The baby sign language “hurt” sign is made by forming both hands into fists with your index fingers extended, pointing the index fingers at each other, and twisting your hands back and forth in opposite directions. For babies who find this motion difficult, a simpler variation involves tapping the index fingers together. What makes this sign especially useful is its locational nature: you make the sign wherever the pain actually is, so a child can sign near their head for a headache or near their stomach for a tummy ache.
Learning to communicate pain is one of the most practical applications of baby sign language. Consider a toddler who wakes up crying in the middle of the night. Without words, parents are left guessing: Is it hunger? A nightmare? An ear infection? A simple finger twist near the ear can immediately tell a parent what a child cannot yet verbalize, potentially speeding up medical care and reducing distress for everyone involved. This article covers the proper technique for teaching the hurt sign, the ideal age to begin, effective teaching strategies, common challenges parents encounter, and why this particular sign deserves priority in your baby signing vocabulary.
Table of Contents
- How Do You Make the Hurt Sign in Baby Sign Language?
- When Should You Start Teaching the Hurt Sign?
- Teaching Techniques That Work for the Hurt Sign
- Why the Hurt Sign Deserves Priority in Your Baby’s Vocabulary
- Common Challenges When Teaching the Hurt Sign
- Adapting the Sign for Different Developmental Stages
- Beyond the Hurt Sign: Building a Pain Vocabulary
- Conclusion
How Do You Make the Hurt Sign in Baby Sign Language?
The standard hurt sign requires two hands working in coordination. Start by making fists with both hands, then extend just your index fingers so they point toward each other. Position your hands so the fingertips are close together but not touching, then twist your wrists in opposite directions, as if you were wringing out a small towel. The twisting motion represents the sensation of pain. Many babies lack the fine motor control needed for this twisting motion, which is why the simplified version exists.
Instead of twisting, babies can simply tap their extended index fingers together repeatedly. This modification maintains the core meaning while accommodating developing motor skills. Most children will naturally transition to the adult version as their coordination improves. The locational aspect of this sign is what sets it apart from many others. Unlike signs that are always made in the same place (like “milk” or “more”), the hurt sign moves around the body to indicate where pain is occurring. A parent might demonstrate by signing near a scraped knee while saying “hurt,” reinforcing both the sign and its specific application to that injury location.
When Should You Start Teaching the Hurt Sign?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends starting baby sign language around six months of age, with the optimal window falling between six and nine months. This timing aligns with a developmental period just before babies typically begin speaking their first words, making signing a bridge to verbal communication rather than a replacement for it. Parents can technically begin signing from birth, though babies will not sign back until they develop the necessary cognitive and motor abilities. The advantage of early exposure is that by the time a baby is ready to sign, they have already absorbed weeks or months of consistent modeling.
However, starting at six months is perfectly effective and prevents the frustration some parents feel when signing to a newborn who shows no response. One important limitation: the hurt sign is reactive by nature, meaning you cannot practice it on a schedule like you might with “eat” at mealtimes or “bath” before washing. Opportunities arise unpredictably when your child experiences pain. This means progress may feel slower compared to signs you can practice multiple times daily, so patience becomes especially important with this particular sign.
Teaching Techniques That Work for the Hurt Sign
The three-step method provides a reliable framework for teaching any sign, including hurt. First, model the sign frequently while saying the word clearly: when your child bumps their head, you sign “hurt” near your own head while saying “hurt.” Second, pause for five to ten seconds to give your child time to process what they saw. Third, respond positively to any attempt at signing, even imperfect ones, reinforcing their effort and encouraging future attempts. Picture books offer unexpected practice opportunities for the hurt sign.
Stories featuring characters with injuries, such as a teddy bear with a bandaged paw or a child with a scraped knee, allow you to sign “hurt” in a calm, non-emergency context. This practice builds recognition without the emotional intensity of an actual injury, and children often enjoy pointing out where characters are hurt once they understand the concept. A specific example: a parent reading a book about a puppy who hurts his leg might pause at that page, point to the bandage, sign “hurt” near their own leg, and say the word aloud. Done repeatedly over several readings, this associates the sign with the concept of pain in a low-stress environment, making it more likely the child will recall and use the sign when they experience pain themselves.
Why the Hurt Sign Deserves Priority in Your Baby’s Vocabulary
Among the many signs parents can teach, hurt stands out as uniquely valuable because it addresses moments of genuine distress. Signs like “more” or “all done” make mealtimes easier, but the hurt sign can fundamentally change how a non-verbal child experiences pain and how caregivers respond to it. The tradeoff parents face is between teaching high-frequency signs that get used daily (like “milk” or “eat”) versus high-impact signs that are used less often but matter significantly when needed.
Many experts suggest teaching a mix of both. The hurt sign falls firmly into the high-impact category: you might not use it every day, but when a child wakes up sick or takes a fall, being able to communicate pain location transforms a guessing game into clear communication. Compared to teaching a child to point (which babies often develop on their own), the hurt sign conveys more specific information. A child might point at their general body or even in a random direction when distressed, but the hurt sign combined with its locational feature communicates both “I am in pain” and “this is where it hurts.” That dual information is something pointing alone cannot achieve.
Common Challenges When Teaching the Hurt Sign
The biggest obstacle with the hurt sign is inconsistent practice opportunities. Unlike signs you can practice at every meal or bedtime, hurt only becomes relevant when pain occurs. Some parents go weeks without a natural teaching moment, then suddenly need the sign during an emergency when neither parent nor child is in an ideal learning state. One workaround is to gently introduce the concept during minor discomforts rather than waiting for significant injuries. A stubbed toe, a bumped elbow, or even discomfort from teething can all serve as teaching moments.
The key is to remain calm and matter-of-fact, signing “hurt” without excessive drama that might frighten the child or create negative associations with the sign itself. A limitation to acknowledge: some children resist signing during moments of distress because they are too overwhelmed to access learned behaviors. A screaming, crying child may not have the bandwidth to sign, even if they know how. This is normal and does not indicate failure. The sign often becomes useful in lower-intensity situations, such as a child signing to indicate a lingering headache or a sore spot from earlier in the day.
Adapting the Sign for Different Developmental Stages
For babies under twelve months, expect the simplified tapping version at best. Their fine motor skills cannot manage the twisting motion, and their attempts may look nothing like the adult sign. A baby might simply bring two fists together or wave their hands in the general direction of where it hurts.
Accept these approximations enthusiastically. As children move into the toddler stage, usually around eighteen months to two years, many naturally refine their signing to more closely match adult versions. If a child continues using the simplified tap when their motor skills have clearly advanced, you can gently model the twist version during calm moments, but there is no need to insist on it. Communication matters more than perfect form.
Beyond the Hurt Sign: Building a Pain Vocabulary
Once a child masters the hurt sign, some parents add related signs like “help,” “better,” or “medicine” to create a fuller vocabulary for discussing pain and treatment. This progression helps children understand not just how to express pain but also what happens next: asking for help, receiving care, and eventually feeling better.
For example, a parent might sign “hurt” when acknowledging the injury, then sign “help” while providing care, and finally sign “better” once the child has calmed down. This sequence builds a narrative around pain management that reassures children and gives them additional tools for communication as their signing vocabulary expands.
Conclusion
The hurt sign is a practical, high-value addition to any baby signing vocabulary. Made by twisting extended index fingers in opposite directions (or tapping them together for younger babies), this locational sign allows children to communicate both the existence and location of pain before they can form the words to describe it.
Teaching the hurt sign requires patience due to unpredictable practice opportunities, but the three-step method of modeling, pausing, and responding positively provides a reliable framework. Starting around six months and maintaining consistency gives children the best chance of acquiring this sign, ultimately transforming moments of distress into opportunities for clear communication between parent and child.