The baby sign language hurt sign is made by extending both index fingers, pointing them toward each other, and twisting the hands back and forth in opposite directions. What makes this sign particularly useful is its locational nature””you perform it directly over the area that hurts, whether that’s the head, tummy, knee, or anywhere else. For babies who find the twisting motion challenging, there’s a simpler version: tapping the two index fingers together, which accomplishes the same communication goal with easier motor control.
Consider a toddler who wakes up crying in the middle of the night. Without words to explain what’s wrong, parents are left guessing””is it a nightmare, teething pain, an earache, or a stomachache? A child who knows the hurt sign can point those index fingers at their ear or rub them over their belly, immediately giving caregivers the information they need. This is why the hurt sign has been described as “worth as much as any medicine” for helping pre-verbal children communicate discomfort. This article covers when to start teaching the hurt sign, step-by-step instructions for both the standard and baby-friendly versions, practical teaching strategies, and how to help your child use this sign effectively in real situations.
Table of Contents
- How Do You Make the Hurt Sign in Baby Sign Language?
- When Should You Start Teaching the Hurt Sign to Babies?
- Teaching the Hurt Sign During Real Moments of Pain
- Practicing the Hurt Sign During Calm, Low-Stress Moments
- Common Challenges When Teaching the Hurt Sign
- Using the Hurt Sign to Identify Pain Location
- Building on the Hurt Sign as Your Child Develops
- Conclusion
How Do You Make the Hurt Sign in Baby Sign Language?
The standard hurt sign requires both hands formed into fists with only the index fingers extended. Point those index fingers toward each other””not touching, but close””and twist your wrists in opposite directions, creating a back-and-forth motion. Think of it like two gears rotating against each other. The movement itself suggests something going wrong, which makes it intuitive once you see it in action. The baby-friendly alternative simplifies this considerably. Instead of the twisting motion, babies can simply tap their extended index fingers together repeatedly.
This tapping version requires less fine motor control and is often the first approximation babies will produce when attempting the hurt sign. Both versions communicate the same meaning, so there’s no need to correct a baby who uses tapping instead of twisting””they’re successfully communicating pain. What sets the hurt sign apart from many other baby signs is its locational quality. Unlike signs for “milk” or “more” which are made in a neutral position, the hurt sign is performed at the site of pain. If your child has a headache, they make the sign near their head. A scraped knee means signing at the knee. This built-in specificity is what makes the hurt sign so valuable””it doesn’t just communicate that something hurts, it shows exactly where.
When Should You Start Teaching the Hurt Sign to Babies?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends starting baby sign language around six months old. At this age, babies are developing the cognitive connections between gestures, words, and meanings, even though they won’t be able to sign back immediately. You can certainly begin signing to your baby from birth””there’s no harm in early exposure””but managing expectations matters. Most babies won’t produce signs back until they’re between six and nine months old, and some take longer. The hurt sign presents a unique teaching challenge compared to signs for everyday objects or activities.
You can’t exactly schedule practice sessions for pain the way you can for mealtime signs like “eat” or “drink.” However, this doesn’t mean you should wait until your child gets hurt to introduce it. Books featuring characters with bandages or injuries offer low-stakes opportunities to demonstrate the concept. A story about a teddy bear with a hurt paw lets you show the sign without any real distress involved. One limitation to keep in mind: babies under six months lack the motor control for most signs, including the simplified tapping version of hurt. Even babies who clearly understand what you’re signing may not produce recognizable signs until their fine motor skills catch up with their comprehension. This gap between understanding and production is normal and not a sign that teaching isn’t working.
Teaching the Hurt Sign During Real Moments of Pain
The most natural time to teach the hurt sign is when your child actually experiences minor pain””a bumped head, a small scrape, or teething discomfort. In these moments, make the sign directly over the injured area while saying the word “hurt” out loud. You might say, “Oh, you fell down. That hurts,” while making the twisting finger motion over their knee. The combination of the spoken word, the visual sign, and the actual sensation creates a powerful learning connection. For example, if your toddler bumps their head on a table, you would crouch down to their level, make the hurt sign near your own head (or gently near theirs), and say something like, “Your head hurts.
Bump hurt your head.” Repeating the sign several times during the comforting process reinforces the connection. Over time, your child will begin associating the sign with the sensation of pain and the comfort that follows. This approach works because it ties the abstract concept of communication to an immediate, felt experience. However, avoid forcing sign language lessons during moments of genuine distress. If your child is inconsolable after a significant injury, prioritize comfort first. The sign can be introduced during the calming-down phase or referenced later when looking at a bandage: “Remember when you hurt your knee?”.
Practicing the Hurt Sign During Calm, Low-Stress Moments
While real-life injuries provide authentic teaching opportunities, you shouldn’t rely on them exclusively. Practice during calm, happy moments builds familiarity without any pain or stress involved. Picture books are particularly useful””look for stories where characters have visible injuries or wear bandages. Point to the illustrated character, make the hurt sign, and say, “The bunny has a hurt paw.” Stuffed animals and dolls offer another practice avenue. You can create simple pretend scenarios: “Oh no, teddy fell off the chair. His arm hurts.” Make the hurt sign over the stuffed animal’s arm while narrating.
This kind of play lets your child see the sign used repeatedly in context without waiting for actual injuries to occur. The tradeoff here involves realism. Signs taught only through play might not immediately transfer to real painful situations when emotions run high. Conversely, signs taught only during actual pain may carry stressful associations. A balanced approach””using both real moments and calm practice””tends to produce the best results. Many parents find that picture book practice establishes the concept, while real-life use cements practical application.
Common Challenges When Teaching the Hurt Sign
One frequent issue is that babies initially use the hurt sign for all negative experiences, not just physical pain. A child might sign “hurt” when frustrated, hungry, tired, or simply wanting attention. This overuse is actually a developmental positive””it shows they understand the sign communicates something wrong””but it requires gentle guidance to refine. When your child signs hurt but isn’t actually in pain, acknowledge their communication while gently redirecting: “You’re not hurt, but you look tired. Time for a nap?” Another challenge involves the motor skills required. The twisting motion of the standard hurt sign is genuinely difficult for babies under a year old.
If your child attempts the sign but produces something that looks more like clapping or random finger movements, recognize and respond to their attempt. Signing back the correct form while responding (“Yes, you hurt your finger!”) models the sign without criticizing their approximation. A limitation worth noting: some children learn signs quickly while others take months. Variables include overall development, frequency of practice, and individual temperament. If your baby isn’t signing hurt by nine months despite consistent teaching, this doesn’t indicate a problem. Continue modeling the sign, and it will likely emerge when your child is developmentally ready.
Using the Hurt Sign to Identify Pain Location
The locational aspect of the hurt sign is what makes it exceptionally practical for caregivers. When a child makes the sign at their ear, you can immediately suspect an ear infection rather than cycling through possibilities. A child who signs hurt while touching their mouth might be teething or have a canker sore. This specificity can matter during doctor visits, where a toddler’s ability to point to what hurts provides genuinely useful diagnostic information.
Consider a real-world scenario: a two-year-old wakes up from a nap crying and signs hurt near their stomach. This single piece of information helps parents distinguish stomach pain from general crankiness, teething, or a bad dream. They can respond with appropriate comfort measures and monitor for other symptoms. Without the sign, the same crying episode might remain a mystery.
Building on the Hurt Sign as Your Child Develops
The hurt sign often serves as a gateway to more nuanced pain communication as children grow. Toddlers who start with the basic sign may eventually combine it with other signs or words: “hurt more” or “hurt all done.” This progression reflects normal language development, where single-word communication expands into phrases and sentences.
As verbal language develops, the hurt sign typically fades from regular use””children simply say “ow” or “my knee hurts” instead. However, during the transition from pre-verbal to verbal communication, children often use signs and words together, with signs filling gaps when words fail. A distressed toddler who can’t quite articulate “my ear hurts so much” might say “ear” while signing hurt, getting the message across effectively.
Conclusion
The hurt sign gives pre-verbal children a way to communicate one of their most important needs””telling caregivers when and where something hurts. Whether you teach the standard twisting version or the simplified tapping alternative, the key elements remain consistent: demonstrate the sign during relevant moments, say the word aloud while signing, and make the sign at the pain’s location.
Starting around six months old, with patience for the months it may take before your baby signs back, you can build this communication bridge during a developmental window when it matters most. Combined with other practical signs like “more,” “all done,” and “milk,” the hurt sign becomes part of a small but powerful vocabulary that reduces frustration for both children and parents during the pre-verbal stage.