When it comes to raising children, everyone feels entitled to share their opinions. As a mother of three, I’m quite familiar with unsolicited parenting advice, but it can still be frustrating. Recently, while picking up my 4-year-old from preschool with my youngest cradled on my hip, a familiar face approached me. She asked if I intended to teach my baby sign language. This caught me off guard, as I hadn’t realized that teaching infants to sign had become a common practice.
While I understand the benefits of introducing sign language to some children, I prefer to rely on my intuition when it comes to my baby’s needs. Our family operates on a busy schedule, and my baby communicates his desires quite effectively without the use of signs. Moreover, I don’t know sign language myself, so the thought of learning it just to teach my infant seems impractical. Learning another language, like Portuguese, sounds equally overwhelming—so, no thanks.
Additionally, not everyone around my baby will understand sign language. How will he communicate with relatives like his grandma or his brothers? It’s unrealistic to expect everyone to learn these signs. For example, I just taught my 91-year-old grandmother how to use social media, so I think it’s best to skip the role of sign language instructor for my family. Instead, I will focus on teaching my child universal gestures that will serve him throughout his life. These signals will be easily understood by everyone, ensuring that his intentions are clear.
Here are the ten gestures I plan to teach my baby:
- The Finger: This universal sign of disrespect can be quite expressive. If he’s anything like me, he’ll find multiple uses for it.
- The Bite Me: A cheeky gesture that can be used in various contexts. Pro-tip: It’s also great for imitating iconic dance moves.
- The Hang Ten: Known as the Shaka sign in Hawaiian culture, it promotes relaxation and positivity. A good reminder to stay cool during stressful moments.
- The World’s Smallest Violin: This gesture, created by rubbing the thumb and forefinger together, is perfect for expressing sarcasm—a valuable skill in our household.
- The Thumbs Up: A widely recognized sign of approval that transcends cultures and professions. It’s a simple way to convey positivity.
- The A-Okay: Similar to the thumbs up, this gesture signifies that everything is fine or even better than fine.
- The Cuckoo Sign: A classic gesture for when someone is speaking nonsense. I can see him using this to express his feelings about my conversations.
- The Blah-Blah-Blah: A hand movement that mimics an overly talkative person, crucial for surviving mundane discussions.
- Loser: By forming an “L” with his hand and placing it on his forehead, he can channel his inner comedian, just like a certain famous musician.
- Talk to the Hand: This one has already been mastered by my 4-year-old and will likely be passed down to the baby.
By focusing on these gestures, I believe my child will master effective communication in a fun and engaging way. For more information about family planning, you might want to check out this blog post on home insemination kit as well as this resource on intrauterine insemination, which could be useful for your journey. And if you’re looking for a reliable source for self-insemination tools, Make A Mom offers excellent products.
In summary, rather than focusing on teaching my baby sign language, I’ve chosen to impart gestures that will serve him well throughout his life. These universal signals will ensure effective communication and help him navigate his relationships with ease.