Waiting Fingers!!

Awhile back my friend Maria shared with me that out of desperation, on a LOOONG wait at the doctor’s office she pulled out a trick that Layla and I use daily….she was out of patience with her little one…he was out of patience with waiting. They tried singing, reading, dancing, writing…anything she could think of. Promise of the doctor’s quick return, she asked Jack to use his “Waiting Fingers”. Though they had not used this before, Jack has seen Layla and I use this patience-trick together…and much to his Mama’s surprise, he stopped fussing, held out his little fingers, and wiggled them.

Sometimes all you need is a moment to calm down and this little diddy provides just that…and an opportunity to teach patience to your little one.

Layla and I started using sign language to communicate when she was about 9 months old. One of the signs we learned was “Wait” – you hold your open hands in front of you and wiggle your fingers like they are “waiting around.” Whenever I needed a moment – to get food – a toy – or just to go to the bathroom – I would ask her to use her “waiting fingers” just a moment. I eventually turned it into a little song that gives me about 30 seconds of … deep breath … just enough time for us to both calm down and take a moment.

Here it goes…

Waiting Fingers

Waiting Fingers

Layla’s Waiting Patiently.

Waiting Fingers

Waiting Fingers

Wait a Minute and You’ll See…

I used MY waiting fingers for months trying to catch this elusive little diddy on video…enjoy!