HAVE you ever wondered how much calmer life would be if only your baby could tell you what was wrong?

Most of the time you’re taking part in a guessing game. Is it hunger, tiredness, a dirty nappy? It’s enough to make anyone scream.

But one first-time mum from East Lancashire has been communicating with her son since he was just a few months old.

Sandra Hilliard, 45, uses baby sign language to ‘talk’ to Joseph has now made a career out of the technique after it proved so successful.

This month Sandra, of Ramsgreave Drive, Blackburn, held her very first classes after setting up her own business teaching other mums and babies to sign.

R unning a franchise of Bacup-based TalkFirst classes covering the Blackburn area, the former NHS worker helps babies and toddlers to communicate with adults through simple signs and gestures.

“I was inspired by the way that babies communicated through sign, because they couldn’t talk, not because they were deaf,” said the mum-of-one, who balances work with looking after Joseph, now 19 months.

“I am pleased that I can now do something that I enjoy as well as being at work and I am happy knowing that I can improve the quality of communication between parents and children.

“I wanted a career that would give me the work-life balance by being able to operate my own business but also spend time with my family — and I have.”

Before going on maternity leave, she worked for the NHS and supported the elderly at home.

And it wasn’t easy starting a new job for the Sandra, who attended an intense 10-week training session in order to run a class with TalkFirst.

She said: “I had a home tutor to help me learn sign language and I also did training sessions with the company.

"I have been working with Joseph to improve his signing and when he was little his first sign was the action for milk, which is using a pulling motion as if you were milking a cow.

“He couldn’t talk but he could tell me he was thirsty.”

But Sandra doesn’t work alone and the highlight of the lesson is the signing puppet Dexter, who is the mascot of TalkFirst.

She said: “Dexter is a big, bright puppet and he is used to help babies and parents learn the signs as well as myself.

"The classes are structured to develop children’s vocabulary and are taught in a relaxed and fun atmosphere with the myself and Dexter.

“Some of the mothers who attend the classes have already seen the benefits of baby signing and have said it is a great feeling when their baby makes their first sign.”

Julie Ryder, Founder of TalkFirst Baby Signing, who has franchises across East Lancashire, said that Sandra’s new business opening in Blackburn would take the company further.

She said: “Sandra’s new launches the first TalkFirst brand in Blackburn.

“TalkFirst classes are structured to develop children’s communication and baby signing provides the invaluable link to help children and their parents understand each other.”

n Sandra’s classes are at the Wensley Fold Children’s Centre on Wednesdays at 10am, Fridays at 1.30pm and at the Livesey Children’s Centre every Friday at 10.30am and 11.30am. More information is available at www.talkfirst.net or contact Sandra on 07979 984 396 or email: sandra@talkfirst.net