When my husband and I decided to raise our first child bilingually, we knew we would be navigating two spoken languages at home.
I’m a native Vietnamese speaker, while my husband speaks English and, at the time, had no clue about Vietnamese whatsoever.
It, then, led to a serious question:
How could we make communication easier before our baby had enough spoken words to tell us what she needed?
Babies have plenty to say, but their mouths don’t catch up with their thoughts yet. Sometimes, all we hear are coos and cries, and we’re left guessing what they’re trying to tell us. Is she hungry? Does she want more? Is she tired? Or, is something else bothering her?
That’s when baby signs came into our picture.
How We Started Using Baby Signs
We adapted simple signs from what we were learning through Montessori and used them alongside our spoken languages. Baby signs offered another way for our family to communicate while our little one learned to speak.
We started with everyday needs and familiar words:
- 🍼 Milk
- 🤲 More
- 🙋 Help
- ✋ All done
- 😴 Sleep
For us, signs became a little middle ground between Vietnamese and English. I could ask, “Sữa?” while my husband said, “Milk?” And our baby could use the same familiar sign to tell either of us, “Yes! That’s what I mean!” It was a small thing, but it gave all of us another way to understand each other.
One Child, Different Languages, Shared Understanding
We didn’t realize how useful these signs would become until other caregivers stepped in. Babysitters, family members, and friends didn’t necessarily speak Vietnamese. But if they recognized a familiar sign, they could better understand what our little one was trying to communicate. Different adults. Different languages. Same child. Same basic needs.
Of course, a familiar gesture doesn’t guarantee that someone will understand every message. But having a few shared signs gave us another tool to support communication across our family and caregiving circle. And sometimes, that’s exactly what a multilingual family needs.
Baby Signs Didn’t Replace Vietnamese. They Made More Room for It.
One thing I appreciated most was that we could keep speaking Vietnamese while using signs. I could ask, “Con muốn uống sữa không?” while showing the sign for milk. The gesture gave my baby a visual clue to connect with the Vietnamese words she was hearing. For our family, signs were a way to support communication while keeping Vietnamese and English part of everyday life.
Looking back, I think the biggest win wasn’t simply that our kids learned a few signs. It was that we found another way to meet them where they were and give them opportunities to express themselves.
Every family will find what works for them. Baby signs are one option, not a requirement, and they don’t need to be complicated. You can start with a few useful gestures, say the words naturally in the language you’re using, and repeat them during familiar routines.
Baby signs aren’t a substitute for spoken-language interaction or professional support when a child has communication concerns. If you’re worried about your child’s speech or language development, talk with your pediatrician or a speech-language pathologist.
For our multilingual family, baby signs were simply one more tool in our little toolbox.
Not perfect. Not complicated. Just helpful.
