Search Results for: blog baby sign language

Why you Should Read to your Baby

Posted on by

Do you read to your baby? The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new guidelines that recommend that parents read to their newborn infants. Some parents may not be doing that because it never occurred to them that babies benefit from being read to. There are some very good reasons for parents to read to their babies and young children! The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that parents who read to their children nurture not only their children’s literary skills, but also much more. They have put together some easy to read information that points out the benefits that come … Continue reading →

Signing Part II

As parents my husband and I wanted to help our infant son to communicate with us what he needed and wanted.  Wanting to avoid at least some of the frustrations that come with trying to communicate with an infant (sometimes trying to interpret crying fits is futile), we started using sign language with our son when he was five months old.   After five months of signing with him, he finally started signing himself.  The first word he signed was “milk,” and lots of words followed. He started to sign “fan” and “up” and “more” and “all done” and “yogurt” and … Continue reading →

Signing Part I

I first came across the concept and practice of signing with infants when I was doing my pre pregnancy research on how to best achieve a better and healthier birth.  Once we were pregnant with our first child, a son, I came across the information again and even watched a few videos of a mother signing with her fifteen month old daughter.  The idea is that parents start using sign language with their infants for basic words e.g. “milk,” “all done,” “diaper,”  so that the infant can communicate basic needs and wants before he or she is verbal. This not … Continue reading →

Five Minute Screen Can Detect Signs of Autism

Posted on by

A brand new checklist that takes five minutes to go though can be used by parents to help doctors screen their infants for signs of autism. This five minute screen can be used on children who are as young as one year of age. This new tool gets it right about 75% of the time. In order to test out this new diagnostic tool, 137 pediatricians from San Diego County, California, were asked to participate, and use it. The doctors used the checklist as part of the 12 month well baby checkups that all babies are recommended to have. The … Continue reading →

How To Tell When Your Baby Is Tired

A well rested baby is a happy baby. A tired baby can put the whole house on edge. Getting your baby to bed before she is overtired is the trick to maintaining peace and sanity in your home. Unfortunately, your baby can’t tell you, “I’m sleepy, mom,” when she’s ready to get some shut-eye. How are you supposed to know when your baby is tired and ready to go to bed or lay down for a nap? The idea that baby’s don’t communicate with their caregivers in any way other than crying is a total myth. Have you ever seen … Continue reading →

Dogs and Cats Living Together: Body Language

Dogs and cats may not always get along, but it seems they CAN learn to understand each other. Researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel took a good long look at canines and felines who share a household. Taken individually, canine and feline body language often has opposite meanings. For example, a dog with his ears back or stretching out on his back is relaxed and even submissive. In cat speak, those behaviors are actually signs of aggression. But when the two species take up residence together, researchers have seen cats and dogs adapting their language. Dogs often greet other … Continue reading →

France Bans Baby Shows from Airwaves

French authorities are no longer allowing parents to use TVs as babysitters. If you live in France and you’ve gotten into the habit of plopping your baby in front of the TV so you can have a few minutes to get things done around the house you’re out of luck. France’s broadcast authority just announced that it plans to ban French channels from airing TV shows aimed at children under 3 years old. The reason: Experts say continuous exposure to TV decreases a child’s development. In a ruling posted yesterday France’s High Audiovisual Council said it wanted to “protect children … Continue reading →

Baby Blog Month in Review: July 2008

Two of my three children are summer babies. That is, they were born in the summer and had their first months surrounded by sunshine streaming in the windows, the sound of birds chirping, and days spent wearing nothing but a diaper and a “onsie.” I made sure that they had Fourth of July outfits ready, even though one of them arrived a week after the holiday. I guess he just wasn’t interested in the parade. Do you have a summer baby, too? We had a lot of new information to share this past month, such as recall notices and new … Continue reading →

Baby Blog Week in Review: July 21st Through July 27th

What types of activities do you like to do with your baby? Is it playing on the floor, reading or taking walks? How about cooking? Check out this past week’s articles for new activities as well as some important baby safety news and recalls. July 21st Babies Are Most Likely to Get Bitten By a Dog According to a 2006 study published by the Journal of Pediatrics, children less than one year of age were the most likely group to be bitten by a dog. What is even more disturbing, is that children less than nine years old are more … Continue reading →

My Favorite Baby Books: In My House

Exposing a baby to books and reading will set her on a wonderful path in life. Even the youngest babies enjoy being read. They love to hear mom, dad or a special caregiver’s voice, and babies do pick up a lot from being read to, from the cadence and sounds of language to actual vocabulary. Reading to your baby is also is a great way to enjoy some close bonding time. Goodnight Moon is a great book, but there are others out there that while not as well know are still little gems. With that said, I’ll be posting about … Continue reading →