When kids get to spend time with their grandparents, it's good for both the children and the grands. For 6-month-old Jane McCullough, getting to be around her grandparents is equipping her with a new skill set. Both of Jane's grandparents are deaf and communicate with American Sign Language, something that Jane is picking up already.
Many of us have heard of teaching babies sign language as a way to communicate before they can talk, but Jane is getting a real education. A video of Jane "talking" to her grandparents, Michael and Jessica Stultz, has gone viral, and it is absolutely the sweetest thing.
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Jane and her grandparents have a special relationship
In the video, Jane is seen doing what babies do — babbling to her grandparents. But instead of using sounds, she's letting her hands do the talking. Mara McCullough, Jane's mom, told Good Morning America that she first noticed Jane babbling in sign language when she was around 4 months old. The Stultzes are Mara's parents, and she and her brother also signed as babies.
Jane's behavior isn't uncommon for babies who grow up with sign language
"It's actually a really common thing," McCullough explained. "For babies that are in a deaf household or a household where American Sign Language is used daily, babbling in sign language is really normal."
McCullough, her husband, and Jane live with her parents in Florida, which means that Jane gets to be around her grandparents every day. Because she's constantly around them, it's not a surprise that she's been picking up sign language.
Jane is a smart baby
"She’s been pretty alert and observant since the day she was born, so we knew it was coming," McCullough said of Jane's ability to pick up sign language. She also shared that her parents are "really excited" seeing Jane's reactions to having conversations with them.
McCullough shared that she was surprised that her video of Jane and her parents went viral, but was glad it was exposing more people to ASL.
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A lot of people don't have much of an understanding of American Sign Language
"I think it’s been really eye-opening for people to see that babies are able to grasp language and that they’re so intelligent," McCullough said. "I think a lot of people already knew that babies can use sign language before they speak, but I think to see her babbling in sign language took things to a new level for a lot of people."
"Just like how a hearing baby babbles in spoken language, she's doing it with her hands," she said of Jane.
People are loving the video of Jane and her grandparents
The comment section of McCullough's video is full of people who are happy to see the interaction between Jane and her grandparents.
"As another CODA, if this is your first just wait til she’s 2 and having full conversations in sign with your parents ," one person wrote. CODA stands for "child of deaf adult."
"Her feet are even trying to sign!" another person exclaimed.
"She's so expressive with her face while trying to sign too," someone added.
"The way she waits for her turn and pays attention to their signs as if truly conversing with them ❤️❤️❤️," another comment reads.
"The best part is her concentration face while she's babbling in sign. she just knows she's saying the right thing," someone else praised.
