Babies are born ready to communicate with us. A baby’s motor skills are developed  during months 6 – 12, while vocal cords are not developed until months 9 – 15. A baby is able to push, pull and grab months before intelligible, intentional words are spoken.
These early motor skills enable your baby to learn to sign months before he is able to speak.
Why would you want your baby to sign? Babies get frustrated by wanting something but not being able to communicate his needs, resulting in fussiness. Wouldn’t it be great if your baby could sign when he is hungry, thirsty or needs a diaper change? Research confirms that signing babies have fewer temper tantrums.
Baby Sign Language
Top Ten Starter Signs
Mommy
Daddy
Friends/Family (brother, sister)
Pets (dog, cat)
Milk
More
Diaper
Happy
Book
There are four steps to getting started with baby sign language: have fun, repeat, encourage all effort, and expand your vocabulary.
If you are interested in learning more about baby sign language, I encourage you to visit the web site Baby Sign Language for a complete sign dictionary, wall chart and flash cards to get you started.
I wish I had known about baby sign language when my kids were babies. I’ve been hearing about it a lot lately and how helpful it is for both children and parents.