A Grandma By Any Other Name. . .

I’m on a kick about grandparents, probably because I’ve been able to spend lots of time with my nearing 4-years-old grandchildren. Of course, I’m too young to be a grandmother—aren’t we all? Fortunately, the grandmother image I grew up with has slowly given way to a new view. When I was a child, grandmothers, including my own, were typically frail women with white hair drawn up into a bun, solid black laced-up old lady shoes, and flowered dresses about as form fitting as a garage around a car. Nowadays, grandmothers are vibrant women still right in the thick of things, with or without gray hair—but very seldom in a bun!

One thing, however, hasn’t changed and never will. Grandmothers of any era relish the first time a grandchild reaches out with a smile and murmurs some version of her name, be it “gamma,” “mimi,” or “nana.” The wait for this memorable event is often long—sometimes not until a child is over 2 years old—because learning to say words is such a struggle for young children.

Fortunately, there’s a way around this frustration and the need for guessing. The solution is helping babies and toddlers use signs to communicate with those they love. And included in these sign vocabularies for many children are signs for grandpa and grandma that function exactly like names. Here are some fun examples from our files:

--13-month-old Claire used a rocking motion as her name for Grandma because Grandma frequently rocked her in a rocking chair.

--12-month-old Kai picked up on the way his Grandpa always threw him up in the air and began raising his arms up high whenever his grandpa arrived—or even when he saw a picture of him.

--15-month-old Sadie would enthusiastically do her version of the ASL sign for Grandma (thumb of open hand on chin, arched forward two times) when Grandma entered the house.

Being a grandparent is one of the sweetest experiences on earth, and now it’s easy to make it sweeter still. Start signing with your grandbabies today and enjoy the sense of connection and love that being able to communicate brings.

Happy Signing (and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook)!

Linda

Linda Acredolo, Ph.D.
Co-Founder, the Baby Signs Program
and
Professor Emeritus, UC Davis

Baby Signs Video: Learn the sign for GRANDMA!

Many of us will have the opportunity to get together with our moms and mother-in-laws next weekend. To get ready, watch this video with your baby to learn the American Sign Language sign for "GRANDMA!"



Watch previous Sign of the Week videos
Request a sign


BabySigns.com Weekend WOW!

Get "My Spoken Words" book FREE
with any order of $49 or more in the continental US
Friday 4/30 @ noon - Sunday 5/2 @ midnight

Coupon Code: freebook430

My First Spoken Words teaches babies to say the words: Baby, Mommy, Daddy, Milk, Ball, and Bye-bye.

Babies HEAR the words as they turn the pages! Learning to talk is easier for babies when they hear lots of "infant-directed" speech that is characterized by engaging sounds that hold a baby's attention, a slow-paced pronunciation of simple words and lots of repetition.

This book compliments signing and make it easy for babies to learn to speak their first words. They focus on words that research has shown to be among the easiest for babies to learn and combines innovative new technology, the power of infant-directed speech and vivid images to promote faster learning.Regular Retail

Regular Retail Price: $12.99
Authors: Dr. Linda Acredolo and Dr. Susan Goodwyn
Board Book, 6x9 inches, 12 pages, free battery replacement.