At Bravo, we start teaching sign language to babies when they begin feeding themselves food (like crackers or yogurt).  This is typically around 6 months. You may notice that your child may not sign back to you until she is a little older (8-9 months).  But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start now! Children learn by demonstration and repetitiveness so the more your child’s family and caregivers sign the faster she’ll pick up on it.  

I began teaching my own daughter sign language when she was about 7 months old.  It did take a couple months for her to catch on but by the time she did she was learning new signs so quickly that by the time she was 10 months she had learned over a dozen signs!  It was certainly a great skill to show off to grandpa – he still tells everyone about how smart his granddaughter is. But the biggest win for me was being able to effectively communicate with my child.  

There are many benefits to teaching babies sign language including:

• Increased Self-Confidence.  Babies feel better about themselves if they can communicate with the people 
• Fewer tantrums!  If your child can communicate what they want with you there will be fewer tears.  
• Happier Parents.  Parents feel more confident as you are able to understand what your baby wants. 
• A Smarter Baby.  Studies show long-term benefits such as earlier reading, better grades in school, and a larger vocabulary. 

Click here  for 8 signs I recommend teaching your child first:

Bravo Employee: Amy Rasmussen