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!

If you have children like Alex, it can be a challenge at times to get them to eat broccoli, spinach, or other healthy options.  Last night I cooked a dinner that Alex not only ate all of, but he loved it!  I made chicken nuggets from the cookbook Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Foodwhich has many different recipes to choose from.

The nuggets were made from chicken that I cut into bite size pieces. However, the breading was the real trick!  I had pureed broccoli, and used that with the bread and flax seed meals. Alex really loves macaroni and cheese, and there is a great recipe in the cookbook that includes squash or sweet potatoes in with the cheese.

This cookbook has been a huge help in sneaking in healthy options! You can click the picture to see more reviews and get one for yourself!

If we look at this for health matters, as long as the mother is healthy, breastfeeding has more benefits.  When breastfeeding, your new baby will get help building his or her immune system.  Breastfeed babies have also been shown to have less of a problem with childhood obesity.

Another great benefit to breastfeeding is the cost.  There is no additional cost for formulas!  Let me tell you, that is good news.  That cost adds up.

Some women are uncomfortable with this.  I would suggest at least trying it for three days.  If it does not work for you, then at least you tried it.   If you do decide to use formula, make sure you have your water tested.  This way you can feel sure your baby is getting formula that is not at risk for contamination.

This is a good question!  Many people feel as though this may be helpful, and others may feel it is not.

However, giving birth is a big deal and it is important to make your own decision.  I have read that it does actually help.  There has actually been research done on this, and the outcome is that the classes help decrease anxiety.  Believe it or not, it was even shown that labor was shorter for ladies who had childbirth classes.  These classes seemed to help the overall experience.  I think that going to these classes gives the parents an idea of what to expect, and just makes them more comfortable.

Even more important that childbirth classes is emotional support.  If it is your spouse, or another family member, emotional support is very important.