Signs of Good Health
Some babies love going to the doctor’s office, and some babies hate it. Regardless, almost all babies are fascinated by the people they encounter there. Giving signed names to those people will help your baby to understand who they are, even if he still cannot understand how they help him. It is also a good way to let your baby know where he is going when it is time for an all-important trip to the doctor.
DOCTORThe sign for DOCTOR is shown in Figure 10–7.
FIGURE 10–7
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1. Form the manual alphabet letter D with one hand.
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2. Tap it to the inside wrist of the opposite hand to indicate checking for a pulse.
To help distinguish a doctor in your child’s mind, point out the doctor’s white coat, stethoscope, and other features that are singular to doctors. These visual clues will help your baby to identify doctors, therefore sealing the sign’s meaning in his mind.
NURSENURSE, as shown in Figure 10–8, is very similar to DOCTOR.
FIGURE 10–8
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1. Form the manual alphabet letter N.
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2. Tap it to the inside wrist of the opposite hand to indicate checking for a pulse.
You may find that your baby has difficulty differentiating between a doctor and a nurse. Likewise, he may also have difficulty differentiating between the signs for DOCTOR and NURSE, due to their similarity. If you find that this is the case, try introducing one sign first and, when that one is well established, introducing the next sign.
