Bailey Baby signs

Just like anything worth doing, baby signing takes time. It takes time for you to learn the signs, persistence to teach them to your baby and great observation skills and encouragement to notice your baby signing back to you.

The biggest hurdle facing parents who start off wanting to teach signs is sticking with it. You’re tired and there are a thousand other new things to do for your tiny human! I get it! Plus, you’ve been signing for days, maybe even a couple of weeks and aren’t getting anything back.

But persistence does pay off. Your baby has been soaking this new knowledge in and is gradually learning that when you make that motion and say ‘milk’, they get fed. They’ve started to try to imitate the motion themselves, usually mid feed. It’s a matter of days until you notice it. Stick with it!

You betcha! Research by Dr Michelle Anthony and Dr Reyna Lindert found that 12-month-olds, on average, have 3-5 spoken words. In contrast, at the same age families who used baby signs have 25 signs and 16 spoken words! What a difference! Three times as many spoken words!

We certainly have two little chatters in our house! I attribute so much of that to baby signing. By our 18-month paediatrician appointment our toddler had 133 spoken words and could formulate 3-word sentences. Even though I talk a lot(!), I can’t believe that she would have developed such a vocabulary if it weren’t for signing.



Reference: www.signingsmart.com

Was finding out you’re pregnant too early to start thinking of names? Was 4 months pregnant too early to research bassinets, cribs or co-sleeping?
No, not at all. Nor is learning baby signing at 3 months old. It’s a personal choice about how long you want to prepare.
➡️ On average, babies start to formulate signs around 8/9 months old. Their motor skills are still developing. (As with all baby ‘averages’ there will be babies on either side of this and that is also developmentally appropriate).
⏱️ However, it takes time to learn a new skill. If you’re hoping that your baby starts signing back to you around 8/9 months, then you should try to sign consistently to them from 6 months old.
😴 But learning a new skill takes time for sleep deprived adults as well. The younger you start baby signing, the more grace you give yourself and the people in your household to learn the signs. Consequently, the more confident you will feel teaching them to your baby. You’re laying the foundations.
✨ The more consistently you sign to your baby, the quicker they will recognise their meaning, and the more motivated they will be to formulate the sign once they are physically able.

So come to class when YOU feel ready.

⏰ There’s still time! If you thought you’d missed sign up week, don’t panic. Bailey Baby signs classes start at Little Seeds on August 18th. 👏
📧 Send us an email at [email protected] to secure your spot.

Bailey Baby signs

💕One of the most common and hardest things that humans do is to parent. There are so many varieties of families in our beautiful world and they all have this in common. It’s wonderful AND hard. It’s fleeting AND slow. It’s all-encompassing and limiting, beautiful and terrifying. It’s all true, and it’s all normal.
📣👶But don’t get your validation from the internet. Contact your parent friends and share, laugh and cry about it all with them. Better still, come to class and make some new ones!
🤟We’ll teach you many baby signs which will help reduce frustration for you and your baby = fewer tears and stronger bonds. Join here: https://forms.gle/hfyeKKyPoSn7fKH19

👶 Put yourself in your baby’s shoes. You are starting to notice more and more of your environment, and to feel different emotions. You won’t be developed enough to speak for months. What can you do? Look, smile, try to nod or clap. 👏 And then finally, often around 8-9 months you develop enough dexterity to use your hands. You can grab things, hold on tight, try to mimic other adults. But you still can’t talk to your adult.Your mouth is not developed enough yet, but your hands are!
🤟👶So teach your baby to use them. They have so much to say and baby signing gives you the opportunity to really listen.
📣📣 In-person small-group classes available
in Walnut Creek and Lafayette. Sign-up here: https://forms.gle/hznqhEkJApDNfrbG9

It’s time to celebrate all the wonderful things you do for your children. From sourcing toys and clothes, going on interesting walks and looking after yourself so that you can parent at full capacity. Hats off to you!

Why not continue your fabulous streak and book your baby’s place in a Bailey Baby Signs class? You can thank yourself later. https://forms.gle/hfyeKKyPoSn7fKH19

❤️

That’s why we teach baby signs as an interactive music class! Singing and playing together in a supportive environment helps your baby’s cognitive and social development. It also has the added benefit of helping adults to remember the signs!
🎶Come along and see what it’s all about.
(https://forms.gle/hznqhEkJApDNfrbG9)

This is adorable! 🥰 At just 6 months, their desire to communicate with loved ones is so strong.

This 6-month-old baby has watched her parents and grandparents, who are both deaf, communicate using American Sign Language her entire life. So, when her grandparents speak to her, little Jane babbles back to them and tries using sign language too. Read more: https://abcnews.visitlink.me/gh0vwT

100% relatable! I’ve now regressed to the ‘reheating in the microwave and forgetting all about it stage’ . We get it.

Whether it’s the intention of making a hot drink or snacks next to your baby feeding spot, it’s the little gestures of self-care which can make all the difference. That’s why meeting parents with similarly aged babies is so valuable. Days and nights may blur together, but the ‘we’re right there with you’ is immensely validating.

Give yourself some self-care and come to class to meet those who are in it right now too.

Our weekly in-person classes begin August 2. Choose either Fridays or Sunday. Follow this link to sign-up: (https://forms.gle/hznqhEkJApDNfrbG9) or check out our page for more info.

What can you expect from our baby signing classes?

💕Being taught signs which are relevant to you and your baby

💕Lots of singing and repetition to make them easy to learn

💕Guidance on how to remember and differentiate signs

💕An opportunity to connect with other local parents

👉 To sign up for our August/September semester click here (https://forms.gle/hznqhEkJApDNfrbG9) or email us at [email protected].

Just like you don’t expect your child to walk after a few steps pushing a walker, you can’t expect your baby to sign back after a few weeks of signing. Anything worth doing takes time and signing is no different.

📣Consistency is the key! Model the sign you are teaching every single time you say the word.

➡️Teach the signs to other caregivers (nannies, grandparents etc) so that your baby sees the sign throughout their day.

➡️Focus on a handful of signs only! This is a hard one because I like to teach lots of signs so that families can pick the ones which are most appropriate for their family. BUT I cannot stress enough that I do not intend for you to teach your babe all of these signs from day 1. Trying to teach too many signs at once will have the opposite effect on your baby. They will be overwhelmed and confused by the barrage of information and it will take them longer to learn them.

⭐️Praise, praise, praise! Nothing can explain how thrilling it is when your baby first starts formulating signs. Praise them for it, sign it back to them while saying the word, and enjoy the moment. It has taken months of practice just like everything else in baby life (sleeping, crawling, teething – don’t even get me started) and now the real fun has started.

💕And once your baby starts signing back you will understand what a gift baby signing is!

To sign up for our weekly in-person classes click here (https://forms.gle/hznqhEkJApDNfrbG9) or email us at [email protected].