It doesn’t take long for a baby to figure out the difference between hot and cold. Of course, it is important to be careful when teaching your baby about heat. Fortunately, you do not have to expose her to anything that is overly hot to teach the concept. Instead, teach your baby by showing her the differences between warm and cold.

One good way to introduce hot and cold to your baby is by using the faucet. Turn the water on to warm. It should be quite warm, but not scalding. Allow your baby to touch the water and tell her that it is hot water. After she has tried this a few times, turn the water to cold. Have her put her hand back under the faucet and tell her that it is cold water. There are plenty of other ways to teach the concept, but the water method will be easy for you and your baby.

COLD

To form the sign for COLD, imagine that you are, in fact, cold.

• 1. Draw your shoulders in and bring your forearms up to your chest with your hands balled into fists, as shown in Figure 17–7 .

• 2. Shake your hands as if you are cold.

Seek out opportunities to use this sign to help reinforce its meaning. For instance, if it’s cold outside, use the sign when you step out the door. You could also let your baby play with an ice cube while you demonstrate the sign. You will find multiple opportunities in your everyday life to use this sign. This will help your baby to learn the sign and its meaning quickly.

HOT

The sign for HOT ( SEE DVD) is formed by starting with your fingertips at your lips, similar to the sign for EAT (page 79).

• 1. Draw the tips of all of your fingers and thumb together as if operating a hand puppet with its mouth closed and bring them to your mouth, as in the sign for EAT.

• 2. Pull your fingers away and downward as if pulling something from your mouth that is too hot. Spread your fingers apart as you move your hand down.

As with COLD, you will have plenty of chances to demonstrate the sign for HOT. If you put your baby in the car on a summer afternoon, be sure to tell her how hot it is. If her food is too hot to eat, let her know by forming the sign. It won’t be long before she is telling you when something is too hot.