Mom was puzzled by toddler’s strange hand gesture — moments later, Google search led to surprising realization
Children observe and learn a lot more than we might expect. So it is important to be mindful of the surroundings they’re in, their interactions and other encounters. A mom named Kellie Singh noticed her 15-month-old daughter making a strange hand gesture every time she finished eating, Newsweek reported. When she did a quick Google search, she was stunned to realize what it really was. However, what caught her even more off guard was the way her toddler had learned and picked up the sign. The little girl’s hand gesture, where she joins her fingers in a bunch and moves them subtly, was captured in a video shared by the mom.
When she hopped onto Google to figure out what it was, she learned that the little girl had been doing sign language. The gesture she was making was a prominent one in the American Sign Language, indicating “more.” Kellie was surprised that her daughter knew how to do the sign since no one in her family was practising. Her next guess was that she learned it from the “Ms. Rachel” series. Even then, she’d have to have been watching intently to have grasped the gesture so confidently. Still curious, the mom emailed the daycare her toddler goes to. It was then confirmed that the little girl had learned the gesture from them.
The daycare had not been actively teaching this sign to the kids. Instead, they were using it to help nonverbal toddlers communicate better. Since it was a common and frequent sign at the daycare, the 15-month-old observed and quickly picked it up. Kellie walked into the daycare to learn more about the sign. "I asked the carer what sign they do for ‘more’ [and] she showed me the exact sign my 1-year-old was doing," she recalled. It’s amazing to see how the little girl wasn’t taught how to make the gesture but noticed the carers doing it and mimicked it too.
Though the sign is of the American Sign Language and not the Australian Sign Language, the mom is still proud and encouraging her daughter to learn and practice it. "We definitely do the sign ‘more’ now and I’ve been paying more attention when my baby uses her hands," the mom noted. She added that her tiny tot’s interest and observation also inspired her older kids to explore sign language. Many parents guessed that the toddler had learned the gesture from Ms. Rachel or her daycare.
Others shared how their kids also learned different signs and it’s heartwarming. @jae_lizabeth said, “Mine says thank you in sign language and nobody taught her it either.” @jenniferelisa0713 added, “Sign language is amazing at this age. I work with babies under a year old and they know a lot of basic signs. We typically teach them, ‘Eat,’ ‘more,’ ‘water,’ ‘all done,’ ‘please,’ etc. It’s great for all of us.” @chelseasjkozak explained, “We got this from daycare. I have to Google the posters whenever my son comes home with a new one. I love it.”
@nursekelliesingh When you’re 15 month old suddenly knows sign language? No none of us use it. I’m thinking Miss Rachel taught her this. #asl #signlanguage #babysignlanguage #mumsoftiktok #auslan ♬ original sound - nursekell
You can follow Kellie Singh (@nursekelliesingh) on TikTok for more content on parenting.