The World of a Toddler

Our son is now 20 months old, and he can sign more words than I can. His current list is: milk, juice, pear, apple, good, bird, dog, chicken, sheep, cloud, rain, snow, sleep, eat, help, music, outside, clean, wash hands, all done, more, yes, no, thank you, please, cold, hot, car, boat, bus... and those are just off the top of my head, I am sure the list goes on. He recognizes at least 3x that many signs. This baby sign language thing was definitely one thing I did right - it is amazing! And I believe it really helps our son to feel more independent and to feel understood. He looks so pleased when he can get his point across with signs and words. And it leads to a lot less frustration. He is starting to get frustrated when he cannot figure out a toy or get something to work, or if he cannot communicate what he wants. It's tough - you can't help but feel for toddlers trying to express themselves. They understand so much, yet no one understands them. They can't express what they feel. The sign language helps. The whining and protests of frustration are difficult. But every little piece they get, it is exciting to watch them put it all together and develop an awareness of the world and the things they see and feel. I am glad to have the time to really be here and watch this whole world in him develop.

www.signingtime.com (and no, I am not paid for this promotional)

And excuse my holiday hiatus please. I am now officially back in my island home, and back in the writing groove. Expect more of the regular almost daily blog posts. ;0