He's finally signing! After almost 5 months of Signing Time...

[deborah_r]

OK, I can't say he watched every day of the 5 months, and I admit I didn't always sit and work with him while he watched (he usually won't take his eyes off the screen to look at me anyway). I tried to remember to use signs at appropriate times, mostly meal time activity, but there were probably weeks or a series of days here and there where I completely forgot about it.

So considering those circumstances, does it sound like he just wasn't ready until now, or did I need to be more diligent about it? I was expecting him to start some signs within a few weeks, but it's only in the last couple of weeks he's really seeming to get it. Well, a long time ago he started what I didn't know at the time was a version of the sign for flower - he actually learned that from Baby Shakespeare when the puppet keeps sniffing the flower! And at about the same time he started panting for "dog", which I've read is an alternate sign for dog (Signing Time uses patting your leg)

He's recently learned:

more
eat
milk
all done
sleep

So I guess I'm wondering if other people have had their babies start off this slowly, and if those of you who saw quicker progress were working at it diligently every day?

Thanks!

[gour0]

I think it took four or five months of watching before he started using some signs and then another four or five months before he has a sign explosion. We don't sign all the time either.

[Raidra]

We've been watching Signing Times for nearly 4 months now, and Colwyn has just started signing Bird and More. He's only signed More twice, and he signs Bird all the time. He calls the ceiling light fixtures, fans, the dog, trees, and airplanes birds. :)

I'm hoping that he'll get that straightened out sooner or later. I think he may also know Ball, as he signed it twice while we were watching the video, but not otherwise.

The only signs I use regularly are Bird and Airplane. When we first started, I signed Milk and Eat a lot to him, but forgot about it after a few weeks. He does recognize a lot more signs than he actually uses, though.

[Vajrastorm]

We've been watching signing times since she was 6 months old, so we've been using them about six months. I believe her first sign was around 8 months. Ball. She added a few more, but in the last month she has been adding them more quickly.

She usually watches one of the dvds every day, and I sign to her all the time. I have noticed that the signs I do not use frequently are signs she does not use. For example, she will sign "more" when she wants food, even if she has not had any yet. I have signed "more" to her a lot. I have rarely signed "eat," and therefore she doesn't sign it.

I think readiness AND practice both play a part. He may not have been ready, and he also may have been slower to pick up signs because of how often he was exposed. Either way, its not a race kwim?

[deborah_r]

> Either way, its
>not a race kwim?

Oh, I know. It's just I'm thinking if I could have helped him express himself earlier, maybe we could have avoided unfortunate things like screeching at me when he wants more food, or wants some milk.

I think I probably should have used the signs more myself and that would have helped him. Problem is, I have a pretty horrendous memory, and sometimes I would go to do a sign for something, and I couldn't even remember what the sign was!

That's great that you started at six months. I had a book at that age(Baby Signs) but no videos, and I just didn't have the energy to get into the book.

[jec2]

Oh, that is so much fun! Yay Kai. Finn goes in fits and starts. His 1st sign was milk at about 6 or 9 mos. (I can't recall exactly but knew he did it for our Ped. at one of his well-baby appts soon after he did it for us). Now, the bugger doesn't really sign it for when he wants milk...he just cries and squeals. But, sometimes when he's eating food he'll sign milk. He does stick his hand in the air for airplane and he signs cheese and waves his hands for all done. Anyway, it is exciting and I look forward to some sort of explosion. I also try and use them but sometimes forget what they are or forget to sign them but we usually watch a video every day or at least 3-4 times/week. I too kind of thought he'd be signing Shakespeare by now ;) (just kidding, of course!)

[DDowning]

Congrats Deborah! Good for Kai! I can't even get Carson to watch the thing! He pays attention to the song then as soon as they start signing - bink! loses interest quickily and off he goes to go terrorize the cat instead.

Anyway - congrats again!