October and Halloween Signs
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| Twist index finger in cheek |
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| Flick back of closed hand with other hand as if thumping a pumpkin. |
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| Brush open hands down chest several times. |
Click picture for a Halloween Safety Booklet to print out!
Parent Letter
Keeping Babies Safe without Always Saying “NO!”
Linda Acredolo, Ph.D. and Susan Goodwyn, Ph.D. Co-founders, the Baby Signs® Program
Has your formerly sedate baby boy suddenly gotten up on two legs and begun exploring the world around him, a world that can all too easily include a hot cup of coffee careless left at baby height, a slumbering cat with a tail just made for pulling, an unprotected flight of stairs, electrical outlets, or the fireplace? If so, you’ve probably found yourself habitually issuing a stern “No, no, no!” in order to stop him in his tracks.
Sure, the prohibition often works, but at what cost? Although the transition from stationary baby to whirling dervish may be exciting for toddlers, it can all too easily make parents feel more like wardens than nurturers. “It seems like I’m always saying ‘no’ to Olivia,” commented one mom. “I feel like our interactions have become much more negative than they used to be and I hate it.”
Fortunately, there’s an easy alternative for parents who are tired of saying “no” all the time. Adding simple signs to more precise directives like “stop,” “hurt,” “gentle,” “hot,” and “sick” can be even more effective. What’s the advantage? The pairing of an action with the word makes it more likely you’ll grab your baby’s attention. For example, the simple act of adding the sign STOP (the edge of one hand firmly hitting the palm of the other hand) to the word “stop” can interrupt a child’s behavior long enough for an adult to intervene. Teachers as well as parents find this sign works great in high arousal situations where sometimes just interrupting the action of grabbing or hitting will do the trick.
Your addition of the sign, however, is doing more than simply catching your baby’s attention. You are also helping her learn important concepts and, once she learns to use the signs herself, giving her a way to express those concepts well before she can say the words. A good example is the sign GENTLE (stroking the back of one hand with the finger tips of the other). Instead of shouting “No!” as your baby goes for the cat’s tail, a firm “Gentle!” plus the sign both interrupts her grab and gives her information to guide her action. In fact, toddlers often use this sign to regulate own behavior. Nothing is cuter than seeing a child suddenly stop her approach to an enticing target, sit back on her behind, and purposefully stroke the back of her hand to remind herself to be gentle!
Here are some other signs that provide useful alternatives to always saying “no.”
- The sign HURT (tapping two index fingers together) is very helpful in situations where a child is venturing toward something dangerous. “HURT, HURT, Sweetie. That knife can HURT you” is a statement that halts the behavior, provides information, and expresses your love and concern.
- Similarly, the sign SICK (placing the middle finger of one hand on the forehead and the middle finger of the other hand on the stomach) can divert a baby’s attention away from popping something dangerous into his mouth.
- A sign HOT (for many families taking the form of rapid blowing as if blowing on hot food) can be used to warn children away from a wide variety of hot things such as cups of coffee, stoves, and fireplaces. What’s more, this sign turns out to be useful to children who need to warn their parents that, for example, their bottle, bath water, or the pavement under their feet is too hot. In each of these cases, the sign and word work together to keep children safe.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
