It is the time of year that people think about the things that we are all thankful for.  As parents we need to teach our babies, and children, what it means to be thankful and how to be thankful.

Babies model behavior of the people around them.  If they see their loved ones saying "thank you" and being kind to one another, they are more likely to do the same.  For instance, when our family is out to a restaurant, Alex is encouraged to order for himself, and to be polite to our waiter/waitress.  He has been taught to be thankful that someone is bringing his food to him, and in turn he also ends up thanking whoever it is that took him to the meal.

This week, as a family, we are going to say one thing that we are thankful for.  I am sure that Alex will likely be thankful for toys, but that is okay.  For our babies that cannot talk yet, the parents can tell their babies what they are thankful for.  Babies can hear and understand at young ages.  Parents will be teaching their child how to be thankful.  It is a good habit to get into, and starting this at such a young age will be fun!

When your baby is around nine months old, parents may notice that she/he starts to get upset when the parents leave.  This could be at day care, or even if the parents just go out for the night.

The point that I want to make is that this is normal.  This is just because at about nine months, infants are able to remember when parents left in the past.  The positive side to this is that with time, your baby will learn that his/her loving parents always come back.

I remember worrying when my baby went through this.  I did not understand why he went from being fine, to crying when I would leave him.  It was not long before he was back to his happy self, and waving bye to me.