I first used signing during my teenage years when volunteering on a children’s play scheme during the school holidays and I have also used it on and off since then in my primary teaching career which has spanned the last 17 years. I think that being able to communicate in this way is a fantastic skill to have had as a young adult and I feel that this was the start of my signing journey.

I am a mum of two lovely boys - Charlie, and Jasper. I began signing with Charlie when he was 5 months old and attended many courses of Signing Babies and Signing Talkers with him. I would look forward to each week’s session and we absolutely loved every minute; learning new signs and having great fun with signing, singing, music, stories and much more. I believe that signing certainly helped Charlie with his communication and his speech developed very well at a young age. He has always been able to explain and express himself well. I now attend classes with Jasper and I am really enjoying being back. This time round, it is wonderful for not only us as parents to be able to communicate with our baby boy but also to see his older brother relishing in the fact that he can sign to his younger sibling and talk to him in this way. We have all already enjoyed our first Golden Moment with Jasper when he signed ‘Daddy’ for the first time when sitting in his high chair one day! What an amazing feeling!

I love being able to combine my teaching skills with my love of baby signing in such a positive and fun way and share this wonderful skill of communication with everyone who attends my classes.