The Signing Toddler

This is a very delayed post!

Before Aki’s “Speak Now” button was pushed sometime when he was 22 months old, he liked to resort to baby sign language. I have blogged about baby sign language a couple of times here. Until now, I wonder if it somehow attributed to the delay in Aki’s speech. I just try to move forward and be thankful that we were able to effectively communicate with him most of the time when he was still pre-verbal.

I used “most of the time” because there were times when sign language actually got us quite frustrated. Whenever I taught Aki new signs and he immediate applied them, I was very happy. But what happens when he comes up with hs own signs? Crazy, I say.  How were we supposed to know that the impatient toddler was demanding for french fries when he raised his two pointer fingers? He was in my in-laws house when he first did his french fries sign. My MIL, Manang and Ate Pati offered all the food available in the kitchen before they thought of making fries.

Retirement

Last week, we decided that it is time for the playpen to retire.

Yey! Our first floor is one clutter down. Twenty thousand to go!

 A few weeks ago, we also let the bulky diaper bag retire. We love our Bebe Chic because it is  roomy. But now that Aki does not drink as much milk and  pee as often, we don’t need to bring a lot of bottles and diapers anymore. We are now using this toddler size second hand bag from Kuya Rock. I will share the contents in another post.

Interestingly, the baby bath tub came out of retirement last weekend. We stopped using it when Aki started walking.  There was no way to keep that boy still and away from the faucet.  Now there is. I bought him three small bath boats.  And he now likes to play and talk to his rubber friends. Sometimes even giving them a bath while we give him a bath.  I love this pic. I wish I was ble to video tape what just happened.  Aki was talking to his rubber ducky, did the no no sign and then pointed at the door. I think he was telling the rubber ducky that it is not allowed to go out of the bath room.

Advanced Baby Sign Language

This is Aki’s famous mouse-y mouse-y baby trick. Not really a baby sign but it is too cute not to share. Plus I don’t have a lot of  new pictures of Aki signing in action.

His current favorite is Oh, men!. It  is a light tap with immediate bounce on his forehead. It means “Ooops”. He does it when  he accidentaly drops something, or when his shoe falls off his foot or when food particles slide off his plate. What is funny is that he does it so  many times in  day to the point that I caught him doing the oh, men! sign even when he was sleeping! Hahaha

The eat and drink signs are also very helpful.  One time he was doing the eat sign several times. I told him to wait for a bit because lunch is not yet cooked. I distracted them with toys and TV.  After a few minutes, he did the eat sign again. When I tried to distract him again, he did the eat sign again but this time, forcefully! Haha. As if he was complaining and demanding to be fed right away.

Arigato or Thank you sign (bowing) after Tita opened his Yakult bottle

Baby Sign Language

Last month, Aki started showing keen interest on toothbrushing. Whenever we brushed our teeth, he would come close, ask to be carried and watch us carefully. Then just one day, Aki went near the sink and started rubbing the back of his hand against his lips. Alas! Aki’s first sign! I took that sign as a sign that Aki is ready to learn sign language.

Basketball. In the middle of eating chicharon, he did the sign for basketball to tell us what activity he wants next.

 

Now at 15 months, he knows the signs for basketball, none/no more, water, milk, book, drivey drivey, dog, toothbrush, wash hands,  shoes, eat etc. My favorites are his signs for scared and for thank you.  Early this month, we just finished our lunch at Aristocrat. Right after stepping out of the restaurant,  he kept tapping his chest (sign for scared). He then pointed his finger at the large Moriones mask that adorned the nearby Christmas tree.

Close Open = Sign for milk. We never taught Aki the usual baby trick Close Open because it might confuse him with the sign for milk.

His first phrase/sentence also involved the sign for scared. First he opened his hand as he twisted his wrists (sign for none/no more).He did the sign for scared and then pointed at the torotot. He was trying to say that he is no longer scared of the torotot which he hated last Media Noche. I find this really amazing.  His verbal vocabulary is limited to three words (mem for Mummy and iiiz and  bhuz for alis (leave) and labas (outside) yet he was able to construct and express a sentence.

 

Here is Aki doing the none/no more/all gone sign when we arrived at the unusually empty village basketball court.

I have always been interested in baby sign language. I think I first learned about it from watching Oprah many many years back. When I was pregnant, I came across this book which ignited my interest.