babysign worthwhile?

[SarahBear]

I tried teaching a few signs to Violet when she was a baby. I don't remember if there were more but I remember trying to teach milk, potty, more, and all-done. I gave up after a while because she wasn't picking up on them and was finding her own way to communicate just fine. Also, by the time she picked up on "more," she could say it. Early on she would sign "more," every time she said it. So I'm wondering if it's worth bothering with this time around. I have a different baby with a different personality and perhaps he'll pick up on it better than his sister did. Thoughts? Ideas? Experiences? Should I start with something like "milk" and expand from there if he starts to get it?

 

[AP]

I love signing - it helps encourage speech and communication too. i'd go with it - but always speak the word with the sign

 

[Melly Belly]

We tried with our baby, "more" was the first one, then "milk", now we are trying "change" and "eat"...but she doesnt do them at all, she has her own, like when she wants her cup she just reaches for it, if she needs a change she will tap her hips and diaper....we do the signs anyway, in hopes she might just start doing them one day, but she is a willful little thing and wants to do things her way

 

[MommyJogger]

It wasn't worthwhile for us. It was fun, but nothing quality-of-life changing. By the time my first could sign it, he could say it, with the exception of a rare, non-useful few. My second thinks it's hilarious when I try to sign to him. And is usually so distracted by his big brother that he's not going to pick up on them anytime soon, haha.

 

[SarahBear]

We tried with our baby, "more" was the first one, then "milk", now we are trying "change" and "eat"...but she doesnt do them at all, she has her own, like when she wants her cup she just reaches for it, if she needs a change she will tap her hips and diaper....we do the signs anyway, in hopes she might just start doing them one day, but she is a willful little thing and wants to do things her way

That's what it was like with Violet.

 

[Cangaroo]

We loved signing with DD1. She picked up loads of signs. She had around 100 in the end! She signed milk from fairly early, but then didn't really do any others for ages until all of a sudden at around 14 months she had a"signing explosion ". She loved signing about animals and pictures of animals she'd spotted most (e.g. the monkey on her friend's hat). She loved being able to share with us what was interesting her. By 18 months, she could say 200 words and gradually dropped the signs. She still enjoys playing signs now and is enjoying teaching her sister!

DD2 is very interested in signs and seems to understand cat, finished, milk and eat so far.

 

[aknqtpie]

I would like to teach my baby to sign, when did you start and what resources did you use to learn the different signs?

 

[SarahBear]

I don't remember when I started, but I already knew a lot of signs, so didn't use any particular resources.

 

[Cattia]

My daughter was never that into it, she did a few signs but she had words a lot more quickly than she had signs. I have known other parents though whose children were slower on speech and did use signs a lot more, and they said they did think it reduced their frustrations, so maybe it is less useful if you have a child who speaks quite early anyway.