Family Forum / Parenting / Twins / October 2004

Some friends got us this book/video "Sign with your Baby" (or something
like that), and having had some experience using sign language at a deaf
&/or blind summer camp I worked at when 16, I thought it was a good idea.

We started with "milk" but we weren't consistent, and I think the main
thing that kept it from catching on was that their nanny didn't do it, and
she's the one they spend more waking time with (sigh).  Reed started using
the "milk" sign, but he often used it right after having some milk, so it
didn't necessarily mean he WANTED it.

Nevertheless, they both did learn the sign for "bath", and Martin seems to
have learned the sign for "change" as in diaper, and Reed very definitely
uses the sign for "bird" when he hears or sees one.

Now they're almost 15 months old and are starting to peep a few words out,
like "car" and "cat" and "go".  Interestingly, a few months ago they were
both almost saying "bird" when they first started seeing a lot of them
outside the windows, but they haven't done that recently.  Martin went back
to "guh" for bird, though at one point it was "buhr".

I think it's pretty amazing that it works at all, since giving the sign for
"bath" says much more than they are capable of verbalizing.  It wasn't a
total success but it IS nice to get some feedback from little ones.  I'm
glad we did it.

Anyone else?