I started signing with my hearing daughter when she was 6 months old. Originally, my goal was to be able to communicate with her before she could talk. As she grew, signing became so much more than that! She’s now 7 years old and, looking back, I can’t help but think of all the little “moments” that I would have missed if we didn’t have baby sign language! It truly opens up a window into your child’s mind.
One day, when my daughter was about 14 months old, she started tugging at my jeans frantically signing SQUIRREL and pointing out the window. I had my hands full so, without looking out the window, I smiled, signed SQUIRREL and went back to what I was doing. A moment later, she tugged again and signed SQUIRREL + CHEESE. “What?!” I thought. So, I went over to the window and to my surprise there was a squirrel sitting outside with a huge piece of pizza in his mouth! My daughter and I made eye contact again, and laughed and laughed!! I will never forget that moment (and many others after!) She couldn’t say, “Hey Mom, check out this squirrel, he’s eating pizza!” All she needed were 2 signs: SQUIRREL + CHEESE! I knew then that signing would always be a part of our lives, and I was going to share it with as many families as I possibly could. ~Kelly Konieczki, Signing Time Academy Associate Director, Instructor, Momcat’s Signing Academy
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