Perhaps it’s just me being optimistic, but I think Baby Champuru signed back the word “diaper” to me today.
We started our Baby Signing efforts on June 18, 2009 with a few simple words, “diaper” being one of them, in hopes that someday she would be able to let me know when she needs a change. Every time we did a diaper change, I would do the sign for diaper (patting the front my hips – where the diaper pins or velcro would be) as I repeated the word very deliberately. Today, when I lay her down to do the diaper change, I said, “diaper” and patted my hips. Then she copied.
Of course, I realize that she probably hasn’t made the connection quite yet but is likely just copying my gestures – but it’s a start!
NOTE: Wouldn’t you know it? I just realized that I had been doing the sign for “diaper” wrong. It should actually be both hands at hips with the first two fingers opening and closing on the thumbs. I’ll start using the correct sign now and hope it doesn’t confuse her.
NEO
Way to go, both of you! I never had the motivation to regularly do baby signs with M, but several of my good friends had great success. From what they’ve shared with me, I don’t think you need to worry about doing the ‘wrong’ sign. As long as what you are using for diaper now doesn’t interfere with another sign you’d be doing on a day to day basis why not stick with what Baby is picking up on already? Part of parenting is flexibility and creativity, and it looks like a fun part of signing is sometimes (even by accident) making up your own signs for things!