'SO FUN': A NANNY'S EXPERIENCE USING BABY SIGNS (Interview)

Parents are often the ones who take baby sign language classes so they can communicate with their baby before baby can talk. But learning baby sign language is helpful for anyone who spends significant time with a baby, including siblings, grandparents, daycare workers, babysitters, and other caregivers! Earlier this year, Emilie, a nanny, asked her employer if she could take the Sign, Say, and Play online Baby Signs (R) Class with her nanny charge, Emma. I asked Emilie about her experience using baby sign language with Emma.

SCBP: What reasons did you have for wanting to learn Baby Signs with your nanny baby?
Emilie:  I wanted to learn baby sign language with Emma because I knew how much it would help us communicate with each other. I have used sign language in the past in my family growing up and I was interested in trying it as a caregiver.

SCBP: What age was Emma when you began to take classes with her?
Emilie: ​Emma was seven and a half months old when we took our first class.

Emma was seven and a half months old when we took our first class.... Emma definitely enjoyed the classes.
​~Emilie, nanny

SCBP: Do you think Emma enjoyed the classes themselves? If so, how could you tell?
Emilie: Yes! Emma definitely enjoyed the classes. She would often try to reach for the screen and sometimes waved hello, too! She would also play with the toys which were part of the class, and she laughed whenever we did parachute play.

SCBP: Did you ever see Emma use Baby Signs in her daily life? What signs did she use?
Emilie: ​Yes! Emma loved to use baby signs as she grew older. Her favorite signs were "Dog", "More", "All Done", "Book", and "Fish"!

SCBP: Do you think it was helpful for her that she use signs? Can you think of a time it helped you or her family that she knew signs?
Emilie: I do think it was helpful for her to use signs. She is a very smart little one and knowing baby signs allowed her to communicate what she liked and what she wanted (and what she didn't want). We developed our own sign for angry which we would both use. There were several times I remember her starting to cry then stopping and using the sign for angry instead! It was definitely helpful to have a baby who cried less often!

"I remember her starting to cry then stopping and using the sign for angry instead! It was definitely helpful to have a baby who cried less often!"
~ Emilie

SCBP: Is there anything you would say to parents or caregivers about using baby signs with babies?
Emilie: Using baby signs is a great way to give your little one a way to communicate early on in life. When their vocabulary is bigger than just "cry" and "smile", it will surprise you how much easier it is to care for them! You can simply give them what they tell you that they want, most of the time.

SCBP: Would you recommend SCBP Baby Signs classes?
Emilie: I would definitely recommend SCBP Baby Signs Classes. They are a fun and easy way to learn a great way of communicating with your little one.

SCBP: Thank you, Emilie, for taking the time to answer these questions about your baby sign language experience!
Emilie: I am always happy to help out! And it was so fun to take the classes.

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BABY SIGN LANGUAGE RESOURCES

Sign, Say, & Play class series: six fun online classes for little ones 6-24 months old covering the main topics that you need to know to communicate with baby, including mealtime, bedtime, bath time, pets, getting dressed, and playtime

Rumble Tumble Tummy Time class series: four fun online classes for babies 2-6 months old that use signs, song, toys, and games to make tummy time fun!

Featured Freebie class: SCBP offers FREE theme-based baby sign language classes every month for children from birth to age 6! View and sign up for this month's Featured Freebie class here.

Baby Signs Too: a website with a directory of certified Baby Signs (R) instructors from around the world and lots of baby signs resources for sale, too!