When will the first signs come?

Perhaps you’re wondering when your little one will start signing? The first step is understanding the signs. Babies can understand signs long before they’re able to use them themselves.

A response doesn’t have to be a baby sign

Look out for your little one’s reactions when you use a sign. A glance, a smile or a movement can be a little response. Perhaps you recognise some of these?

You ask, “Where’s your TEDDY?” and do the TEDDY sign. Your little one turns and looks towards their teddy.

You ask, “Would you like some MILK?” and do the MILK sign. Your baby smiles, licks their lips and wiggles their arms and legs.

Or you say, “It’s time to sleep now” and do the SLEEP sign. Your little one heads towards the bedroom – or crawls away and hides! 😅

These can be little responses that show your baby understands you! The word, the sign and the situation all help them make sense of what you mean. 💕

So, when will the first signs come?

The first signs often appear at around 10–14 months, but this varies a lot – some babies start earlier, others later.

What matters most is remembering that every child is different! Some learn to crawl early but take a while to take their first steps. Others start crawling later and learn to walk soon afterwards. It can be much the same with baby signs.

Keep using the signs, even if you’re wishing for a response a little sooner. And remember the tips from the last lesson: repeat the signs often in everyday life, have fun together and be patient.

Your baby is learning at their own pace. Give them time to crack the code. ✨

You have so much to look forward to. Good luck! 💕

The signing adventure continues… ♫

We hope this mini-course has inspired you to keep playing with baby signs!

Fancy learning more signs and songs with Mia Mjau and me? You’re warmly welcome to join Tegn og Trall’s classes in Oslo or our net course, which you can follow from home.