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Baby Signs

Baby Sign Language Creates Lasting Bonds

By Nancy Cadjan

Wonder what your baby is thinking or what she is interested in? Want to ask her what she likes to eat? Want to know if that cry is because he is hungry, needs a diaper change or is hurt? Want to stop that tantrum? Would you be surprised to know that a few hand signs can help you achieve all this and more?

By using baby signing, you can communicate sooner and reduce stress for the whole family. Tantrums are often caused by a toddler's inability to communicate needs or wants. Being able to communicate using baby signing reduces the number of tantrums. And fewer tantrums mean a better relationship!

Signing gives your child the ability to tell you when something is wrong. Sixteen-month-old Dallin was teething. Instead of crying, he came to his mother, signed "medicine" and tapped his face where his tooth was coming in. His mother, Tricia, was able to give him a pain relieving gel. She later expressed how baby signing had given her son a feeling of security. "He knows that when he needs something, he can let me know," says the mom from Springville, Utah. "I can solve his problems and we don't have to deal with the tears. I know my relationship with him is stronger because we can communicate."

Baby signing gives your child the ability to tell you they need something. Fifteen-month-old Alex was eating lunch when his mom gave him a banana. He shook his head "no" and signed "apple." His mother understood he wanted an apple instead. If Alex had not been able to sign, he probably would have resisted the banana and cried without any way to tell his mother he wanted an apple.

Want to see more?

• Teaching Baby Sign Language: 10 Tips to Help Teach Your Baby Sign Language
• Baby Signing Basics: The Immediate and Lasting Benefits of Teaching Baby Sign Language
• Baby Development Questions: Expert Answers About Your Child
• All Thumbs: What Does Thumbsucking Mean for Development?
• Join the discussion on our Family.com community!

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