What was your baby's first sign?

Early Learning Teaching Your Child - Signing, Speaking, Languages
1

I’ve been signing with my son since he was about 4 months. He started signing “change” a couple of weeks ago but today he did it without me. I usually show him and he will repeat it, but today I was only changing his clothes and he signed to me! He has also tried signing “drink” durring meals. :biggrin: I’m just so glad to see my little guy communicate! We started watching Baby Signing Time and I can tell it has helped!

What was your first experience with your child when they first started signing? How old were they?

2

My son’s first sign was fish. I signed with him since he was 6 months old, but it wasn’t until he started watching BST and ST (a few months later) that he started signing back. I don’t remember how old he was, but now he can sign over 60 words, and he understands many more.

Actually, he did start signing milk way before that, but he wasn’t very consistent with it.

3

Drink - Although it took me awhile to recognize it. He was waving both arms, so I wasn’t looking for that exactly :slight_smile:

4

milk at 5mth. Recently I begin to let him watch baby signing time every morning not sure how many signs he understands.

5

well, the milk sign too at 6th month.

6

Hi mommies and daddies!

I met BRILLKIDS last year when I was eyeing for ideas how to teach my newly born baby then. I owe Brill Kids for the strategy I used for my baby.

I printed the infant simulation. When the beta testing was over, I could not use it anymore at least I have a print out of some files.

My baby can talk. I am so happy with her fast development.

At barely 2-3 months old, she used to make sounds and talk to herself. It is so funny because other babies (her cousins and my relatives is not as talkative as my baby). She even snores then. Fortunately, it stopped when she turned 4 mos.

Her talking ability is such a gift to me. Before she turned 6 mos she can say papapapa, mamamama,then dadadada…bababab…at 8 mos she started saying papa and mama and all other words she formed by herself.

At 9 mos she started saying NICOLCOL ( a name her cousins call her)…and at 10 mos now she can say Ae-BY (for Baby), Ae-Teee (Maybe for eight as we used to count), A-la for lola or grandma.

These words are usually uttered alternately one day from the other. All these made my heart sing with joyful hymn knowing and observing how she can communicate well with me.

Her signs:

I show :slight_smile: milk bottle, she jumps with joy and giggles (standing and lying down)

If milk is consumed, she needs another bottle for an ounce of water. Even if I let her finish milk and she doesn’t want it anymore, she pulls it away and still open her mouth waiting for the water.

I show board book, and flash cards, it means playtime

I show a small cup of Tupperware, means it is either cerelac and gerber time

I show her a biscuit, she will reach out for it and her mouth starts to water
I usually give her diaper, she lie down on bed

Say no and wave for no, she stops reaching for anything I forbid her to reach

Reach and extend my hands to her when she is from sleep or lying down for rest, means I will get her and her head starts to get up
Every 5 am (dawn), she talk and talk and never stops until I put her beside me in bed. It means she is awake. She would stop talking then starts to play.

Thanks to BrillKids/BrillBaby

7

Eat was his first sign, then milk, mother, all gone or don’t know, then diaper. Now my other son used his first sign last week eat. I guess my boys like to eat.

8

More.
She was used to me signing more and eat, saying do you want more to eat, so thinks more means eat somehow. So signs more when wants food.

9

My child was never interested in eating /drinking but loves outdoors so her first sign was for flower .

10

My son would eat all day if he could lol …his first sign was milk.

11

My Iona did exactly the same, but saying “more” very clearly when she was hungry. She’s now got the idea that that’s not what it means, but she hasn’t started signing or saying “food” instead; she just cries!

I’ve been signing to Iona since just after she was born (I worked with adults with learning disabilities so it’s somewhat second nature to sign as I talk), and her first sign was about 3 months ago (she’s 10 1/2 months now). That was “daddy”, which she learned to sign really clearly, but she gave it up about 2 months ago. She was starting to try “mummy” after that, but now doesn’t bother with that, either. It’s like I’ve read they do with speaking: she seems to learn a sign or a word, use it all the time for a week or 2, then give up that and go on to another one, then come back to the original one later, along with lots of others. At the moment her favourite sign is “milk”, which she signs whenever she wants a drink.

Angela

12

My twins didn’t start watching Baby Signing Time 'til they turned 1 but they learned quickly. Cheska first sign was “milk”. I’m confused with Camille if she meant “ball” or “more” because she sign “more” everytime she’s playing with a ball.

13

First sign was milk but daddy was right up there too! Now at 17months she seems to be running with her signs.

14

hER FIRST sign was fro milk!!!

15

My daughter Naimah’s first five signs were:

  1. Milk
  2. Light
  3. Dog (there are a lot of them where we live)
  4. More
  5. A made-up sign for “star” (which we would do while singing Twinkle, Twinkle)

As we can tell, most babies sign “milk” first! :slight_smile:

Nim started signing just before 10 months. I remember I was really impatient, as I’d been signing to her since 3 months of age. I was a bit worried too, because I’d heard of babies signing at 6-8 months. But then I watched Rachel Coleman (Signing Time presenter) talking about how babies will normally sign back at around 10 months, so I could relax a little!

10 months is an average, I think - even 12 months is normal, so be patient if you’re waiting for that first sign (I know it’s hard!).

If you start signing with a toddler though, they can start signing back almost immediately. They might also take a couple of months though (depending on the temperament of the child), so give it time.

Of course, no matter when your child signs back for the first time, there are huge benefits to them understanding the signs. Nim was definitely understanding “milk” almost from the get-go, and it would calm her down in those very early days.

All of you signing parents, you might like to read this post on my blog, which mentions an interesting study into the benefits for children who use gestures as toddlers: Why signing babies are smarter.

16

My son first six signs were: ball, more, bear, milk, book, monkey

17

I began signing with my daughter when she was a few months old. I would notice her moving her hands when I was signing to her. It was so cute. She did that at a few months old. Her first sign was lettuce. I think she just liked to hit her head. lol

18

She didn’t sign lettuce until about 10 month old. I forgot to add that.

View my blog at www.teachingbabytoread.com

19

It was definitely milk! :slight_smile:

20

First sign definitely MORE, meaning more to eat. Then eat, ball and hat.