How do we communicate with others, when we don’t speak the same language? How do you ask for help or understand others?

You may find that you turn to your hands and express yourself using gestures or simple signs, maybe with some wonderfully exaggerated facial expressions and possibly a few good sound effects thrown in too! It’s the same with babies.

How do we work out what they want before they can talk? The answer is baby signing and new classes have been launched this week in Dumbleton and Hanley Swan enabling parents from areas such as Evesham, Upton upon Severn and Malvern to access this amazing skill.

Babies can use their hands to wave, clap and point at objects from around six months, but TinyTalk classes are suitable from birth and it only takes approximately two to three months to see a first sign after attending classes. We have had babies as young as 11-weeks-old signing for their milk!

Through these new classes, parents and babies can learn a whole range of signs from British Sign Language to discover what their baby wants to say!

As a new parent, understanding what your baby wants and needs is one of the hardest challenges, but TinyTalk has the answer!

Baby signing offers pre verbal children a way of communicating using their hands before they can talk while supporting their emerging speech when your little ones are ready.

When a baby then looks at or points at an object, we can tell them what it is and also show them the sign for it too.

For example ‘drink’ is the iconic gesture of putting a cup up to our mouths and when we teach our babies these signs, we also show them, with their hands, exactly what to do.

It doesn’t take them long to do it themselves and telling you that they’d like a drink when you didn’t actually realise that they were thirsty.

Although signing is fun to do with your baby, it’s also easy to forget that it’s so worthwhile. You’re enabling your baby to communicate their interests, needs and thoughts long before they can speak.

Why let them wait until their words can be formed? Babies have so much that they want to say before they can actually talk and signing reduces frustrations between parent and baby by increasing understanding and developing a strong bond.

Signing babies are happy babies - with happier parents. TinyTalk classes are full of signing, singing and sensory activities to aid all aspects of fine and gross motor skills and cognitive development for young children.

With their much-loved mix of lively nursery rhymes, instruments, books and playtime, it’s no wonder that many parents say that TinyTalk is the highlight of their week! After the session, we have a social time where we have hot drinks and biscuits for our hard working families.

It is a chance to chat to other new mums and make long lasting friendships and for babies to make friends of their own!

Natalie Lloyd, the new TinyTalk teacher in Evesham, Pershore & Droitwich Spa says: “When I started TinyTalk classes as a parent I immediately loved it. Eleanor was engaged and happy, I was learning a new skill and finally, there was a space for me to chat to other mums and have a hot cup of tea!

“I thought the signing was fun but assumed it would be ages before I saw any signs from Eleanor until she quickly started signing *milk*, I was astounded! My baby was actually communicating her needs with me!

“When my son arrived he attended his first class at just six-days-old! He took to signing like a duck to water and was asking for *milk* by 12 weeks and telling us he loves us by four months, it was magical.

“Both of my children could tell me their wants and needs, their feelings, their thoughts, stories about their days, all before they could even speak. TinyTalk gave them that voice!”.

It’s never too early to start understanding each other. Baby classes are suitable from birth and Toddler classes up to pre-school and run across Worcestershire in Cropthorne, Crowle, Droitwich, Dumbleton and Worcester.

For more information go to www.tinytalk.co.uk/molliep, email molliep@tinytalk.co.uk or phone 07432612054.