A mother signs “eat” to her daughter before dinner. Experts recommend teaching infants a few basic signs first, such as “bottle,” “eat” and “more.” (Courtesy of “Sign with Your Baby.”)
Interestingly, neither the mom nor the child was deaf.
“I thought this was really neat,” said the Berkeley, Calif., pediatrician. “The baby was about a year old and was basically telling her mom what she needed, and they were going back and forth.”
Dr. Berberich stumbled on a concept that seems to be gaining momentum — teaching infants as young as 6 months to use gestures to communicate before they are able to speak.
Proponents say giving babies a way to make their wants and needs known reduces their frustration and the temper tantrums that often arise when children can’t...
