Toddler Communication

Ben signs "B" for "Ben"

We started going to baby signing classes with Ben when he was maybe 9 or 10 months old or so. Partly out of curiosity, partly because it was a good way to meet other mums in the area (we'd just moved, and I needed to socialise!), and partly because I was desperate to get out of the Project that was our house. Baby signing is often based on Makaton, which is a sign language based on BSL but created specifically for children with learning difficulties. I love Makaton - I think all kids should be taught it, not just children with learning difficulties!

Ben decided, after the last class of the 2nd term, after I'd decided not to sign up for a 3rd term, to start signing. At last. So I signed up for a 3rd term and Ben finally started interacting, responding to the teacher, using the signs that he'd apparently built up an arsenal of. He might have spent the other two terms pretty much sat on my knee sucking on boobie (got quite wearing to be honest) but he was apparently just soaking it all in. He was 15 months old. Within 6 weeks he was also starting to talk as well, more than just your average "mummy" "daddy" etc. Learning new words every day, copying speech sounds, trying to get it right.

He now has a massive number of signs and words.

I tell you this story because tonight Ben and Steve were reading the Monkey Puzzle book together. Ben is getting good at reading with daddy, he tells him "oh no!" at the beginning when little monkey has lost his mummy, he signs for all the animals that we know the signs for, and says the names of the other ones.

But "snake" is a problem. He says "Ssssssss" and kind of does the sign for snake. So Steve helped him, showed him how to do it properly. Ben was really pleased, but as soon as Steve's hand let go of his, his own fingers slowly sprung back into a normal hand shape and Ben looked at his hand and said, "Oh no!" and then his face crumpled - he was really really upset that he couldn't do the sign, that his hand didn't do what it was supposed to do. He was also really really tired, it has to be said. Steve said, "Do you want to go to bed?" "Yeah." And Ben climbed down off Daddy's knee, and crumpled onto his bed, crying, devastated.

How cute is that, to get so upset about not being able to do a sign quite right?