Why Teach Sign Language? "I don't know what he wants" is a
common refrain from the parents of a toddler. But what if you
could understand your child's desires before he could tell you
in words? Baby sign language -- teaching hearing babies and
toddlers a system of gestures to communicate basic needs, such
as hunger and sleepiness, as well as fun words, such as animal
names -- is catching on. The reason? Parents are beginning to
realize that children's proficiency in using their hands comes
well before using the more intricate muscles of their tongue and
vocal cords. And both parents and experts agree that signing
with your baby can relieve his frustration at not being able to
communicate with you (and your frustration at not being able to
understand him). "There's a lot of screaming when your child
gets to be a toddler," says Soni Pahade, mom of Raina, 18
months. "Having my daughter be able to do the sign for 'more' if
she wants more crackers is very helpful and calms her down. Or
I'll ask, 'Do you want to go