For most families, baby sign language is worth the modest investment of time and effort. The practice allows preverbal infants to communicate basic needs and observations””things like “milk,” “more,” or “all done”””months before they can speak, which often reduces frustration for both parent and child. Research conducted over the past few decades has generally supported the idea that signing babies experience fewer tantrums related to communication breakdowns, and parents report feeling more connected to their infants during the otherwise opaque preverbal period. Consider a common scenario: an eleven-month-old begins fussing in the high chair.
Without signs, the parent cycles through guesses””more food? different food? wants down? tired?””while the baby’s frustration escalates. A signing baby might simply tap her fingertips together (the sign for “more”) or wave her hands palm-down (the sign for “all done”), ending the guessing game in seconds. This practical communication bridge is what makes the approach valuable for many families, though results vary considerably depending on consistency and the child’s individual temperament. This article examines what the research actually shows about baby sign language, who benefits most, the realistic time investment required, potential drawbacks, and how to decide whether it makes sense for your family’s circumstances.
Table of Contents
- Does Baby Sign Language Actually Reduce Frustration and Tantrums?
- The Real Time Investment: How Much Effort Does Baby Sign Language Require?
- Who Benefits Most from Baby Sign Language?
- Comparing Baby Sign Language Programs: Classes, Apps, and DIY Approaches
- Common Mistakes and Limitations of Baby Sign Language
- When Baby Sign Language Might Not Be Worth It
- The Transition from Signs to Speech
- Conclusion
Does Baby Sign Language Actually Reduce Frustration and Tantrums?
The central claim behind baby sign language is that it reduces the frustration infants experience when they cannot verbally express their needs. Multiple studies, including foundational research by Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn in the 1980s and 1990s, found that signing babies did exhibit fewer frustration-related behaviors compared to non-signing peers. Parents in these studies consistently reported that knowing what their baby wanted””even something as simple as “water” versus “milk”””eliminated much of the daily guesswork that leads to meltdowns. However, the research picture is not entirely clear-cut.
Some later studies, including a notable 2005 review, found that while signing appeared to offer short-term communication benefits, the differences between signing and non-signing children often evened out by age two or three. Critics have also noted that parents who teach baby sign language tend to be more engaged and communicative overall, which could account for some of the positive outcomes attributed to signing itself. The honest answer is that baby sign language probably helps reduce frustration during the specific window when a child understands language but cannot produce it””roughly eight to eighteen months for most children. For families dealing with a particularly frustrated preverbal baby, the intervention may feel transformative. For families whose babies seem relatively content, the benefits may be less dramatic.
The Real Time Investment: How Much Effort Does Baby Sign Language Require?
Parents considering baby sign language often want to know how much time they will need to commit before seeing results. The realistic answer is that most families need to consistently use five to ten signs during daily routines for several weeks before their baby begins signing back. This means incorporating signs into mealtimes, diaper changes, play, and reading””not setting aside separate “teaching sessions.” The initial investment feels heavier than it becomes. Learning ten basic signs yourself takes perhaps an hour of watching videos or studying a chart. Remembering to use those signs consistently is the harder part, particularly for working parents or families with multiple children competing for attention.
Many parents report that after two to three weeks, signing becomes automatic””you say “milk” and make the sign without thinking, the same way you might naturally wave when saying goodbye. However, if your family’s schedule is already stretched thin, or if one parent is on board and the other is not, consistency becomes difficult. Babies need to see signs repeatedly from their primary caregivers to learn them. A sign used only by one parent during weekend meals is unlikely to stick. Families should honestly assess whether they can commit to several weeks of consistent modeling before expecting results.
Who Benefits Most from Baby Sign Language?
While baby sign language can work for most neurotypical children, certain groups tend to see more pronounced benefits. Children with speech delays, hearing impairments, or developmental differences such as Down syndrome or autism spectrum disorder often continue using signs longer and derive more substantial communication support from the practice. For these children, signs may serve not just as a bridge to speech but as a lasting component of their communication toolkit. Highly verbal parents who naturally narrate their activities also tend to see quick results because they are already providing the kind of language-rich environment that supports sign acquisition. The signs become one more layer of an already communicative household.
Meanwhile, families who are quieter or who rely more on context than verbal explanation may find the explicit labeling required for sign language feels unnatural at first. One specific population that benefits significantly: families with babies in daycare or with multiple caregivers. When everyone who interacts with the baby uses the same signs, the child receives consistent input and caregivers can communicate about what the baby wants across handoffs. A daycare teacher can tell a parent, “She signed ‘tired’ around 2 p.m. but wouldn’t nap,” providing insight that would otherwise be lost.
Comparing Baby Sign Language Programs: Classes, Apps, and DIY Approaches
Families interested in baby sign language have several paths: formal programs with in-person classes, app-based learning, video courses, or simply learning a handful of signs from free online resources. Each approach has tradeoffs worth considering. Formal programs like those historically offered through franchises tend to provide structure, community, and accountability. Parents meet other signing families, which reinforces the practice socially.
However, these classes can cost between fifty and two hundred dollars for a multi-week session, depending on location, and require fitting another commitment into already busy schedules. For parents who thrive with external structure, the investment may be worthwhile. The DIY approach””learning ten to twenty common signs from free websites or library books””costs nothing and allows complete flexibility. The tradeoff is that without a class to attend or an app reminding you to practice, many parents lose momentum after the initial enthusiasm fades. Research suggests that the specific signs you use matter less than consistency, so a family using twelve signs from a free chart can achieve similar results to one using a premium program””if they stick with it.
Common Mistakes and Limitations of Baby Sign Language
The most frequent mistake parents make is expecting signs too early and giving up before the approach has time to work. Babies typically need to be at least six to eight months old before they have the motor control to produce recognizable signs, and most do not sign back until nine to fourteen months even with consistent exposure. Parents who start at four months and quit at seven because “it isn’t working” have not given the method a fair trial. Another common error is introducing too many signs at once.
Enthusiasm leads some parents to try teaching thirty or forty signs simultaneously, which dilutes the repetition any single sign receives. Starting with three to five highly functional signs””typically “milk,” “more,” “all done,” “eat,” and “help”””produces faster results than attempting a full vocabulary from the start. The fundamental limitation of baby sign language is that it is a bridge, not a destination. Signs do not replace spoken language development, and the vast majority of typically developing children will abandon signing once their verbal vocabulary catches up, usually between eighteen and twenty-four months. Parents hoping for a bilingual child fluent in American Sign Language will need to pursue formal ASL instruction; baby sign language uses simplified gestures and limited vocabulary that do not constitute true language fluency.
When Baby Sign Language Might Not Be Worth It
Not every family will find baby sign language worthwhile, and that is a reasonable conclusion. If your baby seems unusually easygoing and rarely frustrated by communication barriers, the motivation to learn and teach signs may be low””and that is fine. Some children are temperamentally patient, pointing effectively, making different cries for different needs, and generally tolerating the preverbal period without major distress.
Families where the primary caregivers are not on board should also think carefully. If one parent is enthusiastic but the other considers it silly or unnecessary, the inconsistency may confuse the baby and create household tension without producing meaningful results. Similarly, if grandparents or daycare providers who spend significant time with the baby are unwilling to use signs, the child receives mixed input that slows progress.
The Transition from Signs to Speech
One question parents frequently ask is whether baby sign language delays speech development. The preponderance of research suggests it does not, and several studies have indicated that signing babies may actually speak earlier than non-signing peers””though these findings are not universal and the effect size is modest. The theoretical explanation is that signing reinforces the concept that communication is possible and rewarding, motivating babies to develop verbal language once physically able.
What parents can expect is a gradual transition. A baby who signs “milk” at ten months will typically begin saying “milk” (or an approximation like “muh”) around twelve to fifteen months while continuing to sign. By eighteen to twenty months, most children have dropped the signs in favor of faster verbal communication. Some families report feeling wistful about this transition””the signs become a fond memory of a particular developmental window rather than an ongoing practice.
Conclusion
Baby sign language is worth it for families who can commit to several weeks of consistent modeling and who have a baby experiencing communication-related frustration. The time investment is modest””a few hours to learn basic signs and ongoing effort to use them during daily routines””and the potential benefits include fewer tantrums, stronger parent-child connection, and a window into your baby’s developing mind before speech becomes possible.
However, it is not a universal necessity. Families with easygoing babies, inconsistent caregiving situations, or simply no interest in the approach will not be doing their children a disservice by skipping it. The best predictor of baby sign language success is parental buy-in and consistency, so the honest self-assessment of whether you will actually use the signs matters more than any research study.