Anyone who has experienced sleep problems with their baby will inevitably read about the importance of establishing a bedtime routine. As I've discussed many times, we have battled with sleep for most of Nate's life. So we've had a bedtime routine established since he was about four months old. It's been altered here and there but has been pretty consistent for the last several months.
A couple of nights ago, he didn't take an afternoon nap and by the time bedtime came around he was a grouch. We managed to get through the bedtime story, but when it came time for nursing (usually his favorite part), he was miserable and wanted no part of it. He signed ALL DONE and pushed me away. He was flapping his hands and headed for full out meltdown when I realized he was signing WATER. I was really confused. He's always loved water, but at no time has it ever played a part in our bedtime rituals. "You want water?" I asked a few times, in disbelief. But he nodded "yes!" with relief in his eyes.
If Nate didn't know how to sign, I never would have guessed that he wanted water. There have been so many times where the use of sign language has amazed me (like in his obsession with appliances - you can read about that here and here), but this has been the first time that it really saved the day. I can only imagine that as he gets older sign language will continue to assist us in understanding Nate's wants and needs. Knowing that we understand what he wants will ease his frustration (and ours) and hopefully help us to avoid more meltdowns. Of course when we understand that what he wants is ice cream at bedtime, instead of water, I don't know if sign language will help us with that!
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If you're interested in signing with your baby, read about the basics here.Looking for safe toys for your little one? Come back this Friday for our Little Sapling Toys giveaway! One lucky Nater Tot winner will receive their choice of an adorable organic Little Teething Toy.