Tantrums? What tantrums?

Some parents think they have found the answer for taming the tantrums of the terrible 2s. Of course, there will never be a cure-all for every outburst, but some say an effective antidote lies in communication — well before the children are able to speak.

Tyber Buchheit wants some juice. Without making a sound he lets his mother know exactly what he's after. Just under 2, he is starting to verbally articulate what he wants, but in the past year simple hand movements have been doing the job.

Translating a cry can be exhausting. Which snack does he want? What toy is he looking for? What hurts? Any one of these could be the magic question when parents are dealing with a loud and volatile fit in the middle of the grocery store aisle, a church pew or even the playroom.

Tyber, a hearing child, was signing to his parents at 11 months old. His mother, Lara, started teaching him the basic signs around 6 months old. Among his first signs were "more" and "milk." Now ,when he is tired he signs, "bye, sleep," when he wants food he signs the specific item, and Mom, with crossed fingers, said so far he hasn't thrown any tantrums.

"I don't know how much of that is because of personality and how much is because of (signing), but I think it probably has a big hand in it," she said.

Kaylin Olsen, family consumer human development instructor at Utah State University, said babies start to make the communication and language connection before they can speak. Using that skill as soon as they develop it makes for less frustration.

"When they realize they can get the things they want through signing they want to sign more," said Olsen.

Olsen suggests parents start signing with babies around 6 months old — near the time they start pointing and gesturing. Then just work the signs in with everyday natural interactions such as eating, dressing and playing.

Babies often learn signs for family members, their snacks and toys along with words such as "more," "gone," "help," "please," "outside" and "done."

Olsen said a popular parental concern is whether teaching signs will delay a baby's speech. If he is already getting the message across successfully, what is the rush in learning to talk?

"Babies have an intrinsic want to be around and use words," Olsen said. "If anything it encourages a language development earlier — seeing that they can get what they want through communication."

It generally works like this. Parent teaches baby the sign along with saying the word; baby uses sign; then baby uses both sign and word; then baby drops the sign and uses the word.

Signing just introduces babies to language earlier.