Early communication development: Baby sign language

When my first baby was born he revealed a hidden secret; shortly after birth he was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. Once the cloud of devastation cleared and made way for the most magnificent love, my husband and I were also faced with how to prepare for his future and make every moment of his early development count. My first worry was that he would never share my love of words (spoken or written). How wrong I was!

I attribute this to my passionate focus on his communication development at an early age. 

Today he talks up a storm, sings all the time, knows all of his letters, loves reading and being read to. I attribute this to my passionate focus on his communication development at an early age, well before he could actually speak. We decided to learn and teach him Baby Sign Language so that we would all be able to communicate before his speech came in (it is commonly late in children with Down Syndrome), and it was only when I looked back that I realised this was the most profound thing I had ever done for my child and our family. We talked and signed, we sang and signed, we read and signed.

Benefits of signing are increased IQ, improved emotional and behavioural development, academic benefits, and so on.

When my second baby arrived 17 months later we naturally continued to do Baby Sign Language with him as well, and he loved it too. I could go on and on about the proven long term benefits of signing – increased IQ, improved emotional and behavioural development, academic benefits, and so on – but what made it most worthwhile was the connection with my children. Being able to understand them. Being able to share with them. Being able to know them well before they could speak.

This is why I created we.can.talk – a baby sign language kit that helps parents to introduce early meaningful communication with their babies through signing, reading, and singing. Yes, its heart lies in the beauty of Baby Sign Language, but it is so much more than that. It is about loving words – signing them, reading them, singing them, and doing them! I wanted to create a resource that would make it easier for parents to experience the joy at the exquisite moment that their child asks for ‘more’ or expresses that they want ‘water’ and not ‘milk’.

Now, when I see babies signing with their moms and dads and I know that I have helped to make that happen, I am just filled to the brim with happiness!

Thanks Bumbles for working with us and for bringing these wonderfully fun activities and great advice to all the mommies and babies, and also for making healthy eating so much more fun!

For more information on Baby Sign Language, visit we.can.talk

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Bumbles Cookery Club

The Bumbles™ Cookery Club offers detailed workshops for each vital stage of the weaning process, as well a support and social group for moms to enjoy.

Our goal is to guide and assist moms, and dads, through the different weaning stages and to understand and learn the importance of each stage, when to introduce each food group and how to create delicious, nutritionally balanced meals not only for your little one but for the whole family.

Latest posts by Bumbles Cookery Club (see all)

• Quinoa – why it’s good for your baby - November 17, 2014
• Your baby’s sense of touch and the importance of texture - November 5, 2014
• Early communication development: Baby sign language - November 4, 2014