If you want to introduce sign language to your baby, now's the time. A baby's understanding of language and his or her motor skills develop much faster than the ability to speak. Most babies, for example, discover how to wave (around 9 months) and point (by age 1) long before they can say "bye-bye" or "look at that!"

Giving your baby the tools for expression may help cut down on frustration. While baby signing doesn't promise to eliminate tears or tantrums, babies this young have been taught to "sign" successfully.

To begin, try using a hand signal every time you use common words such as "book" (open your hands with your palms together) or "hungry" (put your fingers to your lips). Later on, your baby will be able to express more complex ideas such as "I'm done with my juice" with a simple gesture such as putting the palms up at shoulder height.

Don't worry: Signing won't interfere with your baby's progress in learning to speak. In fact, it may actually help develop your baby's language skills.

Lefty or righty?

Your baby may favor one hand for a while and then switch to the other. But you can't really tell whether your baby is a lefty or a righty until he or she is about 2 or 3 years old.

Don't try to influence your baby's hand preference (it's determined before birth). Forcing your left-handed baby to use his or her right hand, for example, may cause confusion and lead to problems with hand-eye coordination, dexterity, and handwriting down the road.

Playing games

Your baby will love turn-taking games, especially ones that involve sounds and language. Let your baby be the leader sometimes, and mimic his or her vocalizations. When it's your turn to lead, a good way to teach – and amuse – your baby is to make animal noises ("quack-quack," "bow-wow").

These games can be played anywhere. Your baby will delight in the sounds of water splashing in the bathtub or blocks hitting the floor. Show your baby how to make these fun (if sometimes annoying) noises and then let him or her have a turn.

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