Babysignlanguage.com
I started BabySignLanguage.com after doing baby sign language with my 6-month-old daughter. She loved being able to communicate and it cut down on tantrums. It was also a fascinating window into her world. The first time she saw a horse, she signed “big dog.”
Baby sign language was pioneered by two UC professors and was based on the observation that children in deaf families communicated much earlier than those in hearing families. Signing is easier than speech (moving hands is easier than breath control). Studies suggested it leads to closer bonds with parents and enhanced verbal development.
I thought the idea could reach a much wider audience if it were free and accessible. So we built a site with videos, printable flash cards, wall charts, and more.
We shot the videos in our Dallas garage in the middle of summer, blasting a green screen with Home Depot lights. My poor pregnant wife stood in front of the camera sweating. I rigged up fans over giant buckets of ice to try to make an evaporative cooler. It didn’t help.
The site took off and traffic grew to about 4,000 visitors a day. Unexpectedly, a large share of users turned out to be students learning American Sign Language — the third most common language in the U.S. — so we expanded vocabulary and hired real ASL teachers to improve the videos and illustrations.
Baby Sign Language Kits
We eventually created a physical kit with flash cards, wall charts, and books. I wanted my flash cards to be as beautiful and sturdy as some Eric Carle’s Hungry Caterpillar flash cards I had seen.
I tracked down the manufacturer (Midas Printing) in Hong Kong. They were incredibly patient in guiding us through the process.
I didn’t realize until the shipping container full of flash cards arrived that I had never actually paid.
The manufacturer had extended 90 day payment terms to complete stranger. Maybe they sensed our desperation and took pity?
16 years later the site is still going strong. It’s nice knowing that families use something my wife and I made together in the garage when we were newlyweds. We still use Midas.