Monica Beyer is the creator of the web site Signing Baby.com. She currently lives in St. Joseph Missouri with her three children, Dagan (10), Corbin (7), and Lauren (3). Besides baby sign language her passions are reading, web design, and gardening. I recently interviewed her about baby sign language, her use of it, and her web site www.signingbaby.com.
How did you get started using baby sign language?
In the year 2000, my second son was around 11 months old. I saw a television program about a baby girl who could use sign language to show her mother that her teeth were bothering her and request some infant Tylenol for her pain. I thought that was amazing and ordered a book. I started signing with Corbin right away and after about 4-5 weeks he started signing to me. We were blown away. It snowballed from there!
Why did you start your website Signing With Your Baby?
I started the site because when I was getting started with Corbin there was nothing on the internet that was in any way helpful for starting the signing process. There were commercial sites, which are fine, but I wanted something that had baby signing photos, information and articles from real parents as well as experts, and a simple guide on how to get started, along with links to good online signing dictionaries. So, since it wasn’t to be found, I created it!
What is the best thing about baby signing?
The ability a parent has to avoid frustration in dangerous situations. For example, Baby isn’t able to get the container open! Baby has let go of his balloon! Baby has lost his favorite stuffed doggie! Baby needs a drink – now! Instead of your child immediately freaking out, she will sign to you the cause of her distress because she knows that you will understand her needs and desires.
It’s also really wonderful to be able to experience the world through your child’s eyes. He may notice a bird outside his window. If he didn’t sign, you might think he was excited about the car going by or the cat walking down the road. If he signs “bird,” however, you can seek out the bird he’s talking about and enjoy the moment with him even more.
What are your most memorable signing moments?
There have been so many! Signing opens up a whole new world for you and your baby and you get so much insight on what is going on in their growing minds. I think the funniest thing that Corbin ever did was fish my clean bra out of the laundry, put it on his head and sign “milk.” Another time we were at a restaurant with my mom and he stood up and signed 5 to 6 signs so rapidly we had no clue what he was saying.
Lauren amazed me one day when she was playing with a small wind-up bunny. She enjoyed watching it hop to the edge of our table and fall off (over and over of course). One time it landed in a shoe I had abandoned earlier that day and she looked at me, delighted, and signed (very carefully and precisely I might add), “Bunny fall down mommy black shoe.”
Did either of your children have a favorite sign?
Both of my signing babies (I didn’t know about signing with babies when Dagan was small) had signs that they used a lot and even held on to far past the time when they had mastered the spoken word. Corbin favored “eat” and “please.” He used both for emphasis when making a request, sometimes at the same time! Lauren favored all animal signs as well as “hurt” and “more.” She still (at 3 ½) will use “hurt” when she gets an owie. Both used “help” a LOT. It is an extremely useful sign.
What one piece of advice would you give to parents interested in baby signing?
Consistency is what I like to emphasize when I’m speaking with those who would like to learn to sign. Signing isn’t hard – you only have to learn a few at a time and you will get a feel on how to work them into your normal everyday routine – but it’s so important to make sure that you (and everyone who will be involved with signing) use the same sign for the same thing every time you sign with him. Since you are only learning a handful of signs at a time and are really learning right along with your baby it’s pretty easy, but it can cause confusion if one person signs “milk” one way and another signs it a different way. This is especially important when your child attends daycare because many daycare providers are incorporating signing into their days as well.