There is not a day that goes by that I don’t get an email from parents telling me stories of how baby sign has made their life easier and created a less frustrated well mannered child.   My Book, DVD, Flashcards & Poster have two signs in common which help parents introduce manners to their children.  So what are these signs that will help you introduce manners to your child?

These signs which are common in all the Australian Baby Hands products and they are “Please” and “Thank You“.

“Please” and “Thank You” are great signs to start introducing the abstract concept of manners to your child.  To introduce these signs, start ending every request by signing and saying the word “please” and once you have carried out the request, sign and say the word “thank you”.

Like all words in baby sign, it will become a habit for your child to use these signs over time.  Consistency is the key.

Below are other examples of where manners can be taught using baby sign language.

Social Situations:  when they meet and greet others, encourage the use of the sign and word “Hello“.  When you are leaving, you can introduce the sign for “Goodbye“. Also introducing the sign for “Sorry” can be beneficial.

Mealtimes:  Signs that can be introduced here are “please”, “thank you”.  Once your baby has begun to combine signs, you can introduce the following combinations “more – please”, “finished – thank you”, “help – please”.

I look forward to hearing your baby sign language story about manners!

I recently read an article on “Can Signing take the place of crying?”.  In this article, new research highlighted that children who were introduced to baby sign language had reduced episodes of crying.

The research involved two children, Lyle (9 months old) and Geoffrey (10 months old), who were quite prone to crying.  Geoffrey would cry when he didn’t get enough attention in the classroom and Lyle would cry when he wanted his mum to pick him up.  Geoffrey was taught to sign “please” when he wanted attention and Lyle was taught to sign “up” when he wanted to be picked up.

Once the sign had been introduced, both children followed a similar pattern.  When they realised what the sign symbolised, they began to use it and their was a dramatic reduction in tears. Earlier baby sign language research highlighted that one of the benefits of using sign language was reduced frustration in children and parents.  This new research supports this finding and I know that the majority of parents who have introduced Australian Baby Hands into their home, have also experienced the benefit of reduced frustration.

Read the full report on this research here Enhancing Early Communication through Infant Sign Training.

I recently read an article on the Essential Baby website entitled “Eighteen kids not enough” which told the story of a woman in the U.S. who had just given birth to her 18th child. This reminded me of my Grandmother in Ireland who also gave birth to 18 children.

With such large families, communication can be difficult and there must be moments of frustration for both the parents and children. I have often noted how my mother would sometimes say things multiple times to me as she grew up in an environment where you had to say things more than once to be heard. Can you imagine trying to get your mothers attention while 17 others are also trying to do the same thing?

If only baby sign language had been around in my grandmothers day, I am sure it would have made her life a whole lot easier and may have enabled my mother and her siblings to communicate more effectively using baby sign language. Instead of having 18 children all trying to get her attention verbally, she would quickly be able to prioritise who needed what and when by scanning the room for signs. This would be just one of the benefits of baby sign language that my grandmother would have experienced.

From the photo accompanying this article, it looks like this lady has already introduced baby sign language to her children. If not, maybe its something the Duggar family should consider.

This is the time to make your new years resolutions and a perfect time to start something new or give something a second chance. Many parents have used the New Year as a time to learn and introduce baby sign language into their home. For those of you out there who are yet to start on your baby sign language adventure, here are some steps on how to achieve baby sign language success.

For those of you who have tried it before and just have not seen the results, there are many reasons for this. Some include how consistent you are, how frequently you are signing, what signs you are using and how many family members are involved in the process.

My advice to you is to not give up. Baby sign language is worth the wait and your baby’s first sign is as special as your baby’s first word. If you would like to add baby sign language to your list of New Years resolutions, this article on mixing practical and motivating signs will definitely help you.

Happy New Year & Happy Signing!