I have a granddaughter who began teaching her firstborn to sign. Neither is deaf, but it’s just something she wanted to do with her children. She learned it in highschool..like a second language.
“...like a second language.”
My kids both sign. They learned it from a baby sitter we used for a couple of years while the wife and I worked.
A couple of years after that, we were in a restaurant on a Saturday night and the financial boss’s secretary was across the room. Apparently her daughter was deaf and my kids had an extended conversation with her from our table about 50 feet away.
On Monday the secretary grabbed me on the way by and asked if my kids were hearing impaired. I told her no, they learned sign as a second language because they wanted to learn it. She asked if I signed and I said no, I have a difficult enough time trying to figure out spoken language. She laughed, but I never had a problem getting funds available for anything I needed after that.
wy69
When the kiddos got to high school, I insisted they learn a second language. — beside English.
The oldest son learned Russian, the youngest, Japanese.
My daughter - ASL.
She has landed at least two jobs for being ‘bi-lingual’.
When Joey Feek gave birth to a Downs daughter Indiana, once she was able to she started teaching her Sign Language. She is 6 now, and uses a mixture of verbal and Sign.
I have Meniere’s, 3 weeks ago I had an attack, roaring, ringing in ears, now basically deaf unless hearing aids can restore some hearing, at 72 it is not easy not hearing for the 1st time. Last attack 10 yrs ago was a Grand Vertigo attack. Still the wrong age group for Meniere’s.
My son started teaching his son to sign as soon as he could understand, way before he could talk. Lets the little ones communicate if they are hungry or want something. Point and sign “please” cuts down on crying and tantrums.