| The early years of parenting are the most difficult and | | | | seven months of age can begin using signs effectively |
| trickiest part in any parents' life. It is the most important | | | | by the eighth or ninth month." |
| too, as the bonding that occurs between parent and | | | | Infants lack the cognitive ability to coordinate their lips, |
| child at these early stages play a crucial role in the | | | | tongue, brain, breath, and vocal chords simultaneously, |
| relationship for years to follow. | | | | i.e. they lack the motor skills to speak. But hand-eye |
| Understanding your infants' needs can be most | | | | coordination is possible in advance of the acquisition of |
| frustrating, as crying is just about the only | | | | verbal skills. Infants can learn to express their needs |
| communicational skill an infant is capable of, until they | | | | using simple signs for common words such as "eat", |
| learn to speak. The art of interpreting their wails and | | | | "sleep", "more", "hug", "play", "cookie", "teddy bear", etc., |
| moans and figuring out their needs can be very difficult | | | | before they are able to produce understandable |
| and complicated. | | | | speech - Amazing but true. If you can master the skills, |
| Babies attempt communication as early as their fetal | | | | and teach your baby to express himself through |
| stages. A return kick to a tummy rub, a punch to a | | | | 'signing,' it can bridge the gap between you and your |
| loud song, these are the earliest forms of | | | | infants' world. The end result? Contentment and peace |
| communication. Until about four months after birth, their | | | | of mind for both of you. |
| communication consists mainly of reflexive crying to | | | | Teaching and using baby sign language consistently |
| express themselves. At this stage, reacting to crying is | | | | with your hearing baby can hold many other rewards. |
| extremely important and the best strategy is to | | | | · Helps accelerate baby's verbal language skills |
| understanding their cries and expressing the desired | | | | earlier than usual |
| response. Showing interest and attending to the baby's | | | | · Helps enhance baby's receptive and expressive |
| needs shows that the communication is working and | | | | vocabulary |
| builds the attachment and trust between you and your | | | | · Helps them learn to read more easily as a child |
| child. Parenting can be more enjoyable when positive | | | | · Enhances their creative ability |
| parent - child relationship is established. Good | | | | · Results in a higher IQ by 10-12 points |
| communication is the key to building self-esteem as | | | | · Promotes a better child/parent bond |
| well a mutual respect. | | | | There has been significant research on the benefits of |
| This communication can go a step further, with the | | | | Baby Signs, including its application on children with |
| help of baby sign language, where your infant actively | | | | special needs and development delays. Some of this |
| participate in making coherent expressions of their | | | | research indicate that children who have been taught |
| needs. Teaching your infant to sign their needs at an | | | | Baby Signs have achieved early vocabularies and |
| early age before they learn coordinated speech will | | | | have had improved cognitive and communication skills |
| help reduce frustration for both you and your child. | | | | throughout childhood. Baby signs are highly |
| Research by Joseph Garcia, an American Sign | | | | recommended by childhood educators, speech |
| interpreter and a leading proponent of use of ASL as | | | | pathologists and child psychologists to help enhance |
| the basis for Baby Sign, indicates that babies who are | | | | the early stages of a child's development and for a |
| exposed to signs regularly and consistently at six to | | | | better parent child relationship. |