guest post: sign language tips for the mobile baby

as you all know, ian is an active little booger these days, so i'm totally grateful to Baby Sign Language for sharing their tips on how to communicate with a baby that won't stay still for more than two and a half seconds!!  i know these are some really awesome signs- some that i wouldn't have thought of, but will be most helpful! 

enjoy!

Baby Sign Language tips for your mobile baby

Aaaand, he’s off... somehow our kids leap from rolling over to crawling to cruising to running the halls of our home, and we feel like we barely had a chance to childproof. For parents who have graduated from the stationary stage, there are a few signs you’ll want to add to your baby’s vocabulary. And for parent who are not yet hovering under their little ones like a safety net, these are signs your should go ahead and start working on now.

Hurt

For a while you will hover over your little tike trying to catch the next tumble, but inevitably there will be falls. Teaching the sign for hurt allows you to offer warnings of situations and risks that can cause injury. It also let’s your toddler tell you of hurts if the situation occurs.

Run & Walk

Because once he masters walking, he will quickly escalate to running and you’ll need to be able to tell him when it is more appropriate to walk. Likewise, there may be times when you’ll encourage running... though, you’ll probably find yourself exerting more energy and time telling your little mobile machine to slow down.

Shoes

This can be taught while teaching all the parts of the wardrobe, but for your increasingly independent toddler shoes is one article that he may have been able to skip for outings prior to tottering on two as opposed to all fours.

On & Off

Shoes are also something that tend to go on and come off throughout the day. With these signs, you can more specifically instruct to “put your shoes on,” or “it is OK to take your shoes off, now.”

Up & Down

Handy little signs, particularly if your kiddo is a climber!

Good & Thank You

Once your child has slowed to a walk from a run, or brought you a pair of shoes for help tying, be sure to let them know that the behavior is good and that you are thankful for their cooperation.

Your baby is growing increasingly independent and sign language for babies can help strike a balance between encouragement, caution and reining in your runner and climber. Now... on your mark, get ready... GO!

Free learning resources for baby sign language inclusive of baby sign language flashcards are available to everyone at babysignlanguage.com

images courtesy of baby sign language dot com!