Omigosh. My baby is crying and for the life of me I can't figure out why. Why can't you talk to me? Well, maybe its because babies don't talk. Wrong. Babies talk all the time. They just don't use the English language.
Come on. Your babies turning blue in the face from screaming until her eyes are ready to pop out. She can't even catch her breath; she's exhausted from trying to tell you something! You've been there, Mom. The tears are her frustration because you aren't hearing her. Not hearing her? Helen Keller could hear her the way she's screaming. But your little bundle of joy thinks you're not listening! Why don't you get it?
Ah. What we have here is a basic failure to communicate. Two entirely different languages are being spoken here, and you don't happen to have a U.N. interpreter. You speak English and your baby speaks Bbbfflltt!
But how about if both were on the same page? How about you teach your baby sign language?
Teach my baby sign language? Now there's a bright idea. Okay. Let me see, maybe I can squeeze it in between her chemical engineering class and her opera lesson. Thanks for the advice, and I'll see ya later.
Now just wait a minute there, Mom of the Year. Let's not get in a snit quite yet. It just so happens Wendy Jensen taught her babies sign language. In fact, Wendy Jensen has taught hundreds of MOMS to teach THEIR babies sign language. And quite successfully, thank you.
Sure you're skeptical. But I mean to tell you that Wendy did it. And she's not alone. Thousand of other moms have also taught their babies sign language. And not all of these moms went to Princeton (or even Boise State). Fact is, this is a pretty average group. Don't get me wrong, they are smart women. But they don't necessarily share the room with Iris Murdoch or Madame Curie. Truth be known, they are probably not as bright as you.
Okay. Now if that weren't enough, there are still MORE benefits from teaching your baby sign language.
Here's the first BIG benefit. From now on, little Gretchen will no longer have to scream at the top of her lungs because she wants you to know her toe, on the foot which she just removed from her mouth, hurts like heck because she just bit it with her new tooth. Now she can let you know in signs!
But just hold on, there, mama. There are other lifetime benefits.
Young kids develop better language skills when they have learned sign language as a baby. Kids don't have to have hearing impairment to be helped. They are helped because they learn to communicate better. They will be much more interested in the world around them. Now who would have guessed that? But it's true.
It works out this way, perhaps, for the following reasons:
All little kids are mimics. Little girls want to wear lipstick and little boys want to shave (we hope for your sake it is not the other way around). When a child learns sign language they begin mimicking their parents at an earlier age. So they start younger doing adult things.
You see, to mimic someone, you first have to study that person. For instance, you can't dance like Vanessa Hudgens (she's one of the kids in "High School Musical" -- I had to look it up) without first studying how Vanessa Hudgens dances. OK. That makes sense. You also have to study the signer to learn to sign. This develops attention skills. And kids keep focused because they love it! Their little mushy brains are working full speed and its exciting to them.
Your kid will think signing is a form of action game. They love it!
Now just imagine this from your little moppet's point of view: instead of mom and dad telling her to shush (kids hate to shush), or dumping her back in the play pen, (kids hate to be dumped back in the play pen) her parents are giving her a whole bunch of positive attention!
Will your little darling get a full paid scholastic scholarship to Columbia if you teach her sign language. Probably. Well, actually, maybe. Anyway, she will be heads and knees above the other kids because you provided her with a very basic skill set. And you taught her that learning can be fun. Give a baby a fish and she eats tonight. Teach your baby to fish and she eats for a lifetime. Get it? It's simple. Teach your baby sign language and she will benefit for her whole life.
Come on. Your babies turning blue in the face from screaming until her eyes are ready to pop out. She can't even catch her breath; she's exhausted from trying to tell you something! You've been there, Mom. The tears are her frustration because you aren't hearing her. Not hearing her? Helen Keller could hear her the way she's screaming. But your little bundle of joy thinks you're not listening! Why don't you get it?
Ah. What we have here is a basic failure to communicate. Two entirely different languages are being spoken here, and you don't happen to have a U.N. interpreter. You speak English and your baby speaks Bbbfflltt!
But how about if both were on the same page? How about you teach your baby sign language?
Teach my baby sign language? Now there's a bright idea. Okay. Let me see, maybe I can squeeze it in between her chemical engineering class and her opera lesson. Thanks for the advice, and I'll see ya later.
Now just wait a minute there, Mom of the Year. Let's not get in a snit quite yet. It just so happens Wendy Jensen taught her babies sign language. In fact, Wendy Jensen has taught hundreds of MOMS to teach THEIR babies sign language. And quite successfully, thank you.
Sure you're skeptical. But I mean to tell you that Wendy did it. And she's not alone. Thousand of other moms have also taught their babies sign language. And not all of these moms went to Princeton (or even Boise State). Fact is, this is a pretty average group. Don't get me wrong, they are smart women. But they don't necessarily share the room with Iris Murdoch or Madame Curie. Truth be known, they are probably not as bright as you.
Okay. Now if that weren't enough, there are still MORE benefits from teaching your baby sign language.
Here's the first BIG benefit. From now on, little Gretchen will no longer have to scream at the top of her lungs because she wants you to know her toe, on the foot which she just removed from her mouth, hurts like heck because she just bit it with her new tooth. Now she can let you know in signs!
But just hold on, there, mama. There are other lifetime benefits.
Young kids develop better language skills when they have learned sign language as a baby. Kids don't have to have hearing impairment to be helped. They are helped because they learn to communicate better. They will be much more interested in the world around them. Now who would have guessed that? But it's true.
It works out this way, perhaps, for the following reasons:
All little kids are mimics. Little girls want to wear lipstick and little boys want to shave (we hope for your sake it is not the other way around). When a child learns sign language they begin mimicking their parents at an earlier age. So they start younger doing adult things.
You see, to mimic someone, you first have to study that person. For instance, you can't dance like Vanessa Hudgens (she's one of the kids in "High School Musical" -- I had to look it up) without first studying how Vanessa Hudgens dances. OK. That makes sense. You also have to study the signer to learn to sign. This develops attention skills. And kids keep focused because they love it! Their little mushy brains are working full speed and its exciting to them.
Your kid will think signing is a form of action game. They love it!
Now just imagine this from your little moppet's point of view: instead of mom and dad telling her to shush (kids hate to shush), or dumping her back in the play pen, (kids hate to be dumped back in the play pen) her parents are giving her a whole bunch of positive attention!
Will your little darling get a full paid scholastic scholarship to Columbia if you teach her sign language. Probably. Well, actually, maybe. Anyway, she will be heads and knees above the other kids because you provided her with a very basic skill set. And you taught her that learning can be fun. Give a baby a fish and she eats tonight. Teach your baby to fish and she eats for a lifetime. Get it? It's simple. Teach your baby sign language and she will benefit for her whole life.
About the Author:
By the way. You are a great parent. Why not visit our blog: "About the Family". We talk about all kinds of neat stuff. In English.
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