Many parents wonder why their baby is taking so long to start signing back. This usually is a huge cause for unnecessary concern. Always remember that your baby is going to sign back just as soon as he’s ready and not one moment sooner. Having said this, we cover in great detail in our fast track to signing program ways to expedite signing back.
I will offer you an important tip though. When you sign, be sure to choose words that mean something to your baby. You will come to be surprised by what specific things make your baby tick. One baby might be fairly normal and appreciate their bottle of MILK, or a COOKIE, while another baby might be totally floored by a ceiling FAN, or maybe the pet CAT. For this reason, I would recommend that you don’t limit the signs you teach to some set list.
Baby’s are individuals, and they will prefer to communicate about things that they find amusing. It’s true though, that most baby’s do having similar interests though. For example, food and drink are a big player in a newborns life, so all parents should introduce these signs first. However, as your baby ages, he’ll show interest in things outside of raw necessities. If your baby isn’t signing yet and you’ve been at it for at least two months, I would recommend that you drop some of the signs you’re already doing and replace them with some new signs for the things your baby tends to be attracted to. If your baby is crawling, label the things he plays with or seems to reach for or stare intently at. As mentioned before, babies have some odd interests at times….and some standard ones. However, what is key, is that you offer words to your baby which he will be motivated enough to sign back.