Parents often talk too much. A silent signal could speak louder than words.
She suggests smiling and pointing to things that need to be picked up, and putting your hand on your heart to signal, "I love you." I wonder, would C understand what I was saying if I did these things? Perhaps not without explanation. A family meeting could be a good time to explain it (although confession: we have not had one since that first trial).
I can remember one or two occasions in the past month or so where I tried to use silent signals with C. I've used a silent beckoning finger to get her to come to me once or twice. Another time I wanted her to turn around and go back and do something I had asked, so I made a little spinning motion with my finger and pointed back down the hallway. She did respond those times but I don't know if she would consistently respond now or if she would have understood or responded at all at a younger age.
C woke up with a fever last night and it still hasn't broken, so today may not be the best day to practice or try out this skill. She's sleeping in right now, a rare occurrence. Perhaps when she wakes up I'll tell her about the hand on the heart being a secret signal for "I love you." She's really in to telling us she loves us lately, so I think she'll be excited about it.
Do you use silent signals in your home? If so, I'd love if you'd share your experience with it in the comments!
Have you ever considered using American Sign Language? We have been using basic ASL communication for years with our children in various ways. The sign for I Love You is a good one to know, as are thank you, please, ok, cool, and the basic alphabet. My youngest son and I quite often flash a sign to each other at quiet moments to encourage each other or simply say something nice.
ReplyDeleteJust a thought
Elizabeth