Why did I teach them to sign?

Last night, DD was eating dinner when suddenly she started pointing across the room. I knew what she wanted, but I didn't want to give it to her so I tried to encourage other things. DH kept saying, "she wants something...maybe more ________" to the different types of food we had on the table. I just smiled as she turned to him and signed "fish" with her hand and started making the little fish noise EXACTLY the way I had shown her. If I had taped it she could have been one of the babies that model the perfect way to do the sign. She had spotted the box of goldfish crackers on the hutch and was enthusiastically BEGGING for some. :wacko: I finally gave in and asked her if she wanted a fish...and she got so excited! I swear, the signs they do best are fish, more, and banana. :headbang:

 

I love this story!! It is a beautiful thing when they realize that you FINALLY understand them!! They get soooo excited.... I give in too. I can't help it!!!

 

I really wish I would have taught my boys to sign. That's such a cute story! Really, it's amazing!

 

My girls still know "please", although we don't sign anymore, and when they beg me for things and I don't pay attention to them, they will get in front of me and start signing thinking that will help their cause I guess.

 

Sooo Sweet! It's amazing how much they know already and fun when they are able to communicate it. (pointing, signing, screaming/screaching)
Fish

 

How cute! I guess you must have been so excited when they used it as babies that they figure it might still hold some power!

I should start teaching these guys please...how did you do that? It's easy to show them things like animals and toys...and actions like eat or sleep. How do you explain please and thank you when you sign it? I know I say it in front of them so they probably already understand the words...but how did you get them to know what you were signing? Did that question make any sense??

 

I played the Signing Time video (borrowed from DH's coworker) for the boys. Jack ignored it, and Nate sat there and repeated the words after the lady on the screen...."kitty", "dog", etc. :laughing: I figure he'd rather learn to talk, and that's okay by me!

They both understand the signs (and words I say), but only Jack does signing so far, and he only does "more". I really don't think he knows what it means, he just likes it that we get excited when he does it.

 

how cute!! I haven't taught Fish yet, but I'm sure ours would pick up on it like that too! Like yours my DS love bananas and will sign it, though that's also one of his first words... nana nana... so so cute when they start to communicate!

 

Thats a very cute story and I would have given the fish as well!
The stage we are at now, they are putting words to all the signs they know. I love to watch them sign & speak simultaneously

DD tried to sign 'poop' to me today. Its not even close but because she was also saying "poo" I knew exactly what she was trying to tell me- I think right now, CHANGE is my favorite sign. No more guessing when they need fresh diapers! :babyflips:

 

I started signing little words first..like please, thank you, etc. I think they learn by association at this age. Everytime I said please, I'd sign. If it was time to eat, I'd say, "Let's eat"..using the sign for eat. If we saw a cat, I'd sign the word cat. If I said it was night, night time, I'd sign sleep. The sheer repetition of the signing along with the words will get them associating the sign and the word. At first you will probably think they aren't getting it, but then one day they'll just sign a word. Eventually they just pick up on it because they see it so much. Mine were somewhere between 12 and 18 months when I started so I also got Baby Einstein DVD for signing...can't remember the name...and they loved watching it and I learned a lot of signs from there as well.