There are some people that your baby probably sees almost every day, aside from immediate family. While they may not play as active a role in your baby’s life, they are still significant to your child. Therefore, give your little one the ability to label these people with signs. Just be sure not to use these signs simultaneously with others (such as signing NEIGHBOR and MAN for the same person) to avoid confusing your baby.

The sign for FRIEND, as shown in Figure 10–6, is meant to indicate the closeness of two friends.

• 1. Bring both hands in front of the chest.

• 2. Link both of your index fingers together.

• 3. Reverse the placement of your hands and link your index fingers again.

Because older infants and younger toddlers are just learning to socialize with their peers, the meaning of friendship will be lost on them. Therefore, consider using the sign for FRIEND to indicate “playmate.” For instance, when you go to playgroup or to the park, use the sign for FRIEND to introduce your child to another baby. This will let your little one understand that the other baby is someone with whom he can play.

NEIGHBOR ( SEE DVD) is a two-motion sign that roughly combines NEAR and PERSON.

• 1. Bring the palm of one hand together with the back of the other hand (this indicates nearness).

• 2. With your palms facing each other in front of your torso, bring them down the length of your body to indicate person.

To help your child to understand the concept of neighbors, it will be especially helpful to demonstrate the sign when a neighbor is coming in or out of her house. If your baby associates the person with her house, he will start to grasp the fact that a neighbor is someone who belongs to the house next door (or across the street).