About US
We are a team made up of two sisters, Charly & Amelia - plus Baby Etta!
Amelia, the younger sister, was born deaf so sign language has always been part of our lives. Now we want to make sign a bit more fun & accessible.
Why Charly signs...
Whilst pregnant with Etta, I began researching the benefits of baby sign language for hearing babies. I couldn't believe what I found - it was like finding a secret code you can learn to communicate with your baby before they can verbalise their needs! (more on the studies done into baby sign in the 'why sign' section - worth a read if you're not convinced).
But more than anything - more than the facts and figures and research - it has been so much fun signing with Etta. Seeing the joy, concentration and amazement on her face is incredible - it holds her attention much more when actions are added to songs and stories.
It became something special that Etta & I would do together every day. It got me through a particularly low spot (lack of sleep is KILLER!) by helping us bond, it placated my (unnecessary) guilt if I hadn't taken Etta to any baby classes that week (getting out the house was impossible sometimes!), and I felt like I was using my brain again to learn a new skill and, if nothing else, passed some time (as they say, time flies when you're having fun and those rainy days on your own with a baby can seem loooong).
You can see Etta doing her first sign at 6 months here.
Why Amelia Signs...
I started learning to sign properly when I went to a boarding school for the deaf. Boarding school was THE best 7 years of my life - sneaking out of bed after lights out, being with your friends 24/7 and being with people who truly understood what it was like to be deaf.
10 years later and they are still my closest friends. We use sign language all the time to help with communication and it has some of the best advantages; being able to sign and understand each other in a noisy pubs and nightclubs (and not having to shout in someone's ear), having private chats about people on the tube (and no one else understanding what you are saying), and it incorporates such a range of facial expressions and body language that even the most boring of stories can still be interesting!
Now, I want to teach Etta and any other children this brilliant language and amazing skill.