Last Tuesday evening I was bathing my son Toby when he started splashing like crazy, water everywhere. Had an epiphany – bath time’s perfect for baby sign language! Grabbed that little laminated chart from mommy blogs and picked five simple gestures to test.
The Gesture Hunt
First found “water” – easy peasy, just wiggle three fingers near your mouth. Demonstrated it while pouring warm water on Toby’s belly. He blinked twice then kicked his legs laughing. Progress!
Daily Trial Runs
Next three nights kept signing during splash time. Added “more” by tapping fingertips together, “all done” with hands flipped out, and “soap” by rubbing fists in circles. Toby stared at my hands like they were magic wands. Funny moment when he tried copying “soap” and accidentally slapped the bubble bottle – bubbles everywhere!
The Breakthrough
Friday bath changed everything. Toby suddenly did the “more” sign right after I stopped pouring water! Nearly dropped the cup in shock. Made sure to cheer extra loud – he responded with open-mouth giggles.
Now our nightly routine looks like this:
- Start with “water” sign while filling tub
- Use “soap” during washing
- “More” for extra pouring games
- “All done” when draining water
- Extra victory “more” sign when drying off
One Month Later
Toby now initiates “all done” by shaking his hands when water cools down. Still mixes up “water” and “soap” sometimes but whatever – least my bathroom floor ain’t permanent lake anymore. Pro tip: start with just two signs per week or baby gets cranky and splashes revenge water at your face.
Biggest lesson?
Don’t stress about textbook perfection. Made up our own slap-happy version of “towel” rubbing our heads. Toby thinks it’s hilarious – that’s what matters.
