anyone with any experiences of using baby signing?

[tibsy]

hi all!
as the title suggests really, just interested in any successes, any information, anything really! from other mumsnetters. i have a 6 month old dd and i have introduced the sign for milk.
i'm sure that she is associating the sign with action or am i deluding myself?

[TeetheCeeofDavedom]

Signed with mine, more so DD1 and love signing. Worked really well for us, great success. Use if a bit with DD2 buit if she's whinging and I sign milk she stops and signs back to me and I get a drink and she's happy again. Gotta be good. As long as you always say the word as well as sign it. Signing is a bridge to the spoken world and is good fun.

[tibsy]

thanks teethecee. i do say milk at the same time and she 'appears' to be attempting it herself. the sign that is obviously!!!

i'm sure she is getting it as when i repeat it back to her, she has such a HUGE smile on her face, like, 'yey, you know what i'm on about!'

any recommended books?

[belgo]

I know quite a few parents who do baby signing, and it seems to work really well. If I have another child, I will consider doing it, especially as my first dd has been slow to talk and that has been the cause of a lot of frustration for her. I think baby signing would have suited her very well.

[belgo]

Yes it's possible for a six month old baby to sign. I think one of my dds was this age when they started waving goodbye.

[TeetheCeeofDavedom]

Websites, not books.

Do a search for Makaton and Signalong.

I also used to make up signs.

There is something so nice about seeing a bubba madly signing 'dog' whenever one wals past, or signing butterfly in your face frantically when one is spotted in the park. Or crawliong up to you and doing the sign for sleep and you realise it's half an hour past their nap time!!

[tibsy]

thanks belgo, had a moment of crisis then, hinking how pretentious that sounded and that maybe she's just laughing at me and permanently hungry

will have a look tee

[chirpygirl]

I have been signing with DD since 4 or 5 months and at 1 she can use quite a few (Mummy, Daddy, milk, food, more, bath, bird) and can understand more, its definately worth a try!

Try this site, its very good and has an online dictionary, it does cost but it is a tenner for 6 months and I am using it all the time.

[chirpygirl]

I USE IT all the time...my grammar is terrible today...

[JoshandJamie]

TinyTalk have some great products you can buy and use at home if you're not interested in going to classes. There's a DVD which I have used with my younger son but my older son (now 3) loves watching it and can make all the signs - obviously he speaks as well - but his memory is incredible.

The little one makes many of the signs too and i haven't been consistent about using it

[redheadmum]

I signed with both my children, my first started at 10 months, my second at 6 months. It's just depends on your child's personality really.

I've had great fun signing with both of them and found it to be a really bonding experience.

keep going it gets better!!!

[tibsy]

chirpygirl and joshandjamie, thanks for those, have bookmarked them to check them out later.
thanks redheadmum, am hoping that its something my ds (12) can use with dd too. think he'd like it

[kiwinat]

Try this one, it's free uni site.

www.ucl.ac.uk/HCS/research/EBSLD/check_list/check_list_2.htm

[tibsy]

thanks kiwinat, will check it out