A couple of years ago I heard someone talking about baby sign language. The idea was that babies could use hand signs to communicate before they developed the full coordination for speech.
We have tried it with our baby and, what do you know, it works. Knowing just a few signs is very helpful. The baby is able to communicate his or her needs with signs instead of crying.
Unfortunately, I don't think this concept is known to many parents. However, it's easy to do. A parent can pick up a book or DVD on the topic, or even just find some things online and put it into practice. It definitely makes life easier for the baby and the parents.
