When baby starts walking it's a turning point. Along with the glee of those first few strides comes a widening of  the world. It's a lot to take in for a kid who can't talk yet. It really hits at about 18 months or so. Some people call it the

terrible twos.

Essentially what makes the terribles twos difficult is growing awarenesses and preferences within the young toddler while lacking the motor skills to articulate those wants and needs. It takes the development of 100 muscles around the vocal chords before clear speech can be achieved.

But kids are pointing and gesturing from the time they're about eight months old. So, in my family, we thought sign language might be a good way to bridge the gap between infancy and toddlerhood. When they've got so much to say but they really can't talk. And all three of my kids can talk a hole in my head, so as far as we know it didn't hurt their speech development.

An interview with Dr. Linda Acredolo, founder of Baby Signs, reveals why signing can be helpful. Here are the three core components for confidence: 

• Establishing Autonomy - "One of the ways that anyone is independent is if they can get their needs met without having to cry or fuss," said Dr. Acredolo. A little one can find it very empowering to ask for and get what they need, stress-free.

• Unleashing the Intellect - "It enables them to be a true partner in conversation," said Dr. Acredolo. The toddler can pick a topic and begin a conversation about it. Experiencing a new joy of taking the lead in a conversation through intellectual expression. "A baby who signs can specifically say, 'Mom look at the bird.' And the Mom responds verbally and with sign as well," said Dr. Acredolo. "A baby without sign has to writhe and point and hope that the adult eventually guesses correctly," she continued.

• Expressing the Intangible  - For a long time it was thought that children couldn't understand emotions. Their own or anybody else's. That research is considered old school and noted psychologists widely accept that babies very early on understand facial expressions in the basic sense of, say, happiness or sadness. With sign language, many one-year-old babies can express those basic emotions. Leading to confidence and independence.

Sign language won't eliminate the frustration of the terrible twos but it can definitely take the edge off. It can add to your mental stash of fun and potent memories of those uniquely precious first years.

Go to: Seven Steps to Successful Signing »

Go to: Potty Training and Sign Language »

The Video Dictionary of American Sign Language for Babies at www.aslpro.com.

This article reprinted by permission of www.parentliving.com ©Barbara Roberts