ALL-DONE!!

One of the milestones a Baby Signer will reach is learning how to apply their sign vocabulary to different scenarios. My little signer has mastered the sign for ALL-DONE in her high chair and has been using it for months already to tell me when she is full and ready to get out of her chair, but I was so proud of her when she took that sign and applied it to another appropriate situation. After taking care of her business, um hmm, she walked right up to me and signed ALL-DONE! She wanted to let me know it was time for a diaper change and she was so proud of herself for telling me. She has also used this sign to end tubby time and when her favorite cartoon has come to an end.

The best way to make this transition is to take the lead and model the behavior. When you see that your little signer has really begun to understand a sign like ALL-DONE, just begin speaking it and signing it in new situations. After a poop is only one of the options, there are several others that work as well. Every family will have their own opportunities. For example, you can model the sign after a favorite video, after a bottle or sippy cup is empty, or when you are ready to end tubby time. Using the sign will help facilitate communication between you and your baby and ease that frustration a baby may feel when they are not understood. Now that's worth a try!