Savvy Toddler Mom

I was at a Wasatch Online Marketing Association-related lunch on Friday, and of the 8 of us at the table, 6 were men, 2 of which didn’t have children.  But what did we find ourselves talking about?  Signing Time.

The other woman at lunch was my best friend (who still needs a name for this blog!) and she and I started talking about her 1 1/2-year-old son who is right now picking up SO many sign language signs and helping him communicate.  How is he doing it?  Signing Time. 

Signing Time is a series of DVDs/videos designed to help children (and adults) learn sign language in an easy and fun manner.  They are 30 minute programs that focus on a series of words/signs.  The signs are taught by your “hosts,” children and cousins Alex and Leah, and Leah’s mom, Rachel de Azevedo Coleman.  Rachel and her sister Emilie are the brainpower behind the series. 

All of the signs are tied together with delightful songs that Rachel sings and signs the words.

Beneficial to children with or without speech/hearing challenges, we found Signing Time to be a valuable tool when my son was learning to talk.  He could do the sign (or his version of the sign LOL) and say his version of the word… and between those two clues, I could usually figure out what he was trying to say.  SO much better than a frustrated screaming child!  I know that this has made the “terrible twos” easier.

According to their web site, Signing Time is also being broadcast on public television now.  For Salt Lake, it looks like it’s on KUEN (channel 9) Mondays at 12:30pm and 3:30pm.

I am still smiling about the men at our table on Friday… these are great dads who are more involved with their children’s upbringing/education/nurturing than any generation of men that has gone before.  These guys had not only watched the Signing Time DVDs (some of them ad nauseum), but had opinions about it.  We even talked about the toddler harness/leash (see prior post for more on that) and how difficult twins are.  I hope that trend is here to stay. (Not the difficult twin part, but the awesome dad part.)

Then it was back to the work thing… Speaking of which, I had better get back.  Have a happy Monday!