Bi-Lingual Families & Baby Signing

Will my baby be confused with signs

if we speak more than one

verbal language at home?

The short answer is no. There's no reason to worry that your baby may get confused if you, or other adults who love your baby, speak different languages to them. 

Something to remember: babies are incredible learners and will absolutely soak up everything presented to them.

The key to making things as easy as possible for everyone is CONSISTENCY. 

Your little one won't be confused by whatever natural ways of speaking are presented to them regularly. 

So don't worry about confusing them at all, just talk!

Plus, babies are visual learners, so adding sign language into your conversations will create an even richer experience for your baby as they learn language with you. 

Signing adds a visual cue they can follow alongside the verbal words they experience when you speak to your baby.

For example, if you've chosen to teach them the sign for MILK, you will say and sign MILK in your spoken language every time MILK happens (nursing or bottle), no matter who's speaking and what language is being used.

When consistently presented together, your baby will begin to associate MILK when they see the sign and hear the word. This solidifies things for baby regardless of which language is being spoken and allows them to learn all languages more easily.

→ How do we start signing together in different languages? 

1. Choose a one or two signs that everyone who spends time with your baby will set out to use when they are with the baby. Teach those adults the signs, and show how you are signing those signs to the baby so they can see what signing looks like in action. It can also be just one person presenting different verbal languages to baby.

2. Let the verbal languages flow as you all speak to baby alongside your chosen signs, no need to worry about switching between verbal languages at all.

That's it!

Basically, think about speaking like you usually do with baby, you don't have to change a thing. Just add key signs into the conversation as you speak and coo to your baby.

Over time, the visual signs will become an anchor to all the languages baby hears! You can add more signs and build quality communication together.

Grab my free printable for 3 signs you can start using today, join me for classes to learn all the best signs to teach your cutie (see below) and let me know if you have questions about signing with your baby in a bi-lingual home.

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Welcome to Signing Babies, I’m Lee Ann and I teach families how to tap into their babies’ natural ability to use their bodies to communicate.

Instead of fussing or crying, babies can easily convey their needs with basic American Sign Language.

It's not tricky, it's fun!

That's my specialty, and why over 3,000 families have learned with me in my playful virtual classes.

Meet me at @signingbabies for helpful strategies and get started without confusion inside my virtual classes -you can start today learning everything you need inside my BABY SIGNING 101 COURSE in less than an hour for $25.

"Lee Ann's classes are the highlight of our week! ...it's thrilling now at 20 months to see my baby pointing at pictures in books and making the correct signs to tell me what she sees. Her screaming is also eliminated as she is able to tell us what she wants and we can respond!" -mama Kallen