Yes, gestures do count!

Today I took my daughter to a play group. We had a great time catching up with friends and sharing mommy stories. Baby Signs always seems to be a topic of conversation when I'm around, but I do enjoy talking about it. Some of the mommies were talking about a few gestures that their babies were already starting to make. It was a great opportunity to let them know that any kind of gestures is a great sign that your baby is ready to start learning more gestures and signs!
Babies and toddlers often use signs as a natural part of the communication process. Many babies know how to wave "bye-bye" or use a headshake to mean "no." The Baby Signs® Program can help your baby use lots of other gestures to communicate just as easily as these more common "signs." The Baby Signs® Program teaches babies to use simple, easy-to-do gestures for communicating. These gestures or “signs” represent an item or concept, like “cat,” “eat,” or “all gone.” It's that easy, really.

Found my hands Mom!

So, I'm a new mom. My daughter is 3 and 1/2 months old and I've been signing with her since the beginning. There came a point a few weeks ago that I noticed her watching my hands. My husband and I are currently having a MOMMY/DADDY war to see which word/sign she will say/sign first. It seems every time I sign MOMMY my husband is standing behind me signing DADDY. Anyway, getting back to the point, she has become interested in what I'm doing with my hands. And, although she is still a few months from signing, the important thing is that she is showing interest.

Today was a good day. After she watched my hands moving around for a while, I saw her look down at her hand and move it to her face. At one point her hand became hidden behind a blanket and she was surprised to see the blanket move when she was trying to find her hand. These are all the beginnings of a Baby Signer! How exciting it is to finally be seeing this all happen with my own little one.

Milestones

Milestones cannot be measured with distance nor rocks. Every baby and every mommy has a different way of measuring success. The Baby Signs® Program experience will be different for every family. One of the most interesting parts of working with families is seeing the many different goals people set for themselves. I've worked with teen moms who are struggling with finding ways to connect to their babies and find The Baby Signs® Program to be an easy way to interact in a fun, non-threatening way. There are no theories to read about, no regimented plan to follow.
You know you're using the program correctly if it feels like game and brings smiles and laughter to you and your baby. Just like any game, learn a few rules (signs) and enjoy the ride. They watch their babies begin to take the baby steps to success. You'll remember the first time your baby watches your hands with a new found curiosity. You'll remember the first day your baby deliberately moves their hand into position to respond with a sign. You'll especially remember the day that tears and frustration were avoided because your baby was able to guide you in the right direction when trying to problem solve. Ahhhh..... the priceless feeling of being able to really interact and communicate with your baby before your baby can talk. It's not about reaching a milestone, being the first to sign, or even being the best signer. It's about connecting with your baby. Finding that common language and being able to reach one another is something some people cannot achieve in a lifetime.

The Baby Signs® Program