Signing - The Secret to Tantrum Free Toddlers

By Nancy Cadjan

Signing has short-term benefits for your baby—the reduction in frustration and the ability to communicate—that are really important. It also has long-term benefits—increased vocabulary, IQ, and interest in reading—that will help your child as he grows and matures. What you are doing now will help lay an important foundation for your child’s educational mindset. He will enjoy learning and will develop the necessary skills to learn well.

In addition to the benefits for your child, signing with your baby will help you have a more enjoyable relationship with your child. You will be less stressed out and will be able to understand his specific needs instead of guessing what that cry at 3:00 a.m. means. As your baby grows, you will have less of the “terrible twos” to deal with than other parents. This is because most of the tantrums come from your baby’s inability to specifically tell you what he needs. Without this skill, he is left with what he knows—crying. If you teach him to sign, he will have another tool to use to let you know what he needs and that means fewer tantrums.

Why Signing Works So Well
What is it about signing with your baby that helps children develop more than just an ability to communicate? Parents express that their children who sign tend to be well-adjusted, more even tempered, more polite, and generally better learners. Why? Scientists have shown that certain factors in the first years can help children develop to their full potential. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, these include the following:

• Feeling special and valued

• Feeling safe and loved

• Knowing what to expect from their environment

• Having guidance

• Experiencing a balance of freedom and limits

• Being exposed to language (and to more than one if possible)

• Being exposed to play, exploration, books, music, and age-appropriate toys

Using sign language with your baby will help you do all of these things. The environment you create for your child really does affect him, and when you use sign language, you are given extra tools to help facilitate learning and growth in your baby.

Adults are often confused as to how to communicate with a baby, and how to create a positive environment in the home and surrounding community. Some parents become very frustrated by the fact that much of the time, they cannot communicate effectively with their baby during a time that is so crucial to development. Lacking an effective way to communicate, some parents give up and stop trying to interact with their child, thinking that they will do this at a later time when their baby is past the “Eat, Sleep, and Poop” stage and is talking.

By interacting with your child in the earliest stages, you can develop communication and language skills, identify developmental problems earlier, create a stimulating environment, and have a positive parenting experience. Your relationship becomes a two-way interaction instead of just a custodial relationship where all you do is make sure your baby is fed and clean. When you sign with your baby, you and your baby participate together in his development. Amazing!