Baby Signing Help

[lauren0289]

We started signing the word milk with my DD a couple months ago. She is now 6 months old and just signed back the other day Since we started, I will sign milk, then lift shirt, and latch on. Then while she's nursing, my hubby will sometimes sign it to her too. She first did it back while she was nursing. The past couple times she has signed it, my DH has been holding her and I'll walk in the room and she'll do it and look at me. So, he'll hand her to me and I'll try to nurse, but she won't latch. I think she has the sign confused and thinks that it means mommy. I can understand why she's confused, mommy and milk are pretty much synonymous for her So we've now introduced the sign for mommy and daddy. When he walks up to her he signs daddy. When I walk up to her I sign mommy and I continue to sign milk every time we nurse. Does this sound right? Are we confusing her further? Any input for us newbies? We are just so thrilled that she signed back at all lol!!

[kimellett]

I'd keep on with what you're doing! 6 mo is pretty young for signing (IMO) I think I've read that you should start signing at 6 mo, and not expect signs back for at least 2-3 months. She may be confused, but will figure it out eventually.

My dd is 12 months, and has been doing "more" "all done" and "bath" for a while now (2 months???) but recently has added "where is?" "banana" "butterfly" and seems ready to start doing more each day!

Interestingly enough, nursing/milk isn't one she's picked up yet. DS (now 5.5) didn't speak until he was almost 3, so sign language saved us. He had around 100-120 signs in his vocabulary, but he also never picked up nursing/milk. ???

[Carhootel]

I remember our baby sign language teacher saying that it's also common when they learn one sign (usually milk) to sign that for everything, or for everything they want - including mommy. It sounds like you all are doing great and I'd just keep doing what you're doing.

[mamasthree]

Originally Posted by Carhootel

I remember our baby sign language teacher saying that it's also common when they learn one sign (usually milk) to sign that for everything, or for everything they want - including mommy. It sounds like you all are doing great and I'd just keep doing what you're doing.

this is what our youngest dd did, too...she learned more, and then started signing that for everything! she eventually figured it out, but she still uses more to ask for things she wants.

[annekh23]

I'd be impressed she's signed back at all!

DD is 7.5mths and I've started trying to sign, but not as consistently as you have been, I haven't got anything back and haven't been expected to.

One cool thing we have worked on though is that one day she started lifting her arms up when I bent to pick her up out of her exersaucer, so I started using that and saying out whenever I thought she might want to get out of it and whether it was because I was doing something or not, she very quickly realised she could do that to indicate she wanted to get out and we seem to have got a good communication going of her telling me she wants to get out, but not so much that she's going to cry about it and me either responding by doing that, or at least letting her know I'm aware of her need and will respond ASAP.