By Candice Silsby

How many times have you seen a pre-verbal child try to communicate? For the numerous years that I worked with babies and toddlers their communicating stage was a constant fascination. As a teacher of children under three years, I often interacted with children, at this stage, who would persist with non-verbal action cues, until I understood exactly what they were trying to tell me.

I have been literally lead around by the hand all over the room or the play yard. In my younger days I took the spiritual approach to the challenge- tuning in my sixth sense to the baby and toddler mind and using my instincts to tune into non-verbal communication. As a more mature adult, I realize that my “sixth sense” tuning fork may have empowered me, but not necessarily the child.

It is only recently that I have learned about the concept of teaching pre-verbal babies and toddlers sign language! What perfect logic, teaching American sign language to children that often use their hands to gesture in an attempt to communicate with less intelligent adults. At the toddler stage children have far more to say then there physical verbal mechanism allow- they are a whole year old, after all.

Toddlers have had numerous months of observing older children and adults communicate through speech and verbal annunciation. They have observed the world around them, vibrant colors and shapes all new and stimulating. They have witnessed the actions of others and their interactions with others. Most of all they have experienced their own drastic changes and relation to the world.

Can you imagine transitioning from flat on your back to quadruped mobility to biped mobility all in under two years. It is only natural that they would have many things to say! Naturally, for a number of reasons, pre-verbal children eagerly take to sign language.

I have discovered the delightful “Baby Signs” a DVD and board book set that teaches pre-verbal children sign language available at my website, work wonders. My friend has been babysitting another friend’s toddler and the transition has been difficult for him. What’s more the other boys in the babysitting co-op are older and have developed speech and annunciation.

In the middle of an afternoon of tears, my friend put the DVD on for the babysitting co-op toddler and he really took to it. He mimicked the signs, a predominate way toddlers learn, and began to use them. He stopped crying and became interested and focused on learning the baby signs.

It is also really for older siblings and friends to learn. Naturally, they can help facilitate the process for the little ones, while at the same time having fun and learning the signs themselves. What a wonderful family experience! It shows that a child can begin to learn the language of signing and continue to develop this skill for years to come.

Best of all the pre-verbal child(ren) are empowered and have their own special way to communicate. It is a wonderful way to transition to the spoken word and it reinforces learning to speak.

About the Author
Candice Silsby has an extensive background in Early Childhood Education and Human Dev elopement. She have six years experience working with young children as a pre-school teacher and caregiver for children under 3. She worked with special ed children for two years. She has eight years experience as a child entertainer and currently has her own business doing puppet shows for children. She is a Discovery Toys Educational Consultant because the toys are educational and developmentally appropriate. These toys meet the high scrutiny of her Developmental Education background. Discovery Toys improve the quality of life for children and families therefore the world.

by Angela Renee

The word mother and mothers day are simple, yet powerful little words that you hear all the time especially so around the time of mothers day when everyone seem to be scrambling for ideas to say thank you, you are surely loved and you are appreciated all over again.

But if you would just take time out, you would realize that useful hints were probably being dropped all alone and throughout the year. In fact, with that special day being only a few weeks away, some of your thoughts at this time can range anywhere from what are you going to do for your mother, spouse or other loved one to should it be a product gift or something more personal. If it is the product route, how can it be made more personalized? If it is the gift of time, how can it be made more personal?

Mothers Day for some will be welcomed with feelings of excitement while for others it may be a day of mixed feelings especially so if the mother you will honor has lost a child to tragedy. So that is why whenever you wish to honor someone in your own little way, you should consider where that person may be in their life and then the event. Many people say that it’s the thought that counts and yes that’s a very good point but so is too know a person and mother’s day is no exception.

To give you some examples, consider a single mother who’s been struggling to raise her children and doing it all alone in every sense of the word, what would make her day on mother’s day? What about a seventy-two year old mother who has raised her children but suddenly took on the new responsibilities of raising her grand children, what would she possibly want or deserve?

Sure a bouquet of flowers or some other last minute gift would be nice and probably get you off the hook but what would that mother really want to do for that special day? Would she want to spend her day filled with family and special friends or have a day of being responsibility free? If you were in that person’s shoes, which would you hope that someone would honor you with for mother’s day?

You see mothers day or any other day can be made more personal when you put some careful thought into your gift idea. What else would that mother enjoy? What has she wanted to do for a long time? What has she not gotten to experience in her lifetime? How can you really show her she is appreciated?

Even a gift that is accompanied with a carefully written letter or note with meaning can put a smile on a mother’s face! Yes, I know this will not work for all moms but that’s why in the article it says that YOU need to really know that person. So please just remember it really is the thought that counts especially when you did take some time out to put some thought into your mother’s day gift.

Oh, one last thing, I invite you to help every day become a Mother’s Day. By the way moms, it is ok to drop hints about how you would like to spend your special day and with hope, your spouse, partner, or other loved one will graciously honor your small request. After all, mother’s day on the calendar only comes once a year.

Copyright 2004 – 2005 Worlds Best Mothers Guide

About the Author
Hi, my name is Angela Renee a wife, a mother of three and an infopreneur that works to support all mothers especially those with newborns and pre-teens with every single aspect of their life as a woman, as a partner in a relationship, as a mother and so much more at www.worlds-best-mothers-guide.com.

You waited nine months for this moment. From the time you took that first pregnancy test you looked forward to bringing your baby home from the hospital. While in the hospital you probably thought to yourself that it was going to be a breeze. After all, your baby is sleeping most of the time, only waking occasionally to eat. You might even find yourself thinking that it is a little boring at this point with the baby. However, the babymoon period will be over before you know it and you may find that you are beginning to have a difficult time with the changes.

Be Prepared
Prior to coming home from the hospital, be sure that you are ready to bring your baby home. Decide where your baby is going to sleep and have that area prepared. Have an area all set up and ready for when you need to change diapers with a pad, diapers, wipes, and any ointment or powder you might need. Have your baby’s clothes washed, clean and ready for you to just put them on him, along with extra onesies and socks available for when you need them. If you are prepared then the time will go much smoother.

Remain Flexible
Your baby will probably demand a lot of your time. Any schedule you were previously on in your household will probably not be able to be maintained. It may be 4:30 and time to start dinner so that you can eat at 5:00, but the baby has just woken up and is hungry. By the time you have gotten done feeding him, he needs his diaper changed. While you are changing his diaper you figure you might as well put on a fresh, clean outfit. When you look at the clock it is 5:30, and dinner has not been started, and you have other family members who are getting hungry. Learning to be flexible is a big stepping stone in becoming a parent, not only for the new mom, but for the rest of the family.

Don’t Lose Touch
Throughout pregnancy you probably met other women who were pregnant as well. Be sure not to lose touch with them during the first few months of your baby’s life, because these women are going to understand exactly what you are going through. They are going to understand the middle of the night feedings, the all night parties, the napless days, and the generally crying and fussiness that you are going through. These women will become your biggest allies.

Don’t Fight It
The facts are your life has changed. Eight hours of uninterrupted sleep is just not possible at this time. If you are lucky by the time your baby is a few weeks old he will only be waking up once at night, however in most cases babies wake up several times a night for a very long time. Since your baby can feel your stress, tension and frustration, just try to relax. If you can’t change a fact, why try. It will only make for a more difficult time for all of you.

Getting Out
Unless there is a medical reason why your doctor or your baby’s pediatrician has told you not to take the baby out of the house, there is generally no reason why you can not get out of the house with your newborn. Go to the mall and walk around for a while. Take your baby to a park and tell him about the ducks in the water. Take him over to a friend’s house, or to a relative just to sit back and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee. While you love being around your baby, having a conversation with another adult could do you a world of good.

If It Is Offered, Accept
You should accept any and all offers people give you to help. Whether it is to bring you over a meal, take you out to lunch, or just to sit with the baby while you take a nice long hot shower. You are going to have a lot of responsibility resting all on your shoulders and a little break is definitely nice.

Don’t Worry About Spoiling Your Baby
You can not spoil a baby under six months old. Many doctors say you can not spoil an infant before their first birthday. These first few months are the time when your baby bonds with you, and learns that when he needs you, you will be there. Don’t be afraid to hold your baby and respond to all his needs. At the same time, if your baby is fed, clean and for all intents and purposes should be happy but is crying, don’t be afraid to leave him in his bed or another safe place for a while so that you can go and get things done that you need to get done.

By Elizabeth Pantley, Author of Gentle Baby Care

Babies love music, and music is good for their development. If you can’t carry a tune, don’t fret. There are lots of ways to bring music into your baby’s life.

Learn about it
For hundreds of years, mothers have crooned their babies to sleep with lullabies, fathers have sung nursery rhymes to their toddlers, and families have made folk music a part of everyday life. Why? Because music is calming, music facilitates language development, and most of all, music is enjoyable for both parents and children. Recent studies have even indicated that exposure to classical music might even increase a baby’s intelligence ¾ the “Mozart Effect.” Regardless, it is clear that the more music your baby hears and the more “musical” connections her brain makes, the more music will play a role in her later life.

Music and your baby
Studies have shown that even within the womb, a baby responds to music and melody. Hearing is fully developed by the third trimester, and when a fetus hears a tune over and over again, she will recognize ¾ and feel comforted by ¾ that tune after her birth. If classical music is played for premature babies, their heart rates slow down and their breathing steadies, showing that the music helps to relieve stress. For your upset baby, music can serve the very practical purpose of calming her down. Your baby doesn’t care whether you are completely tone deaf or an opera star, as long as she hears the comforting sound of your voice. Here are some ideas for how to introduce your newborn to singing and music:

When your baby is upset, hold her close to you, sing to her, and dance and sway with the music. The combination of close body contact, movement, and music can do wonders to soothe a crying baby.

Try singing and listening to a variety of different types of music to see how your baby reacts. When she is upset or sleepy, she may respond to lullabies. When she is cheerful, she may love to dance to your favorite pop song with you. When she is quiet and alert, she may like to listen to classical music.

Sing the songs or lullabies you remember from your childhood; you may find yourself tearing up as you do. If you don’t remember the words to the songs, check out a book from the library ¾ or, even better, ask your mother or father. Recorded music has its place, of course, but be sure to also give your baby the gift of your own experience with music.

Use music to let your baby know what is happening and to establish comforting routines:

By Jackie Durnin

From all the studies conducted in this field the benefits of introducing your baby to sign language are vast.

Baby sign language
Can empower your baby to communicate with those around them before they are able to speak.  This means that your baby may be able to communicate what they want when they want it. It may also enable them to initiate a conversation about topics that interest them. Furthermore it bridges the gap between no language and spoken language.

Can reduce frustration for both you and your baby.
Sign language may allow your baby to tell you what they want, what’s wrong or what hurts. Therefore your baby may experience less frustration, tantrums and crying. If your baby is able to communicate their basic needs to you, it means you do not have to try and interpret their cries. Sign language can help reduce those tear-filled frustrated moments.

Can enrich the parent-child relationship.
By introducing baby sign language into your home, you are enhancing the bond with your baby. The nature of Baby sign communication leads you and your baby towards responding to each other in turn and this is a really valuable skill. Signing involves daily interactions with your baby that will eventually lead to a two-way conversation.

Can provide an insight into your baby’s mind and who they really are.
Baby sign language allows your baby to initiate a conversation with you about what they are interested in. It allows you to see what they are thinking, what they are interested in and what the world looks like from their view. All this before your baby can talk!

Can stimulate intellectual development and improve memory.
Children are fascinated with sign language and often pay greater attention to what is being taught when it is involved. It has also been shown that when children learn a word in conjunction with the sign, they are more likely to remember the meaning of the word.

Can accelerate the speech process.
Research has shown that children who use sign language may acquire spoken language faster than non-signing children.

Can enhance a baby’s confidence, self-esteem and self-expression.
Due to a baby’s ability to communicate their needs, wants and interests through signing, a baby may become more confident.

Baby sign language can stimulate brain development and potentially increase your baby’s I.Q.
Teaching sign language can stimulate your baby’s brain development. Research has illustrated that signing babies achieve higher scores on future I.Q. tests (up to 12 I.Q. points higher) than children who learn to speak in the traditional manner.

Signing can stimulate brain development as when learning sign language you use both the right and left hemisphere of the brain compared to learning a spoken language, which only uses the brain’s left hemisphere. This use of both hemispheres results in the brain building more synapses.

Children who keep up sign language are effectively bilingual.
By introducing your baby to signs from Australian Baby Hands, you are introducing your baby to a second language. Brain research suggests that language skills are acquired best in the first years of a baby’s life. Also, by introducing Auslan to your baby and continuing to use this wonderful language after they can speak, you are giving your child the gift to communicate with the Australian deaf and hard of hearing community in sign language.

About the Author:
Jackie Durnin is the Author of “Australian Baby Hands”, the first book to use Auslan, Australian Sign Language to communicate with your baby. Australian Baby Hands is currently being implemented by parents and Childcare centres around Australia. For more details go to www.australianbabyhands.com where you can register for your “FREE” alphabet chart. For further information info@australianbabyhands.com.

Your baby wants to communicate with you! He really does, even if he isn’t always successful. His squeals of glee, screams of joy and tears of sorrow are all ways that he tried to communicate his happiness, sadness and frustration with you. You may be looking for a way to better communicate with your baby. If so, consider baby sign language.

Sign language has been the language of the deaf and mute for hundreds of years. It is the way that those who can not communicate with words, communicate with their loved ones and the rest of the world. It only makes sense that you could learn some simple sign language and teach it to your baby as a way to allow him to communicate with you, before he is able to form the words that he needs.

There are a few tips to remember and get started with when it comes to learning to sign with your baby. They are basic and will almost guarantee you success.

One Sign at a Time
Choose one sign to begin with and make it one you will use often. Many parents choose milk, more, eat, drink or a favorite toy. Repeating these easy signs until your baby catches on is a great place to start and a great way to get your baby accustomed to the signing.

Show Your Child
Show your child the sign when talking about an activity as well as when you are doing the activity. Make sure you are repeating yourself as often as possible so that your baby can see what you are doing and start associating the action with the sign.

Repeat the Sign
Use the sign before, during, and after the activity. Repeat it every time you do it more than once and your baby will quickly pick up on the relationship between that sign and what you are doing. Soon he will be able to mimic you and do the sign as well.

Wait Until Your Baby Signs Back
In order to not confuse your baby, use one sign until your baby begins to sign back to you. Once he is correctly communicating that need with you, you can choose another sign and start the process over again. The more your baby learns, the easier it will be for him to pick up a new one.

Have Fun
Signing with your baby can be a lot of fun. Not only will it make communicating easier, but it can make dinner time quieter since your baby can make the sign for milk or for more when he is hungry or thirsty. You are sure to get a lot of comments at restaurants about how quiet your baby is and about what a good boy he is. This will in part be because your baby can easily communicate with you to make his needs known.

If you want your baby to grow up to be a confident adult, you must start working on building his self esteem from infancy. It isn’t hard to do and not only will it help your baby, but it will bring reward and happiness to your life as well. Here are some suggestions of things you can do to help your baby build his self esteem.

Talk to Your Baby
Get right down to your child’s level and talk to her. Even little babies love face-to-face interaction. Talk about whatever you and she are doing, whether it be changing a diaper or eating dinner. Respond to her babbles and coos, as you would in a conversation with an adult. Not only will she learn language patterns, but she’ll feel like an important part of the family.

Let Your Baby Help You
Little ones love to feel their contributions matter. When your older baby is in his high chair or sitting at the table, give him some green beans to put in the bowl or a spoon to stir the pasta salad. Walking children can help unload the dryer or carry a dirty towel to the washing machine. All of these little achievements help him feel big!

“Help” Your Baby Succeed
When you and your baby are working on any of these tasks, don’t rush in to finish the job for him. Help guide them along. If he’s frustrated with the puzzle, lay the piece close to where it goes so he can just slide it in. If he’s just learning how to pick things up, turn the piece so it’s easier to grasp. Look for these little ways to help your child learn.

Distract Your Baby
Something to look at may make your baby forget why he was crying, at least for a while. Bright, colorful patterns may fascinate him. He will often gaze intently at postcards, wallpaper, or your clothes. Faces and mirrors are also excellent distractions, and a walk around the house to look at photographs or to peer into a mirror may calm him.

Assign Easy Tasks
Be sure tasks aren’t too big or discouraging. Instead of asking a little one to pick up twenty cereal bits off her tray, just put down five. Instead of working on a whole puzzle at once, do a piece or two. For children just learning to stack, let them pile on just a couple of cups – don’t try to do it all at once. That will only increase frustration levels for both of you.

Copy Your Baby
Babies learn a great deal by mirroring other behaviors. However, it is just as fun for them to be “in control” and for you to mimic what they are doing. If he says “Dada,” repeat it back. Make it a game and let him lead the way. He’ll feel more confident knowing that he can make those little decisions in his play.

Your baby is learning from his first seconds out of the womb. He can hear your words, and starts relating them to things in his life. Within a few months he will start putting sounds together, trying to make words of his own, ask for things, or just talk to you.

In the beginning and for at least the first year, most of what your baby “says” will not be understandable. There will be a lot of goo goo’s and ga ga’s coming from your baby’s mouth. Eventually though you will start to understand more of what your baby says, even if others don’t.

Around six months you may hear your first “real” world. You may be listening in over your baby monitor, or hear your baby in the backseat of your car when you hear your baby say, “Dada”. You can proudly tell your baby’s father that his first word was ‘daddy’. For mom’s this works out well because anytime your baby say’s “Dada”, you can pass him off to dad and say, “Here he wants you!” while you go and get work done, or dinner made.

Other early words your baby will probably say include “Ma Ma” and “Ba Ba”. Hearing “Ma Ma” for the first time will likely melt your heart. It will be like music to your ears as you know your baby recognizes you and is happy you are around. “Ba Ba” can mean any number of things to your baby. In most cases it either means ‘ball’ or ‘bottle’ if your baby is ever fed from a bottle.

When your baby starts talking to you, be sure to talk back to him. Even if you are not sure what he is saying, responding positively to his “words” will encourage him to speak more often, and will help increase his vocabulary.

Many times your child will create words that relate to an object and only you and immediate family will know what he is saying. When this happens, sometimes the word will stick for that particular item. My son got a stuffed bunny when he was six months old that he slept with. Almost immediately he tried to say “bunny”, however he was not able to form the word correctly. Instead it came out “Me Me”. To this day my son and the whole family still refer to his “bunny” as “Me Me”.

Praise and encouragement go a long way for everyone no matter how old you are. To a tiny baby, who is learning things for the first time, praise and encouragement when they speak will help them want to talk to you, and want to learn more.

by Blake Kritzberg

There are a lot of options out there when it comes to helping your baby’s development along, including piping Mozart to your child in the womb or teaching her to sign shortly after she’s born. But you’re still giving your baby a great start just by providing her with the building blocks she’ll need to learn to read.

Just about all the important things that modern science suggests when it comes to helping your baby’s brain develop have been practiced by parents for millennia. Now as ever, these steps are important:

Sing to your baby. Babies and toddlers love rhyme almost as much as they love the soothing sound of your voice.

Talk to your baby. Even when your baby is tiny, talk to her as if she already understands what you’re saying. Use gestures, body language and tone of voice to keep her attention and dramatize your message.

Imitate your baby. When she makes those first experimental sounds, make them back to her. Your baby will feel how important she is to you, and get excited by the effort of language.

Play “where’s the?” games. Ask your baby, “Where’s your toes?” “Find” her toes and touch them, then switch the playing field to her fingers or nose.

Touch your baby. Whenever possible, hold your baby in your lap and cuddle her while you talk or sing to her. Even when she’s much older, she’ll still associate the warmth and coziness of this early experience with language.

Start out with books. Even as early as six weeks of age, you can start introducing books to your baby. Pick bright, tactile books with clear pictures of things your baby might recognize, like puppies or cribs. Sturdy books they can touch or pet are ideal; look for classic “touch-and-feel” titles like Baby Animal Kisses or Pat the Bunny. The classic fabric “Quiet Book,” with its embroideries, braids, buckles and buttons, is an unbeatable way to interest a slightly older baby. Cuddle your baby in your lap and read for short periods of time, so it never becomes arduous for either you or her.

About the Author:
Blake Kritzberg is owner of BebeBleu. Stop by http://www.bebebleu.com for baby bedding, cribs and apparel.

By Candice Silsby

How many times have you seen a pre-verbal child try to communicate? For the numerous years that I worked with babies and toddlers their communicating stage was a constant fascination. As a teacher of children under three years, I often interacted with children, at this stage, who would persist with non-verbal action cues, until I understood exactly what they were trying to tell me.

I have been literally lead around by the hand all over the room or the play yard. In my younger days I took the spiritual approach to the challenge- tuning in my sixth sense to the baby and toddler mind and using my instincts to tune into non-verbal communication. As a more mature adult, I realize that my “sixth sense” tuning fork may have empowered me, but not necessarily the child.

It is only recently that I have learned about the concept of teaching pre-verbal babies and toddlers sign language! What perfect logic, teaching American sign language to children that often use their hands to gesture in an attempt to communicate with less intelligent adults. At the toddler stage children have far more to say then there physical verbal mechanism allow- they are a whole year old, after all.

Toddlers have had numerous months of observing older children and adults communicate through speech and verbal annunciation. They have observed the world around them, vibrant colors and shapes all new and stimulating. They have witnessed the actions of others and their interactions with others. Most of all they have experienced their own drastic changes and relation to the world.

Can you imagine transitioning from flat on your back to quadruped mobility to biped mobility all in under two years. It is only natural that they would have many things to say! Naturally, for a number of reasons, pre-verbal children eagerly take to sign language.

I have discovered the delightful “Baby Signs” a DVD and board book set that teaches pre-verbal children sign language available at my website, work wonders. My friend has been babysitting another friend’s toddler and the transition has been difficult for him. What’s more the other boys in the babysitting co-op are older and have developed speech and annunciation.

In the middle of an afternoon of tears, my friend put the DVD on for the babysitting co-op toddler and he really took to it. He mimicked the signs, a predominate way toddlers learn, and began to use them. He stopped crying and became interested and focused on learning the baby signs.

It is also really for older siblings and friends to learn. Naturally, they can help facilitate the process for the little ones, while at the same time having fun and learning the signs themselves. What a wonderful family experience! It shows that a child can begin to learn the language of signing and continue to develop this skill for years to come.

Best of all the pre-verbal child(ren) are empowered and have their own special way to communicate. It is a wonderful way to transition to the spoken word and it reinforces learning to speak.

About the Author:
Candice Silsby has an extensive background in Early Childhood Education and Human Dev elopement. She have six years experience working with young children as a pre-school teacher and caregiver for children under 3. She worked with special ed children for two years. She has eight years experience as a child entertainer and currently has her own business doing puppet shows for children. She is a Discovery Toys Educational Consultant because the toys are educational and developmentally appropriate. These toys meet the high scrutiny of her Developmental Education background. Discovery Toys improve the quality of life for children and families therefore the world.