Being a First Child, the Taller Girl was fair game for every baby fad that might happen to come along, one of which was Baby Sign Language. The theory is, kids find Sign easier to learn, in the first instance, than talking, so if you start off teaching them some sign in the early months you can get communication happening earlier than it might otherwise do, and not only does this potentially mean Early Talking (and we all like Early Talking - more on this later) but also it is far pleasanter for the baby herself to be able to make her needs understood, and all-round makes you and your Small Person have a happier time. And we all like happier times too.
So I was up for that, and I decided that the best time to go for teaching her signs was when she was sitting up for solid food, since not only was she strapped down and a helpless victim for my experimentation (hah!) the idea of food was very motivating for her. I didn't pay much attention to whether the signs I chose were "real" signs in ASL or Auslan, since I figured it didn't make much difference at this point so long as I was consistent. So I started off with two - a cup-drinking motion with thumb and little finger extended for "drink" and a "T" for "toast".
For a month or so I taught her these conscientiously at every mealtime, making the sign each time before I handed her the object, with very little obvious result. And then one day she's sitting there eating her toast, and looking thoughtfully at the cup and ... she does the sign for "drink"! And I give her the drink. And this absolutely beatific expression comes across her little face - like, "Hey! I move my hand like this and I can make them DO STUFF! Whoa, the power!"
The next day, she figured out she could get the same effect by grunting and pointing. She never actually made a hand sign again.
Now I have always told this story as a kind of joke against myself - the best laid plans of mice and mums... But it's actually not really. It has taken years, and two more children, for me to finally get what the actual point of the story is. The point is not "hey, you think you're in control of these Small Folk but actually they have their own agendas and are tricksier than you think." Though this is undoubtedly true. But the point is actually -
only eight months old and already she can point with a pointing finger! Woohoo! Go you Tiny Girl!
Pointing with a pointing finger was one of my goals for the Small Boy in the first part of the year, and he's picked it up like a champ - but we had to work on it. It didn't "just happen" like it did with the Sisters. So, pointing at eight months versus pointing at a bit over three years. It's a bit of a difference. Pointing is not one of those things like crawling or walking or saying their first words that everyone in Mums group is constantly picking over and comparing between children and wondering if their kid is picking up fast enough. But it should be. It's important. And every time I see my Small Boy grunt and point at something, I remember it.
No comments:
Post a Comment