Learning Is Fun

As everyone knows, Brielle is learning sign language. This also means, we are learning sign language. Recently we talked about what this means and I don't think we'll pursue learning the entire sign language, but we will learn words that will help us continue to communicate more easily with our daughter at this young age. And I have to say, it has been fun. In the beginning I thought "
What the heck are we doing? We'll never learn this and neither will she." But she has and so have we. And it's not been a chore, but rather a fun thing for our family.

From the moment Brielle did her first sign, I must say, I was hooked. To see her little 6 month old hands do the "more" sign was the cutest, most light-bulb moment I've probably had with her and I know it's a memory that will stay with me forever. From that point on, I realized just how smart babies are and it's a wonder why they get frustrated often. It's because they are smart enough to communicate with us, but most parents are not tapping in to this valuable tool in communication. I would recommend sign language to everyone with little ones. It has opened up a world of possibilities for us and I believe we have less melt-downs, crying and frustration with Brielle because she has actually learned to communicate. Don't get me wrong, we have a long ways to go, but I do believe we have some of the more important basics working on our side.

As of right now Brielle can sign:
Eat
More
Finished
Brush Your Teeth
Drink
Potty

She also knows but isn't signing on her own yet:
Bath
Night-Night (Sleep)
Mommy
Water

And we are actively learning:
I Love You
Daddy
Book
Up
Apple

She also knows how to:
Say "bye-bye" and wave
Give kisses/smoochies when asked
Give hugs
Say "pup" (she loves her pups)
Say "mom"
Wave when you say "hi" or "hola" and can also say "hi"
Say "oh-oh" when you say it or any version of it like "oh-no" or "oopsy"
Say "bum-bum" when you change her diaper, she sits on the potty or when she toots
Knows not to touch something when you say "no thank you"

The learning just never ends and I think she amazes us daily. She will sign things as you say them to her but she also knows when to use them. For instance, when I put her on the potty and she doesn't have to go, she will sign "finished." I typically make her sit for a few more seconds just in case, but in every instance where she has signed "finished," she doesn't go potty. So she knows that if she doesn't have to go, she can let me know. If I put her on the potty and she doesn't sign "finished" right away, then I know that she will go potty. So she's not signing just because we ask her to. She definitely knows the right time to use her signs.

For anyone interested in signing with your child, I will say this. It is not a chore, nor does it take a bunch of extra time or effort. Once you get into the swing of things, it just comes naturally. My suggestion is to start small and sign the one or two things that you may use most often. For us, we started with "more" and "finished" while feeding Brielle. It made the most sense and it was an action we performed often. The idea is to physically take their hands and help them do the sign until they get it. So for instance, you give them a bite of food, they swallow and then you say "more" while signing it, then take their hands and sign it while saying "more," then proceed to give them more food. It felt like we were saying and performing the action a million times before she got it, but from that moment forward, we knew it was all worth it. Once your child has learned one or two signs, move forward with a few more. After Brielle had learned a few signs, we only took her hands and made her do the sign every once in a while; not every time. She watches us and is actually picking things up on her own. There have been a few signs where she just did it without us even realizing she was learning it. We, as adults, highly under-estimate what our children are capable of learning. I often think, "wow, our girl is smart." But really, every baby is smart, it's just their parents aren't tapping into it like they could.

And if you're wondering how old your child should be when you start, I would say to start as young as possible. We started with Brielle at 4 months but I've seen videos of babies signing by the age of 4 months. Every baby is different so don't set your expectations high. Also, if your baby makes a gesture that is similar to the sign you've been teaching them, then they are probably getting it. Their little hands and co-ordination may not be perfect in the beginning so just be patient and accept whatever they are giving you. They are doing the best they can and as time goes on and as their co-ordination get's better, they will also learn to sign better.

The same goes for potty training. Parent's don't tap in to this early enough, although I don't really like the words potty training for this age group. There is a term out there that I don't think many have ever heard of and it's called EC (Elimination Communication). There is a website called DiaperFreeBaby.org who promote EC and here is what they have to say:

Elimination Communication (EC) is NOT potty training. It is a gentle, natural, non-coercive process by which a baby, preferably beginning in early infancy, learns with the loving assistance of parents and caregivers to communicate about and address his or her elimination needs. This practice makes conventional potty training unnecessary.

Parents and caregivers who practice EC are often surprised by just how quickly they begin to experience clear and consistent communication with their infant; next to this, early potty independence is seen only as a frequently-occurring side benefit. Many EC'ing families experience first-hand what families in traditional cultures around the world have known for centuries: that by the age at which American parents are told to watch for supposed signs of "readiness" for toilet-learning, their children have already achieved toilet independence.

What about the studies showing babies have no control?
Based on the evidence of human history, it is unlikely that the natural age at which babies are ready to become actively involved with responding to their elimination needs is as late as currently practiced in our society. Certainly, the exclusive dependence on diapering during the first year of a child's life can influence his ability to control his bladder and bowels.

Does this mean you don't use diapers at all?
DiaperFreeBaby celebrates the ability of babies to be "free" from (not dependent on) diapers and does not require or expect all families to avoid the use of diapers altogether. Rather, DiaperFreeBaby recommends parents and caregivers use whatever clothing and/or diapering system that best allows them to pursue communication about the child's elimination needs without undue stress on either party.  
When I first heard about EC, I was skeptical and frankly, I thought that people who did this were just a tad bit crazy. But then out of no-where (actually, after reading an article on Pinterest), I decided to put Brielle on the potty one day and she pooped within 30 seconds. I was hooked and still am. Now I put Brielle on the potty numerous times per day, she pee's when she has to, poops when she has to and the experience is very rewarding and non-stressful for both of us. In no way does she have an issue with going to the bathroom on the toilet. She signs "potty" when I mention that she's going to go on the potty and she has never once cried while on the toilet. On average, we have at least 1 poop on the potty and at least 2 pee's on the potty per day. I think that's pretty good for a 10 month old baby. We plan on continuing EC with Brielle, even though I know so many people think we're crazy for doing this. But I truly believe this positive experience will make it much easier for mommies and baby when the time comes to totally switch her to big girl panties.

With EC, you are probably wondering how early you can start. I have a friend who started her daughter at 1 week old, so I recommend starting as early as you are comfortable with. Brielle was 9 months old when we started and she is doing just fine. I personally like the age group where they can sit up well on their own, but that's just me. Use your best judgment and do what's right for you and your baby.

If you want to learn any signs, I highly recommend going to youtube. You can find anything there. And if you have any questions about baby sign language or EC, I would be happy to answer them to the best of my ability. Shoot me an email at crystaldyck@gmail.com or leave a comment.