I know it's a little late for Mother's Day, but I couldn't resist taking the opportunity to post the video for the sign for "Mommy"
There's nothing better than when your baby says "mommy" for the first time. Except when they begin to sign it long before they can speak!
Check out the video and share this sign with your own children :)
Oh, and I'm really excited to have a picture of my daughter and me in the video...yes that's me rocking the earmuffs! Enjoy!
May 21, 2010
May 7, 2010
Giving Your Child an Emotional Head Start
So what plays more of a role in the emotional development of our children; our genes or our actions? It is the classic Nature vs. Nuture question. Are our children somehow predestined to act a certain way; or are they a blank slate -left for us to mold into who we want them to become? The answer is neither....or both, depending on how you want to look at it.
Drs. Goodwyn and Acredolo have a wonderfull book called Baby Hearts
that addresses just this point. Researchers tell us that there are four inborn temperments in babies - Easy, Difficult, Slow-to-Warm, and Active (there's your nature). As parents, it is up to us to "plant the seeds of faith, truth, and love" in order to help our children develop good character, virtue, and happiness into their lives (there's your nurture).
I've never had a mother say to me that she just didn't care what kind of person her child grew up to be. On the contrary, most mothers will tell you that they just want their children to be happy. Of course the word "happy" conjures up different images for all people - but all are dependent on healthy emotional development. And as with most lessons in life, the sooner you begin to learn, the more lasting the impression will be.
Teaching young infants, toddlers and preschoolers the signs for emotions such as "happy", "grumpy", "sad", "mad", "silly", and any others that are fitting, will allow them to understand their emotions at an early age - and the emotions of others. Understanding emotions is part of healthy development.
Food for thought: Children who do not have a good handle on expressing their emotions are more apt to have low self-esteem, and bully others when faced with difficult emotional situations.
Drs. Goodwyn and Acredolo have a wonderfull book called Baby Hearts
that addresses just this point. Researchers tell us that there are four inborn temperments in babies - Easy, Difficult, Slow-to-Warm, and Active (there's your nature). As parents, it is up to us to "plant the seeds of faith, truth, and love" in order to help our children develop good character, virtue, and happiness into their lives (there's your nurture).I've never had a mother say to me that she just didn't care what kind of person her child grew up to be. On the contrary, most mothers will tell you that they just want their children to be happy. Of course the word "happy" conjures up different images for all people - but all are dependent on healthy emotional development. And as with most lessons in life, the sooner you begin to learn, the more lasting the impression will be.
Teaching young infants, toddlers and preschoolers the signs for emotions such as "happy", "grumpy", "sad", "mad", "silly", and any others that are fitting, will allow them to understand their emotions at an early age - and the emotions of others. Understanding emotions is part of healthy development.
Food for thought: Children who do not have a good handle on expressing their emotions are more apt to have low self-esteem, and bully others when faced with difficult emotional situations.
April 27, 2010
Manners Are Important
There's nothing more adorable than children who use their manners
. Teaching children at a young age to use "please" and "thank you" sets the ground work for them to become polite, respectful
adults.
As with anything, the younger you teach your children (or other people's children) to use their manners, the sooner it becomes second nature. This is another great way to benefit from using sign with your small children.
My 13 month old daughter has just started what I like to refer to as the "verbal explosion." She has begun repeating every word she hears and spends hours during the day practicing her favorites. For the last week it has been "please" and "thank you." Not only has she learned the words, but she understands the concepts! If you have something that she wants (which is ALL the time) she will simply walk up to you and put an open hand to her chest, moving it in a circular pattern--the sign for please. After she gets what she wants she says "te-too". I know, how adorable! She will spend quite some time "finding" things to give you just so that she can remind you to say thank you.
My point in bragging about this is that she is 13 months old!!!! I have to say that in my experience with non-signing children, very few of them at this age can get past the frustration of trying to tell you what they want, let alone use their manners when asking for it.
Whether you use sign regularly or not, whether you have an infant, a toddler or a preschooler -- if manners are something that you want to instill in your children, teach them these two signs, and use them regularly. For the older kids, it will be a game -- one they will have fun with, for the younger ones, it will be a way to communicate with you...it's a win-win!
PLEASE: place one, open hand over chest and move in a circular pattern
THANK YOU: Touch finger tips of one or both hands to chin and pull forward
Oh, and just for fun, here's a little song we like to sing about manners: (tune of "where is thumbkin")
PLEASE AND THANK YOU
PLEASE AND THANK YOU
ARE SO NICE
ARE SO NICE
MANNERS ARE IMPORTANT
MANNERS ARE IMPORTANT
BE POLITE
BE POLITE
. Teaching children at a young age to use "please" and "thank you" sets the ground work for them to become polite, respectful adults. As with anything, the younger you teach your children (or other people's children) to use their manners, the sooner it becomes second nature. This is another great way to benefit from using sign with your small children.
My 13 month old daughter has just started what I like to refer to as the "verbal explosion." She has begun repeating every word she hears and spends hours during the day practicing her favorites. For the last week it has been "please" and "thank you." Not only has she learned the words, but she understands the concepts! If you have something that she wants (which is ALL the time) she will simply walk up to you and put an open hand to her chest, moving it in a circular pattern--the sign for please. After she gets what she wants she says "te-too". I know, how adorable! She will spend quite some time "finding" things to give you just so that she can remind you to say thank you.
My point in bragging about this is that she is 13 months old!!!! I have to say that in my experience with non-signing children, very few of them at this age can get past the frustration of trying to tell you what they want, let alone use their manners when asking for it.
Whether you use sign regularly or not, whether you have an infant, a toddler or a preschooler -- if manners are something that you want to instill in your children, teach them these two signs, and use them regularly. For the older kids, it will be a game -- one they will have fun with, for the younger ones, it will be a way to communicate with you...it's a win-win!
PLEASE: place one, open hand over chest and move in a circular pattern
THANK YOU: Touch finger tips of one or both hands to chin and pull forward
Oh, and just for fun, here's a little song we like to sing about manners: (tune of "where is thumbkin")
PLEASE AND THANK YOU
PLEASE AND THANK YOU
ARE SO NICE
ARE SO NICE
MANNERS ARE IMPORTANT
MANNERS ARE IMPORTANT
BE POLITE
BE POLITE
April 20, 2010
Sign for Ball
Watch this great video with your little ones and learn the sign for "Ball". The powers-that-be over at Baby Signs, Inc have teamed up with the Baby Einstein creators to come up with some pretty fun DVDs to help teach you baby to sign. This one's part of the Park Signs
Also, if you are interested in getting any of these DVDs for your home collection, Baby Signs is running a great BOGO deal right now...check it out
Also, if you are interested in getting any of these DVDs for your home collection, Baby Signs is running a great BOGO deal right now...check it out
April 15, 2010
Fun for Preschoolers
Nothing excites me more than watching children's faces light up when they are excited! I have incorporated the Sign, Say & Play(R) classes into my own circle time at my day care, and I have to tell you, it is a riot!!! The class is all about signing and dancing and of course learning new signs.
We've really been spending a lot of time on the park signs to go along with the great weather we've been having. A few days this week I was blessed to have my cousin's children attend the day care, and while they are not exposed to signing on a daily basis, you wouldn't know it when watching them dance around the room signing away! I even caught the oldest (now 3) signing herself to sleep at naptime to the "pretty butterfly" song...too cute!!!
Something I have noticed this week, especially since I have had a lot of 3 and 4 year olds at the day care, is that introducing sign isn't just for the little ones. The preschool age children LOVE to sing and dance, and learning sign is an extra bonus. Like I told one of my parents the other day, they enjoy doing it because it is like a game to them -- something they can do with their hands :)
If you have been thinking about getting your children involved in signing but haven't because you feel they may be too old to actually get something from it, or even enjoy it; you couldn't be more mistaken. My advise would be to go for it -- find a sign class near you and enroll, it will be worth it. These classes (at least the Baby Signs(R) ones) aren't set up to be some monotonous educational workshop, but are set up to be PLAY CLASSES! In my experience, it is fun for all ages!!!
We've really been spending a lot of time on the park signs to go along with the great weather we've been having. A few days this week I was blessed to have my cousin's children attend the day care, and while they are not exposed to signing on a daily basis, you wouldn't know it when watching them dance around the room signing away! I even caught the oldest (now 3) signing herself to sleep at naptime to the "pretty butterfly" song...too cute!!!
Something I have noticed this week, especially since I have had a lot of 3 and 4 year olds at the day care, is that introducing sign isn't just for the little ones. The preschool age children LOVE to sing and dance, and learning sign is an extra bonus. Like I told one of my parents the other day, they enjoy doing it because it is like a game to them -- something they can do with their hands :)
If you have been thinking about getting your children involved in signing but haven't because you feel they may be too old to actually get something from it, or even enjoy it; you couldn't be more mistaken. My advise would be to go for it -- find a sign class near you and enroll, it will be worth it. These classes (at least the Baby Signs(R) ones) aren't set up to be some monotonous educational workshop, but are set up to be PLAY CLASSES! In my experience, it is fun for all ages!!!
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