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!

Did you know that children that spend more time outside laugh more?  It seems that little ones these days spend more time in front of the TV or playing video games then using their imagination.  The game industry is getting children younger and younger it seems, as there are now video games for toddlers.  I know they are educational, which is nice, but nothing compares to using the imagination.  Playing outside can teach children how to be adventurous, and even self-motivated.

Sometimes it doesn't make since to go outside, maybe it is to cold, or even too hot.  In those cases you can spend time inside with the same imagination.  Build forts out of blankets, or even make some home made play-dough.

Spend time laughing with your baby.  Those are things that you and your child wont ever forget.

This is something that I say often, but I think it is good advice! :)  Reading to your baby, even just a few minutes a day, can really teach then that learning is fun.  Reading is such an important skill that even many adults do not enjoy anymore.

I do story time with Alex every night before bed, and now he is some words reading with me!  He isn't a baby anymore, which is hard for me, but he is learning to read!  Inspiring a love of reading is wonderful, but what is even better is the bonding time that you get with your baby.  For those moments that the two of you are reading together your baby knows that you stopped everything that could have taken time and focused on him/her.

As an infant they may not pick up on that, but as they get older they sure will.  What story will you be reading tonight?  I think it is going to be "Space Boy" in our house.

One really great thing about babies is that they are not too picky!  If it is something that feels good to them and they can put it in their mouth they are typically happy.  The key here is making sure it is safe for those things.

I don't know of a single baby that hasn't gone through the stage of wanting whatever they touch to go in their mouth.  My last post was about lead and in this one I wanted to give you some ideas of safe toys that babies will actually enjoy!

These dinosaurs are a great teethers that not only look cool, but serve a very important purpose!  They feel wonderful and are safe for baby!

Who can resist a sock monkey?

These blocks are a personal favorite! You can never go wrong with blocks!

This is just a few ideas, all of which are hand made!  These were all found on Etsy.com, which is truly an amazing place to find one of a kind and safe gifts.  It is so fun when we find that perfect gift and to know that it is something safe makes it even better!

At some point every child will have to hear the word no. It is a good thing to not always give your child everything they want. By telling your child no you are also teaching them about reality.

The other side to this is teaching your child to say no correctly. Just as you are very likely to say no (and hopefully you are sticking to it) your child may feel the need to tell you no and stick to it. Sometimes as parents we feel the need to get defensive and say things like "you can't tell me no" or things of this nature. No is a very powerful word and sometimes, if it is logical, listen to your toddler that is telling you no.

Sometimes we get so caught up in how cute our babies are and we want to keep them little that we give in easy. The truth is that the world won't always be as nice, so at the same time that we are being loving and protective we need to show them structure and reality.

Daycare is not an easy time for parents, as they are letting go. Some times it is actually harder on the parents than it is on the child. There are some good things about day cares that I am going to share with you to help ease your mind!

There is a good chance that your child will end up healthier if involved in a daycare. Yes a daycare child will have more common colds than a child that stays at home, but this makes the immune system stronger and will help protect your baby against more chronic conditions.

Daycares are also great for getting your child school ready. Getting them in the habit of having art time, music time, and other school like activities. The last one I am going to list is probably the most obvious, but this is that your child will most likely have a lot of friends. Actually children that are in daycares learn to be more cooperative with other children.

Just a couple of perks to help ease your mind!

At some point every parent is going to have to face the public tantrum that every child is bound to have.  There are many different options to take when this happens.  I have seen many of then applied.

The one to avoid is giving in to whatever the tantrum is being thrown over.  If your child wants a candy bar, or a car and you have already said no then stick to it.  The one time that you cave in to a tantrum will insure that you will have many more.

Sometimes this is easier said that done.  You don't want people to think you have a bad child just because they are screaming, or you just want them to stop so that you can continue your shopping.  The truth is that  people are secretly applauding the parents that don't give in.  Whether you have chosen to ignore the behavior of the tantrum, or just leave the store.

There is more to it than what other people think, there is the message that you send to your child.  Children need to understand that just because they "want" something "now" doesn't mean that they will get it on demand.  You are doing them a favor by not giving in to it.

Methods to use would be: leave the place of the tantrum, ignore the behavior (if possible), put them in a corner (if possible) and you can do all these things until the child calms down.  In some extreme cases  you may just need to take the child home and try the outing again later.

What I mean by this is that a lot of times you hear people say, "just make them sleep in the dark and they will get over it."

The truth is that this could just make the child more scared, the above is just an example.  But forcing your child to do something that they are scared of doing could have the reverse effect of what you intend.

A good method to try is to help your child do things that make them feel safe, this will help them with their bravery.  Start with things that you know they will do and gradually move from there.

It seems like younger and younger children are getting TV's in their bedrooms.  I have even seen toddlers with them.  It has always been a personal decision that Alex will not have a TV in his room, but after doing a little reading yesterday I am really happy that I made that decision.

By nature toddlers are active.  They want to run, jump, play and just be active.  But it is even more than just playing.  If a child watches a lot of TV that also means they are learning less conversations skills.

There is also a link in childhood obesity and TV/video games.  Children are spending their time inside in front of a screen instead of being active.

I am not saying to never let your child watch TV, but maybe try to limit the amount of time spent in front of it, and keeping it out of the bedroom.

This may sound silly, but babies don't know how to relax.  Just like most everything else it has to be taught to them.

This is be very helpful once your baby is ready to stop taking naps, but still needs that time just to unwind for a while to regain some energy.  This will also help your child be less cranky throughout the day, serving much of the same purpose as a nap would.

Encourage your child to relax with you, and this way your child will understand what it means to relax.  It could be sitting or laying together on the couch, or even just sitting out on some lawn chairs reading books.  Whatever it is that helps you relax, pass that on to your children.