For babies and toddlers, furniture is something to climb on. Whether he recognizes other uses for these pieces of furniture or not, he may still want to know what each piece is. You will find other furniture signs in their related chapters. For example, the sign for BED can be found in Chapter 8, next to the sign for SLEEP. The sign for TABLE is located in Chapter 11 with other food-related signs.

The sign for CHAIR, as shown in Figure 14–1, uses both hands to illustrate the act of sitting.

• 1. Extend the index and middle fingers of your left hand horizontally in front of your body.

• 2. Curve the same fingers on your right hand and have them “sit” on your left fingers.

• 3. Lift your right fingers and have them sit again to complete the sign.

Remember to use the sign for CHAIR for any kind of chair, not just the upholstered kind in your living room. Use it for dining room chairs, high chairs, lawn chairs, and rocking chairs. This will help your baby to understand that a chair is simply something to sit in and that the sign does not refer to one chair in particular.

COUCH ( SEE DVD) is a somewhat complicated sign, though it will be easier once you have learned the sign for CHAIR, or, more specifically, the sign for SIT.

• 1. Make the sign for SIT (as described in the preceding section).

• 2. Hold your hands like claws in front of you with your fingers pointed downward.

• 3. Move your hands several inches apart, to indicate the length of a couch. With this movement, you are showing a long place to sit.