Mumbai: Excel Home Videos is launching DVDs titled My Baby Can Talk to help infants communicate. It is being released in seven languages including Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, and Telugu, apart from English.
My Baby Can Talk is a series of videos that help parents give their babies the tools to bridge the gap between the time babies can communicate and the time they actually speak clearly enough to be understood – generally within the range of ten to thirty-six months.
My Baby Can Talk teaches babies sign language in a format that is engaging and entertaining for babies and adults alike. The series is a brainchild of US-based Kathleen Waidhofer, who along with her husband John pioneered this effort, way back in 2003. "Baby Hands Productions was founded on the principle that babies can communicate at a very early age. We are dedicated to giving babies and parents an effective way to communicate before babies can speak, reducing frustration for both and creating a special bond that is so important for healthy child development", says Waidhofer, a Stanford graduate and a mother of two, who was inspired by her own experience with her infant daughter.
In addition to the direct teaching of signs, these videos spotlight baby products, toys and beautiful live footage set to classical music. Each video features preverbal babies, who sign all the words in each video, along with an adult counterpart who also signs each word. Witnessing a peer communicate in this fashion inspires even the youngest babies, knowing they can perform these tasks, while the adult guidance ensures that the most pristine form of each sign is demonstrated.
The My Baby Can Talk series has been awarded with numerous recognitions in the US including the NAPPA Gold & Honors Awards, Dr. Toy Smart Toy Product of Excellence & 100 Best Products, the National Parenting Center Endorsements, Kids First! All-Star Endorsements, Parent’s Choice Awards, iParenting Media Awards and Creative Child Preferred Choice & Seal of Excellence Awards.
Says Excel Home Videos managing director MN Kapasi, "We did a small test run of the product and found startling results and decided to translate the product to maximize the reach. The feedback from the users has been very encouraging". Adds Waidhofer, "Research has shown that babies who use signs to communicate pre-verbally score higher on IQ tests and engage in more sophisticated play. Learning sign language reduces frustration, decreasing the frequency of temper tantrums so broadly associated with infants between 10 – 36 months."
The My Baby Can Talk DVD series will be available in two parts in all leading stores across the country and is priced at Rs 300.
