Communicating with your baby who can’t yet speak can be joyous and challenging, at the same time. Not understanding what your little one is trying to say through her cries can be a little bit disheartening for parents sometimes. One way to understand an infant’s needs is through baby sign language.

Sign language for babies is nothing but common gestures that can help you and your little child communicate, until they learns to speak more clearly. These can include the most commonly required gestures for things such as food, sleep or a cuddle.

Teaching a Baby to Use Gestures

Now, a couple of questions that might be disturbing you are how to teach your baby sign language and the right time to do it. The right time to learn baby sign language can differ for each kid. Some kids are ready in as little as six months to communicate using signs while others may take a few more weeks before they are up for this new challenge. If your baby’s motor skills are visible, your baby is probably ready to learn. You can try teaching some signs and see if they responds. If they shows interest, you can continue with the basics. If not, you can rather wait for a few more weeks before trying again.
The first thing to take care of is to always clearly use words for the signs when teaching it to your child. When you say the corresponding words at the same time, it will help your kid grasp language skills sooner. Next, begin with signs for words you and your baby can benefit from at this stage, such as food, sleep, done and bath. If you see your child making progress, then perhaps you can teach her a few other important signs such as for water, milk, banana, book etc.
You can also create a baby sign language chart using American Sign Language (ASL) or your own unique gestures. If your baby is already using signs for food or sleep; continue to use them. Do not try to follow the standard ones as that simply defeats the purpose. Some sign language experts have created their own baby sign language manuals. You can refer to them after asking your doctor to recommend a few baby sign language programs available for parents. Two of the most popular programs are “Sign with your Baby” and “Baby Signs”.

Common Signs to Teach your Baby

Sign language for baby can include simple gestures such as –

Food – bring your finger together to your lips.
Done – show both your hands to indicate that they are empty.
Sleep – indicate with your fingers that your eyes are closed.
Bath – rub your hands on your chest and head.

Some advanced baby sign language gestures can be –

Water – touch your lips with your three middle fingers back and forth.
Ball – bring your hands together as if holding a ball.
Play – move your fists (or half-fists) back and forth.
Book – hold your hands like you are holding a book.

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Understanding your Baby’s Gestures

Knowledge of baby sign language basics can be helpful. But it is better to first assess the signs your baby might already be using. Baby sign language is not only about you teaching your kids gestures for communication. It is also about understanding what your baby is already communicating.
If your baby has already developed signs for food (by touching her tummy) or change (by touching her diapers or bottoms), it is important that you do not replace them. Because your baby will soon learn spoken language, it’s better to not stress her by forcing her to learn signs differently.

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