It is so much fun to watch my beautiful 16-month-old niece, Elle, develop her hilarious personality. It is amazing to watch her grow physically and mentally, especially her communication skills. To see and hear her communicating now with her mom and dad is great, and finally solves the mystery as to why she’s crying! Elle is working on her verbal skills, but communicates mainly through sign language. Baby sign language is an excellent way for parents to communicate with a child who hasn't developed her verbal skills yet.
The video series My First Signs, by Baby Einstein, has helped my sister and her husband develop sign language skills, as well as baby Elle.
My sister found that the video helped them learn the signs first, and with plenty of verbal and physical repetition and practice, Elle quickly picked up the signs. So far she can sign more, cheese, drink, eat, cat, mommy, daddy, cereal, baby, story, and milk, and is working on the words bath, blanket, and poop.
Even if your child is developing her verbal skills, sign language is another great way for her to communicate with parents, other grown-ups, and even other children. Let us know if sign language has worked for you and your family, and if you have any special techniques to share.