Understanding baby language made easy: Parent-child communication through simple gestures (hand signals) and gestures for relaxed cooperation.
Before children learn to speak, they have a lot to say. However, the communication options are still limited to whining and screaming. So what to do if the baby is crying? What does it want? Young parents can often only puzzle over what the offspring mean.
A trend from America is supposed to help: baby sign language. In the USA, "baby signing" courses are as natural as baby swimming is in Germany. Communication between parents and toddlers works better with baby-friendly gestures. Because hand-eye coordination develops much earlier than oral motor skills, i.e. the ability to express oneself verbally. This gives parents the opportunity to communicate with their children using selected signs from German sign language.
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Learning the baby signs
The baby hand signs are taught by showing them in emotionally meaningful situations parallel to the spoken word. In the baby sign courses, children's songs are sung, among other things, with the parents performing the appropriate signs under supervision. After a certain time, the child uses the baby signs learned in a playful way to express themselves. One of the best-known baby gestures is waving, which is taught to toddlers to say goodbye. In such courses, the participants learn between 60 and 100 hand signals for everyday terms such as mom, dad, cat, dog, food, drink, pacifier …
You can start with a baby signing course at the age of six to nine months, namely when the child is able to use his hands in a targeted manner. Verbal communication begins around the age of twelve months. Even if the child can already speak a few words, their vocabulary is still quite limited. Sign language helps here too. Because there are far fewer situations in which the children are frustrated because mom once again did not understand what was wanted or meant. Baby gestures are supposed to alleviate the defiant phase, as they give the child a feeling of security and it is better understood. With the use of signs, you can achieve less whining through better communication. As soon as the child can speak the initially signed words, he or she does without the hand signals.
Signs are of course existential for children with language development disorders or Down's syndrome, who can express themselves only to a very limited extent and late without signing.
Pros and cons of sign language for hearing children
In 1990, American linguists in a study of several American deaf families in which American sign language was used showed that sign language had an advantage over time. The hearing babies of deaf parents started signing their first words at an average of seven months. So about three months before they said their first word.
However, so far there are no comprehensive scientific studies on sign language for hearing babies. Proponents believe that language development is encouraged. Opponents, on the other hand, argue that no additional means of communication are required for normal child development. At least it won't hurt children if they learn sign language before they speak. A delay in normal language development could not be observed.
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