What’s Your Sign?
Written by Brett, Posted in General & Random
The Gay Uncle has fumed about it many times, but it was only this morning that he finally realized his true feelings: Signing to your baby is stupid! He’s sure that other people have loads of good reasons why it’s useful and beneficial and necessary, but here’s his anti-infant-ASL rationale:
1) Your baby has very little of interest to say that you don’t already know (I’m dirty, More milk, I’m dirty)
2) You look like an asshole when you’re doing it
3) There’s certain thoughts to which we just shouldn’t have access. For example, when they taught a captive gorilla sign language, one of the first things she said was “I’m sad because the hunters took my baby away.”
You are too funny! Signed –
This made me feel a leeeeetle less inadequate!
oops sorry, that should read
“signed – the inadequate mom that did not teach her kids to sign”
Thank you! I refuse to do baby signing, mainly because we figure one another out anyway. Also, with my kids, they’d figure out how to argue with me, and I like to put that off as long as possible.
I understand the concept, but I’m just not that convinced that it’s necessary.
Another slacker mom here!
I’ve heard it can delay speech!
On the other hand, hmmmm…..
Just another stupid parent trick to avoid the actual job of being a parent and paying attention to your child. But then again, I did find the “more” sign (look like an ape by moving your fists together” was kind of funny.
Research studies show that signing with babies accelerates language acquisition, reduces frustration and aggressive behavior, and as children mature, results in a greater interest in reading. Babies can communicate using signs long before they can verbalize their wants and needs. The RUMOR that signing slows speech acquisition is just that, a rumor. There is not one valid research paper ever published that indicates signing with your baby will impede their verbal skills. If you find one, please post your references.
We signed with both of our boys. Signing enhanced our bonding with our boys because it was like having a window into their minds eye. They will amaze you with how much they know if they just have a means of communication.
Evey child has their own agenda when it comes to the developmental “norms”. Some kids don’t walk until they are 14 or 15 months old and turn out to be fantastic dancers or track stars. One of my boys had his verbal burst early and the other started verbalizing a little later than what the developmental charts say is normal. That said, both boys were way ahead (off the chart) of the developmentally verbal norms when they did decide to verbalize.
There was a book I read that had a tag line that sums it all up. “Signing with your baby is easy -a lot easier than not signing with your baby!”
Bill here again. I need to say that I do appreciate the humor in the gay uncle’s viewpoints. It did make me smile. I just needed to set the record straight in regards to the facts of what the research has shown with baby sign language.
Keep smiling and signing,
Bill
GAH! Thanks! I am so sick of people telling me I HAVE to teach my babies to sign. I don’t speak sign language! I would rather focus on teaching them a language I do know! As if I won’t have my hands full learning to be a mom with two sons, much less picking up a second language.
My parents didn’t teach me to sign and I was reading by age 3 – so obviously I was deprived of freakin’ language as a child.
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