First steps:

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When will my baby respond?

Some of the parents featured on our website started baby signing when their children were as young as five months. Others didn't use baby sign until their babies were already toddlers as old as two.

But all parents report that babies do not respond at the same rate, even if they're brothers and sisters. Our brief guide to how babies develop gives some average ages when babies might be expected to reach certain milestones - but it's only a guide.

So it's difficult to estimate at what point your baby may start to use a sign which you are patiently repeating at every opportunity. If you drop in on the Parent Points around the site, you'll find some babies who started using a sign within two weeks of first seeing it. For others, it may have been months before the sign was used meaningfully.

The trick is to keep using the right sign whether you think your baby knows it or not. Don't get disheartened. And whatever happens, don't get frustrated with your baby. The idea of baby sign is to make communication fun for you both!