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The One Word You Shouldn't Teach Your Children to Sign with Etel Leit
Etel is a pediatric communication consultant and founder of SignShine, a communication center for individuals and families. She is a communication advocate, motivational speaker, parenting consultant and author.
Etel has a remarkable and unique way to connect to individuals and her private practice consultation has been described by her clients as “life-changing, authentic and straight-forward.”
Her information and engaging talks use case studies, research, and personal stories to interact with, inspire, and empower her audience.
Etel is a proud mom of two children.
The Unspoken Topic
- The goal of sign language is to learn to communicate- not for children to learn the signs. And the true goal of parenting is to teach our kids to be independent.
What We Cover
- How sign language affects brain development.
- Why teaching children a specific word can hinder the purpose of sign language.
- Which first words to teach your child.
Take a Listen >>
Key Takeaways
- A baby communicates depending on what the parents respond to. If a parent responds to whining, the child will continue to whine, as it thinks that how to meet his needs. If his parents respond to sign language, he will continue to sign.
- The average child starts to speak at a year and half.
- By age 2, a child on average will know 5-20 words.
- Sound is speech. This is the beginning of a child learning to speak.
- Speech is a physical. You exercise this muscle just like you would exercise your muscles at the gym.
- The first sign most children learn is MORE. That is the worst sign to learn because the goal of signing is not to sign- it’s to communicate. MORE doesn’t articulate what a child needs.
- A study was done to prove that by the age of 8, children have 12 IQ points higher than average. That’s because learning to sign uses both sides of the brain.
Actionable Solutions
How to Teach Your Child to Sign
- Begin by signing things in your surroundings: milk, baby, water, sleep, mom, dad, etc.
- Be specific and articulate with each sign.
- Say the word along with the sign. Don’t compromise signing for speaking.
- Have fun and be consistent with it!
- This will increase speech development.
How To Stay In Alignment
Stop apologizing for who you are. Etel used to strive for perfectionism when she was younger and she no longer does that. She also outsources the things she is not in alignment so she can focus on what feels good and what she’s good at.
Greatest Fear She Overcame
- She arrived to the US when she was 22 and began her masters program. She not only completed it, but she did it in english which is not her native language. She also began teaching english and is on writing her third book- also in english.
Most Excited About
- The publication of her book.
Etel’s Gift For You
We are so excited about Etel’s pictionary guide to show you the first 18 signs to teach you babe!
To grab it, type in your email below. You’ll be opting into both of our lists to receive even more goodies!
Mama Has a Minute
- Favorite form of self-care: Workouts
- What is the best parenting advice you’ve ever received: Apologize to your kids when you need to
- Share your favorite parenting hack: Makes up songs in the morning to get her kids out of bed
- Share 1 product your children cannot live without: Her car
- Share 1 book and why: The Giving Tree
- What motherhood means to you: Motherhood is her heart and how her heart can become fuller and fuller with the more kids you have.
Freebies From Us
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Action Steps For *You*
- Have a question or topic you’d like to cover? Let us know!
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