My son Joshua’s first spoken word was “da-da.” And boy did he say it a lot. My husband was so proud! Even when he learned the signs for MOMMY and DADDY, he still said “da-da” but could ask for one of us with his signs.
When teaching the following parental signs, show others in your circle how to do it as well and ask them to sign the words whenever mom or dad approaches or when looking at photos of the individual parents.
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Mommy: Moms should make this sign and say the word whenever they approach baby.
How to make the sign: Make a 5 handshape, showing all 5 fingers. Tap your thumb at the side of your chin with your palm facing towards the left (if you’re right handed).
Tip: Female signs in American Sign Language are typically made with the chin.
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Daddy: Dads should make this sign and say the word whenever they approach baby.
How to make the sign: The thumb of the open 5 handshape taps the side of the forehead.
Tip: Male signs are typically made by the forehead.
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I love you: Use this sign with all family members and your baby.
How to make the sign: The American Sign Language (ASL) letters for I, L, and Y are combined into a single-handshape that means
“I Love You.” This popular ASL sign is often used as a gesture of farewell between friends as well.
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Sara Bingham is the author of The Baby Signing Book and the founder of WeeHands, a baby sign language program with classes across North America. Illustrations used with permission from Robert Rose Publishing from The Baby Signing Book by Sara Bingham, copyright 2007. To learn more about the author and WeeHands visit www.weehands.com
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