baby sign language

We started teaching Elijah sign language when he was about 10 months old. It took a number of inconsistent attempts off and on to really get going and to figure out what initial signs we wanted to pursue. After about two months he started signing "more", but that was his only sign for a while. However, in the last week or so, other signs became more and more clear, and now we also have "all done", "bear", and "light" :) (As in "And God said, 'Let there be light'", not as in "of little weight"). I think he is also working on "music" and "dog".

"More" often doubles for "eat" or just simply "I want". Sometimes Elijah will actually point to the thing he wants, and then sign "more". But he only signs "more" in the context of food, because that's the only time we've been using the sign with him. I am now afraid to use it in other contexts so as not to confuse him, but I guess sooner or later I'll have to do it.

It's been great to have the "all done" sign added to his "vocabulary". At meal times he makes unhappy noises while waiting for his food, and then when he is full and wants down. But it's not always easy to know what he means somewhere in the transition from being hungry to being full. Does he want more clementines, does he want some cheese, or is he finished? Now that we have two signs to help us, all we need to do is ask, "Do you want more, or are you all done?" And he "tells" us exactly what he wants! And it's much more fun to do a sign with a smile than to grunt and scream!

When I noticed that Elijah was fascinated by lights, I started to use the sign with him each time I turned the lights on or off. Yesterday was the first day that he'd been unmistakably signing "light". First he looked at the light in the bedroom (that was on) and signed it, then he looked at a light (that was off) in the living room, and signed it again. I turned it on for him. Then all day whenever the kitchen light was on, he'd look at it once in a while, and sign "light". I think at this point the sign means "I see light," but I am hoping that in the near future it can evolve into "I want lights on."

I've sometimes wondered what was going on in his head, but now I don't have to. :) It is really a lot of fun to get a sneak peak into what my baby is thinking throughout the day.

P.S. I know you'd love to see a video or at least a picture of this, but it's hard to be taking shots when you are in the middle of a conversation with your child!