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Will learning to sign delay my kid's speech development?

   We started introducing sign language the day we brought our daughter home.  Now she is a year old and right on cue for developing speech.  Plus she can sign 20+ words!  It helps us to meet her needs and it really lowers her frustrations.  When she was at her one year well baby check, the doctor was impressed how well our daughter could understand what we were saying to her and follow simple directions.  The doctor said that it was probably because we helped her develop early communication through sign language!

How do I start teaching my baby sign language?

Start by teaching just a handful of signs, no more than three. Use signs for things that you and baby do most frequently: eat, drink, milk, all done, sleep, diaper. It doesn't matter that you use official sign laguage just so long as you and baby's caregivers are all being consistent.

What are some easy signs I can learn (and teach)?

1. Milk: put out one hand and make a grip motion with your fingers, open and shut a few times.  

2. Eat: put fingers to mouth  

3. Drink: pretend to be holding a glass and motion to your mouth as though you were drinking it.  

4. More: Draw both hands together with fingers drawn to the thumb, tapping the tips of both hands against one another.

Would seeing videos help my baby learn better?

You don't need to buy any videos or special books to start communicating with your child. Just patience and repetition.

Use the signs yourself.  Videos are great but baby will learn from watching you.