Sign Language for Babies at Three Months Old
3 months is such a sweet age! They have “woken up” after the fourth trimester (was anyone else’s mind completely blown to learn about this for the first time?! because mine sure was!), smile and respond to their surroundings, and are getting stronger at tummy time. You probably are also a little bit more into your groove, and figuring out what works and what doesn’t for their routines.
Now that you’re out of the newborn phase (either relieved or a bit sad… or both!), many parents may have the motivation to use sign language with their 3 month old baby. However, they may be asking themselves if it’s still too early, if their baby will even benefit from sign language at this age, and how to use baby ASL with a young baby. All of this can seem overwhelming!
Here’s the good news: teaching your 3 month old baby sign language is extremely possible! Follow these steps and recommended resources:
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Benefits to using sign language with your 3 month old:
This age is a great time to start using sign language because like I mentioned above, your routines are just getting started. While some families have already started basic routines, others choose to start this at 3 months, and others wait a bit longer. I’ll dive into more about when to use ASL signs during your 3 month’s routines later in this post, but it’s definitely beneficial to include sign language into your routines as they develop. This way, sign language also becomes part of your routines, rather than needing to adjust or alter them after you’re a well-oiled machine.
Your baby can also begin to recognize your signs at this early age! Here’s an idea of what that may look like:
Another benefit that is very important to mention is that you can totally start slow! This allows you to not become overwhelmed in meeting all of your baby’s communication needs as they get older but rather take it one step at a time, learning the signs your baby will need first (more on that below) and, if you’re up for it, also some fun ones they will want to use when they’re a bit older!
Want to use sign language with your little one?
Get Started Now with 10 functional ASL signs to start using with your baby or toddler right away. Learn 3 tips to ensure you are using signs correctly and with realistic expectations. Whether you have already started signing, or just warming up to the idea, this free guide will take you one step closer to your goal!
Look Who’s Signing Now is my signature four part course that teaches you the exact blueprint I use to teach my own children sign language. Beginning with the foundation of why and when to use baby sign language, how to implement it, and what signs to use. With this self-study e-course, you will have the confidence to sign with your baby and boost their early communication while reducing frustrations, tantrums, and time wasted playing the guessing game.
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Sign language to use with your three month old baby:
Reflect on why you are wanting to use sign language with your baby. More than likely, it’s for early communication, know what they want, and/or reduce frustrations. Because of this, we want to use sign language for functional vocabulary (check out this blog post for more on this topic).
A great example of a functional ASL sign for your 3 month old is MILK. In this blog post, I teach you the correct ASL sign as well as when to use it.
Keep in mind, whenever your baby does begin to use sign language themselves, it more than likely won’t look like yours. Here are some examples of babies signing ALL DONE as well as MORE (which are also great signs to start using early).
When to use sign language with your 3 month old baby:
Using sign language during your routines is best at this age!
Your baby is learning about this new world around them, becoming more aware and alert each day. As they continue to grow and develop, they are recognizing the patterns and making associations. Including sign language to their routines will have huge payoffs as they get older and start to use sign language to communicate.
I recommend using sign language during tummy time with young babies, too! It’s definitely part of their routine and an easy way to incorporate the sign ALL DONE when they are about to reach their limit and need a break.
Either during tummy time or cuddled together in the glider, you can also use sign language while reading books to your 3 month old. It’s a great way to build your confidence in using new ASL signs with your baby, but also boosts early literacy skills.
Enjoy this time with your young baby, and I bet they will start recognizing your signs sooner rather than later! The fun is only starting!
