Exploring First Signs: Bed

The sign for BED is definitely a sign that you can use with babies and toddlers for quite some time and helps you to start building signing routines with your little one.

The Sign for BED; sign graphics copyright Cath Smith from the LETS SIGN series at Deafbooks and used under License

 

How to do this Sign: Head tilts onto flat hands, held together at one side of your face.

The sign for BED does vary and how you do it may also depend on how many hands you have free at the time.

BED is one of the signs that we highly recommend that you concentrate on with your baby as its been suggested that 90% of toddler tantrums can be ascribed to just four issues; the need to Eat, the need to Drink, the need for Comfort and the need for Sleep.  We have covered the other signs earlier in this series and you can find them here: EAT / DRINK and CUDDLE.  

Small children tend to sleep several times during the day as well as during the night, so the sign for BED is a great sign for repetition throughout the day and hopefully one that you will come to remember and use consistenly.

If you watch your baby carefully, they are already is able to communicate that they are tired to you by yawning or by rubbing their eyes.  This is a great cue for you to sign with your baby or toddler and say “Are you tired?  Lets go to BED” (always remembering to say the word as you sign it!). 

If you wish to mimic the use of  your baby’s natural gesture then you can rub your eyes too whilst saying Sleepy or Tired.

 

 

Exploring First Signs: Cuddle

Continuing Little Signers Club Exploring First Signs series, we are looking at the sign for CUDDLE today.

Signing Cuddle; copyright Cath Smith from the Lets Sign series at Deafbooks

How to sign CUDDLE: Closed hands are crossed on the chest, or may wrap around the body, as body rocks slighty.

Babies love CUDDLES! And this is a sign that you can use frequently with your baby for all sorts of different reasons.  You can sign CUDDLE when your baby is upset, when they seem sad, before bedtime, when they are playing with favourite bears or dolls or when they come to you for a CUDDLE.

Many babies and toddlers will raise their arms to you when they wish to be picked up; this is generally a signal from them that they also want comfort and / or your attention.  Signing and saying “would you like a CUDDLE?” gives your baby the opportunity to learn the sign associated with receiving comfort and reassurance.

One of our most memorable classes was with a little boy who was deaf; he was 15 months old and had not been able to communicate with his parents.  During our weekly catch up, his mummy moved us to tears when she recounted how his very first deliberate communication that week had been using the signs Mummy and CUDDLE.  What a privilege to be able to faciliate that bond.

Do remember that your baby’s signs will generally not look like yours when they first start signing although your baby will believe they are copying exactly.  The sign for CUDDLE though is generally one that you will be able to understand quite readily and one of your cues for signing CUDDLE is when your baby raises their arms to you.

Lastly, remember to say the word as you sign it!

Exploring First Signs: Ouch / Hurt

Sign 6 of our Exploring First Signs Series is HURT or OUCH.

Signing OUCH / HURT copyright Cath Smith from the LETS SIGN series at Deafbooks

How to sign HURT / OUCH: index fingers move together and touch then break sharply apart; facial expression is frowning / sad.  You can say the words OUCH / HURT / PAIN or make the sucking ‘ouhh’ noise that accompanies an intake of breath when in pain. 

As with lots of British Sign Language, this is a variation of the pain sign and you may be used to using a different one.  At Little Signers Club we prefer this sign for HURT / OUCH as it is directional i.e. you can make the sign and then point to an area of the body that may hurt. This sign is especially useful to use with teething babies and toddlers.

The concept of PAIN or being HURT is difficult to teach your baby as it does not have an object to be associated with it; one of the best ways to show your baby what you mean is to use the HURT / OUCH sign when you have hurt yourself – for instance if you bump yourself then point at the area you have bumped then say and sign OUCH or HURT. 

Please remember!  If your baby hurts themselves your first priority is to make sure that they are ok and have received the comfort that they need. Once your baby is calm, then point to the area that they hurt and again, say and sign OUCH or HURT.

Tomorrow, the sign for Cuddle.

Exploring First Signs: Help Me

Due to a slight technical hitch we were unable to post yesterday but today we are able to continue our Exploring First Signs series with the sign for HELP ME.

Signing Help copyright Cath Smith from the LETS SIGN series at DeafBooks

How to sign HELP ME: Flat hands tap chest twice

There are other signs for HELP that you may have come across already; we choose to use this version at Little Signers Club as its very easy for your small child to be able to do for themselves, whilst the other signs require more dexterity and motor skill development.

Babies and especially toddlers benefit from using this sign hugely as they are able to request help with activities that they are involved in before frustration sets in – and therefore reducing the likelihood of meltdowns.

The sign for HELP ME can be used in many contexts and as your baby gets older, will allow them to express to you what they actually need help with and what they are trying to work out for themselves. 

When using signs with your baby or toddler, if they sign to you its a great idea to repeat the sign (and the associated word) straight back to them.  This reassures your child that you not only have understood their communication and / or request but that they understand that you are able to meet their immediate needs. 

This sign is one that your baby will be able to get to grips with very quickly once their gross motor function is established and will become refined over time.  As we have already discussed, some babies sign More by patting their tummies so do look carefully at the context in which your baby is signing so that you can differentiate their meaning.  If you are unsure, sign and say More?  then sign and say HELP?  Your baby may then repeat the sign or use vocal cues or body language to help you establish the correct need.

Tomorrow; the sign for PAIN / OUCH

Exploring First Signs: More

Continuing with our First Signs series, we’re looking at the sign for MORE.

Signing MORE: copyright Cath Smith from the LETS SIGN series at Deafbooks and used under License

How to Sign MORE: Right flat hand taps against the back of left flat hand twice

The sign for MORE is one that you may have seen variations for already from American Sign Language or other sign language systems which are used with children who have special educational needs.  As with all the other signs demonstrated so far, this sign for MORE is British Sign Language.

If you are already using one of the other ways of signing MORE and your baby understands you, then there is no need to change.  Just be aware that there are other signs that mean the same thing and none are ‘incorrect’.

You can sign MORE just about anytime you like with your baby!  As with other signs, do remember to say the word as you sign it – and make sure that your baby is looking at you as well.  You can use MORE from an early age and ask

“MORE…. to eat? / stories? / splashing? / Milk? / Cuddles? 

The possibilities are endless! MORE is a sign that you will do very frequently.

When your baby starts signing MORE it is unlikely that they will be able to put one hand in front of the other and tap.  There are several variations that your baby may do.

They will clap or bang their hands on the highchair or table excitedly.  We also find that frequently babies will pat their tummies with a flat hand as well; the reason that they do this is that when you sign to your baby, your hands tend to be in front of your torso and in your baby’s line of vision – to them, it looks as though you are patting your tummy rather than your hand and this is what they are copying! 

Next week we’ll be exploring more First Signs to use with your little ones.

Exploring First Signs: Drink

This is the third in our First Signs series and today we are looking at the sign for DRINK

Sign for DRINK: copyright Cath Smith from the LETS SIGN series at Deafbooks and used under license

How to do this sign: make a C shape with your whole hand (known as a full ‘C’ hand) and tip your hand towards your mouth as if taking a drink

When to do this sign: when you offer your baby the opportunity to take a DRINK or when asking them if they would like a DRINK.

As with previous signs, younger babies will find it difficult to make the C shape with their hands and it is only when motor skills are more developed in toddlers that this will be formed correctly.  Your baby will be most likely to sign the Milk sign when they want a drink as it is one of the very first signs that they learn to do for themselves that is recognised. 

We have lots of reports of babies signing for Milk when they are eating meals; if this happens to you, show your baby the DRINK sign and ask them “would you like a DRINK?”  As with the Eat sign, you have the opportunity to show the DRINK sign more than once, reinforcing the word and sign. 

Gradually your baby will come to know the difference between the Milk and DRINK signs and as they become older, they will use the correct sign.  Do remember that it can take an 8 month old baby 6-8 weeks to take in and start using a new sign.  When babies start signing, they think that their signs look exactly like yours but they are not an exact copy and it will take a little time before you understand how your baby uses signs with you. 

As with the Eat sign, babies will tend to use a flat hand or finger aimed at the mouth or perhaps sweeping along their cheek to sign for DRINK.   Keep a watchful eye when you are signing and if you are unsure whether your baby would like something to Eat or to DRINK offer them both, signing and saying the correct words at the right time and watch for a reaction from your baby.

 

 

Exploring First Signs; Eat

Today we are focussing on the sign for EAT.

The Sign for EAT; copyright Cath Smith from the LETS SIGN series at Deafbooks and used under license

How to do this sign: Form hand into a wedge shape (known as a bunched hand) and make two short movements towards your mouth.

When to do this sign: Anytime when you are giving your baby food or asking them if they would like something to eat.

 

Offering your baby something to eat is another common daily routine once you have started weaning and allows for plenty of opportunities to sign with your little one.  It’s also slightly easier to sign with them as your baby tends to be in a high chair or sat down initially and their focus is on you.

 

When you offer your baby some food, make the EAT sign and say the word EAT as well.   There tend to be three times that you can repeat the word and sign in context to your baby; regular exposure and repetition of signs is absolutely key to signing success.

 

You may say “Would you like something to EAT?”  followed by “Here is a xxxxx to EAT”  and “would you like some more to EAT?”  Each time, you have an ideal platform to be introducing the EAT sign.

 

Lots of parents would like to know individual food items and mealtimes as signs; when your baby is around 12 -15 months old, this is an ideal time to introduce more complex food signs so that they can inform you of their choices. In the early stages of signing though we recommend that you simply use the EAT sign for all mealtimes and foods as its simply too confusing for your baby.  As babies develop their preferences for foods and if they have a very favorite food, then this is an ideal time to be expanding your signing vocabulary.

 

When your baby starts signing EAT they will not have sufficient motor skill control to make a wedge shaped hand.  The most common ways in which babies and young toddler sign for EAT is by putting a flat spread hand (starlike) against their mouth and patting or by putting one or more fingers in their mouth.

 

Tomorrow we will be investigating the sign for DRINK.

 

 

 

Exploring First Signs: Milk

Welcome to the first in our Exploring Signs series. 

Over the next few days we’ll be looking at first signs to introduce to your baby and today at Little Signers Club we are looking at the sign for MILK.

MILK copyright Cath Smith from the LETS SIGN series at Deafbooks and used under license

The sign for MILK varies – you simply clench and unclench your hand and we recommend making the sign twice whilst saying the word MILK at the same time. 

This is likely to be a sign that you will have the opportunity to sign several times a day, especially when your baby is very small.  If you are breastfeeding then you can hold your hand over your breast and sign or, if you are bottle feeding you can hold up the bottle to show to your baby and make the sign at the same time.  Do remember to say the word Milk as well!  This way, your baby will make the connection between the action and the word which is crucial for later speech development.

We do appreciate that holding a baby, bottle and trying to sign can be quite impractical so do pick a time before your baby is desperate for a feed to practice.  If your baby is interested in what you are offering she will use her body language to tell you; if she turns her head away from you then that is a definite NO! If she engages with you, laughing, trying to reach for your hands and / or the bottle or mouths at your top as if feeding then this is a definite YES!

Even before signing begins, you can get an idea through body language of your childs needs. Milk is generally one of the first signs that babies use and its common to be missed by parents initially.  A common report back about the use of this sign is that when your little one wants his milk, he will sign with one hand.  If he really really wants his milk, he will use both hands, signing frantically.

Babies may also use the MILK sign when they mean that they want a drink at mealtimes.  If you are weaning and your baby is eating a meal when they use the sign for milk, try offering a drink and using the DRINK sign instead.  We’ll be covering this sign later this week.