Signing hiatus...

During my signing “hiatus” I never really stopped signing. Just couldn’t take any classes or pursue it further. I continued to sign to myself here and there, often to music in the car.

It was a busy 17 years. I got married at the age of 20. Not my brightest move, but hey we learn from our past! I had my son when I was 23, daughter at 26, and divorced at 29. All during this time, I continued to use the sign vocabulary and alphabet I learned as a teenager. Just a little here and there, nothing much. Still no Deaf friends or any “real” reason to keep signing.

Looking back, I wish I had taught it to my kids when they were toddlers. Now “Baby Signing” is all the rage, but not in 1992. Parents are fortunate now to have the resources available to teach signs to their babies, and all the benefits and research that have come from recent years.

When my daughter was 5, she had her tonsils removed. I took this opportunity to teach her some basic signs ahead of her surgery, knowing she would not be able to talk for a while. She learned basic signs (mommy, daddy, water, tired, hungry, potty, hurt, etc.) It was very useful to have her be able to tell me what she needed. She has kept it up ever since. Now my daughter is almost 12, and signs with me quite often. It is a bond I cherish...