each other and she went really quiet, didn't want to talk. When she'd eaten she looked at me and signed "more". I was really surprised - it shows more goes in than you'd know!

Flip