Happy Valentine's Day!

On your mark, Get Set, WAIT!!

Two weeks ago this was one of our Monday night class vocabulary words.  Waiting is a very important skill not just for your little one but also for you!  The more time I spend teaching sign language to young children the more aware I am of the importance of waiting for a response. The reality is our schedules and plugged into technology lifestyles have left us very accustomed to a point, click and respond universe.  But to really engage while teaching your little one signs you need to adjust to thier clock. 

Every child is unique.  We have all heard it and probably said it.  But it always catches me off gaurd just how accurate that statement is!  In class, you show your child the sign, make eye contact, smile, & WAIT.  But how long?  The answer is ... you guessed it ... unique to every child.  The truth is for most of us, at least when we begin, it feels a bit like an uncomfortably long pregnant pause, & we don't wait long enough. We don't look long enough.  We don't unplug from the environment and plug into our little long enough.  The window of opportunity lives somewhere in between barely taking a breath before showing the sign again and waiting so long your child disengages.   Having the courage to simply sit still smiling at your child seems easy and it is. 
 
Finding Your Waiting Window
When I am trying determine a student's waiting window I turn on a little metronome in my head.  Then I ask a question that I know they respond to frequently.  With the very young I often use a beloved toy or blanket.  I turn on the metronome in my head (Beat, Beat, Beat, Beat).  Next, I ask the question.  Where is your blanket? or The ultimate go to question ... Where is mommy?  I count the beats between the time I finish asking the question and the moment I see a response from the child.  That response could be a facial expression, a vocalization, hand or body movement.  I have exprienced it taking as few as 4 beats and as many as 29.  I recalibrate often.  With most student's I do this weekly when I greet them at the door.  ;)


When you sign with your child the goal is not just looking for them to understand you, but to look within yourself to make sure you are waiting, watching, and listening. For those of you in class a good test is to ask yourself if by the end of class you have spent atleast 60% of your time looking at your children's gorgeous little faces?  I mean directly into thier faces.  If the answer is yes, then I say ... way to SHINE!

Why Wait??
Let's be really honest for most of us learning patience and how to wait is a life long journey.  So why not start practicing this skill with your little ones now!  Here are some tips for ways you can help your child start to understand waiting and patience:

At Play Time
- When you are at the park place your child on the swing, sign wait, then wait a minute before the big first push.  Be sure to clap, say and sign great waiting!!

At Meal Time
- Prepare you child's plate, hold it in front thier place, sign wait, wait a moment and the set the plate down.  Be sure to provide thunderous applause for such great waiting!

At Bath Time
- Have your child stand outside of the bath tub for a moment before diving in for a splashing good time.  Sign wait, wait a moment and then proceed with bathtime.  Be sure to acknowledge that awesome waiting!!

On the Road
- Next time you are all in the car buckled and ready to go.  Say we are waiting.  Use the sign for wait.  Then start the count down.  5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ... Great WAITING!! 

 

Happy Signing & Shining!!