More & More Baby Sign Language: the secret-silent-sibling code
We tend to think of things as becoming twice as difficult when you multiply it by two. And in many cases, that is true. But parents of multiples know we also experience twice the fun! Teaching baby sign language to twins was going to be twice the fun and double the trouble, right?
Having already used sign language to communicate early with our older daughter, I knew the benefits of teaching BSL to our twins would be well double! I was determined to make it happen, but totally shocked at how much easier it was to teach two than to teach one. Now maybe this is just my experience, but it was like our sons were encouraging each other along the way, or maybe challenging each other is a better description. When one mastered a sign, the other was determined to get it right away, too. And once our sons learned to clap, they cheered for one another’s accomplishments!
Probably the most touching part of teaching our twins to sign was the way they interacted together and with their older sister. It became a unique language that the children bonded though by serving as mentors and teachers for one another. My daughter called it the “silent-secret-sibling code” or SSS for short.
One day I walked in on our children playing school. My daughter (as the teacher) would point to an object. If my sons signed the correct word, she gave them each a Cheerio. This was adorable and hysterical, but when the dog started to play too it really got interesting. I am not sure he earned all the Cheerios that he ate that day.
It is hard to imagine now what things would have been like without our twice the fun boys. And just as hard to imagine not being able to communicate as early and intimately as we did thanks to our silent-secret-sibling code.
Lovingly written by the sign language for babies experts at BabySignLanguage
Hi my name is Etel Leit founder and owner of SignShine, the largest parenting and signing center for hearing children in Southern California, and the publisher of BabySignShine.com. I love that you posted this article and shared your thoughts on signing with us. This was a truly adorable story. I just loved the part where your children were playing school and teaching each other how to sign, while rewarding one another with cheerios. I agree with you that signing is a wonderful bonding experience, not just for parents, but the whole family, as you too have experience.
I am devoted to working with parents, babies, children and professionals, in teaching sign language and have 19 years of experience in the field. I love that you posted this article and shared your passion for learning sign language with your child. My passion too is teaching babies and young children baby sign language as a communication tool to improve the parent child relationship. If you would like to learn more about signing please visit my website: http://www.signshine.com, so that we can connect in the future.
Thank you for this wonderful story.