My Bubbly Baby: Baby Signs Party at Mothercare BGC

It's a good thing that today's topic is about baby signs because my husband and I have started doing sign language to baby Andy since he was 3 months old. Not because he is hard of hearing or deaf, but because we want to help him communicate with us through signing. The Baby Signs Party was held at Mothercare, BGC on June 29.

Photo courtesy of mothercare.ph

Ms. Sharon took the time to get to know each of the attendees before the talk started. I was so proud to tell her that we have already started doing signs to baby Andy.

Philips Avent and Mothercare were generous with their raffle prizes!

Too bad we didn't meet Beebo the Bear that day!

Lots of mommies and daddies present

I am so thrilled every time we attend an event like this, not only do we learn from the speakers, we also meet new moms and have a little chit chat with them. Mommy Glaiza from Moomy Musings and Mommy Vee from Soldier Mom's Corner also attended the event.

Ms. Sharon's husband also shared his heartwarming stories and experiences on teaching their baby how to sign. While I was listening, I looked at my husband and asked if he can also share a story if someone asked me to host an event. He just gave me a noncommittal smile as he usually does.

We also had fun participating and singing the song "Ang Jeep ni Mang Juan" and "Milk, More, Please".

"Ang Jeep ni Mang Juan" (in the tune of Wheels on the Bus)

Ang jeep ni Mang Juan (move your arms like you're driving)

ay may butas (make a letter O with your fingers)

sa gulong (make a big circle using your hands)

Ang jeep ni Mang Juan ay may butas sa gulong (repeat 3x)

Tinakpan nya ng bubblegum (make another letter O and tap it with your other hand)

"Milk, More, Please"

Milk, Milk, Milk (do the sign for milk as if you're milking a cow)

More, More, More (do the sign for more like you're making your hands kiss repeatedly)

Milk, Milk, Milk (repeat the sign for milk)

Please (do the sign for please, take your hand with palm facing in and rub it in a circle on your chest.)

The song was so catchy and fun! Even Kadmiel, my nephew, loved it and still asks us to do it over and over again. I also sing the milk, more, please song to baby Andy every time I'm nursing him and he's just staring at me and listening very eagerly.

Here are some of the lectures discussed during the event:

Proven Benefits of the Baby Signs Program

In the course of two decades of research, Drs. Acredolo and Goodwyn have uncovered a variety of ways in which babies and their caregivers benefit from the Baby Signs Program. What they found out is that the Baby Signs Program:

Jumpstarts verbal language development
Promotes early literacy
Boosts intellectual achievement as measured by IQ at age 8
Decreases frustration and aggresion at home and in the classroom
Increases adults' respect for babies' abilities
Strenghtens the adult-infant relationship
Fosters positive emotional development

My husband and I watched videos and clips on babies doing sign language and we've seen that it will help you a lot in communicating with your baby. Signing will also form a bond between you and your baby, will help reduce their fussiness and will help improve their speech development.

The first three signs that we have taught baby Andy is the sign for milk, mommy and daddy. The key to an effective signing is lots of patience, repetition and repetition. I am guilty, too, because sometimes I forget to do the signs to him.

Milk in Sign Language