ChatterboxBabies
It's time to sign and play!
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Amazing ChatterboxBabies
   
Do you have a story, opinion or photo of your 'chatterbox' baby which you would like to share?  Tell the world why you come to the ChatterboxBabies classes.  Here are the first featured babies from our baby signing classes in Watford and Abbots Langley, Herts.
 
 
We started a course with ChatterboxBabies when Cole was 8 months old.  It is good to have a purpose when doing an activity with a baby.
 
We did not have high expectations of Cole at the start as we thought he was too young to understand,  but we enjoyed the classes, it's good to socialise with other parents and babies, and to learn new nursery rhymes.  Theresa has encouraged us all along so we remained hopeful of Cole starting to sign.
 
We joined the second course when Cole was nearly one, even though we knew the basics of baby signing and were using it at home on a daily basis.  When Cole did his first sign it was very exciting and rewarding.  It was a little while before we recognised his next sign but recently he has been signing more.  It may take us a while to recognise, and be sure of his signs.  It is as if we are speaking the same language but we have different accents.
 
Sometimes he seems to be signing for fun or to test us, for example signing for a drink, getting one but not even having a sip.  Maybe he is just happy that he has learnt something new.  Luckily Theresa is always able to answer our questions to help explain what Cole may be up to or to demonstrate a new sign we think Cole might like.
 
Cole uses 10 signs at the moment.  We now have high expectations of him picking up more and look forward to teaching him.
 
Nickie, Dave and Cole (14 months)
 
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Evie signing at home 
 
 
Here is a great picture of Evie from our Watford class signing 'music'.  Evie loves attending ChatterboxBabies and as many of you know joins in most enthusiastically!  Her mum has sent in photos of Evie signing 'eat', 'milk', 'monkey' and 'daddy' as well.  Well done Evie!!
 
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Just to let you know Lewis's speech and signing are coming on really well ...  at fourteen months he signs 'elephant' (when I sing elephants have wrinkles) and 'chicken' for the speckled hen song. He also does 'pig' (though his hand is not always in front of his nose). He very clearly signs 'finished / all gone' with his arms out to the sides at mealtimes and for lots of other things too..  he said 'Mummy' clearly, but only
once at 5 months, (was and still is a real babbler).  He said his first recognisable word - 'Light' - at 10 months and signed 'all gone / finished' not too long after - he now says it when he signs it as well, as I always said it when he signed it to me. He is just starting to join 2 words ...usually something and 'gone'. Signing has definitely helped him to communicate with me and also me with him.  He is really pleased with himself when he does it ... he gets lots of praise of course but then will do it over and over....and over...
 
Katherine and Lewis
 
 
A Review from Rachel Wakefield, reporter from the Watford Observer, who visited the group in Novemeber 2007.
 

My son is smart. But at seven months old, he can't tell me his thoughts - although he lets me know how he's feeling with "uh, uh" noises, gurgles and smiles and, occasionally, he cries. Since coming back to work I've missed our chats.  So when my editor offered me the chance to leave the office, be with my son and play with him, I naturally jumped at the chance.

 

My Friday morning out with Freddie took me to the Beechen Grove Baptist Church, Clarendon Road, Watford, for an hour's session of Chatterbox Babies, a signing and activities group for youngsters aged from six months to two years.  "Are we all here? Shall we begin?" trilled the woman in charge above the hullaballoo of children and parents. 

 

"Let's say hello' to Freddie. Let's welcome you today. Let's say hello' to Freddie; it's time to sign and play,"  she cheerily sang. The other mothers repeated and copied her hand and facial gestures.   And, just like the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, the children stopped and listened as each child was greeted with this song.  Meanwhile, my son just smiled from ear to ear because he'd heard his name harmonised by so many people.

 

The Chatterbox Babies session that I attended was quite a fast-paced hour. During the first 30 mins, we managed to sign to well-known nursery rhymes including Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and popular stories such as Going On A Bear Hunt and more. The babies really enjoyed making a glorious cacophony of noise with bells, rattles, maracas and tambourines to The Grand Old Duke of York. And their senses were overloaded with the bubble machine as we sang Five Little Ducks. And, when the toys came out of the cupboard, it was the mums' turn to squeak with excitement as it meant that they could safely leave the babies to play while indulging in the homemade cakes and biscuits which Theresa had provided.

 

She says: "At Chatterbox Babies, I keep it fun and light. The main goal of baby signing is to enrich your relationship with your baby and simplify daily life.

"Baby signing in no way discourages them from learning to talk; in fact it has the opposite effect and adds to their language development. Song and games are fun ways to communicate with your babies and teaching them to sign helps you communicate with them before they can talk."

 

I'm now signing with Freddie. He thinks Mum has gone a bit mad - but I hope the next time he has a wailing fit, a bit of signing could really help us both.

 

 
If you would like your baby added to the website please send your photos and comments in to: