Schedules and Routines

[cupcake]

I still havent really got the baby in any real routine and I dont know if thats ok or not. I know that kids thrive very well on routines and I am not sure if he already really needs one, and i am denying him that. He wakes up around the same time every morning, but sleeps with me so if i get up earlier he will usually too. He goes to daycare every day at about 9 and comes home at 1:30 and one day a week at 4. He usually sleeps at daycare and has a fruit at 9 and a veg at 12:30 and his bottle. When he comes home in the afternoon he usually falls asleep again anywhere between 2 and 5 pm. I bathe him around 7 ,but sometimes we skip a bath. He eats some dinner at about 6 but then when we sit down to dinner at 7:30/8 he wants to be included and eat again.
I usually go to sleep around 10:30 and he sleeps with me, but he sometimes falls asleep at 9 in the stroller.

Do you think its important I start a strict routine in the evenings, dinner and bath at the same times, and then going down in the stroller at the same time?
I know I have to move him to a crib, I have mixed feelings about this though DH feels its really time, I love sleeping with him but I know that he needs to sleep on his own too, especially before another baby comes along, and I know that DH deserves some time with me too.

SIGH.............. feel a bit stuck........

 

[PitBullMommy]

I dunno if it's better for them or not. Char is on a routine that works really well for us, but when we deviate from it on the weekends she tends to get kinda cranky. Here is ours:

-Wake up: 7am eat a bubba
-Back to crib until 9-930am
-Finishes bubba then into swing until I'm done in the shower, then gets ready with me and I get her dressed
-10am into the jumperoo and watch BabyFirst TV while I get pets fed/taken care of/eat my breakfast
-11am lunch time, a few puffs, a jar of food, then clean up
-1130am Bubba time and watch The Price is Right (She loves that show!)
-1145-12ish goes down for nap
-2pm wake up from nap, get changed go to living room to play and have tummy time
-3pm have a bubba
-330 play bunches more until 5pm when Daddy comes home
-5 play with Daddy and cuddle time
-6pm Dinner...puffs and jar of food
-630-8pm cuddle and play and reading time
-8pm bathtime!!!!
-830 prayer bunny, Sweet Dreams book, bubba
-9pm into the crib whether asleep or not and she'll go down for the night

 

[ryder]

We have a routine and its been working for us...

7am- up and first bottle

Thoughout the day she eats every 2 hours.

Morning is playtime and she sometimes has a small nap around 10am

Afternoon is quiet time and we've started putting her in her crib for nap time.

6:00pm she has a bowl of cereal.

7:00 bathtime

8:00 last bottle and she goes to bed in her room and sleeps through.

 

[Freya]

tis a tough one, I say go with the flow with what you think your baby needs! You cant go too wrong. All bubs are different, some thrive in predicitibility it seems, and some are so relaxed they can go with different happenings each day.

After 8 weeks of me following whatever Gracie needs and wants, I have felt it's time to introduce a routine/pattern for us - mainly because I think I may be getting her into bad habits that will be harder to break down the line - like I've been co-sleeping too. But I realised that I was doing it for me and not because she needs or wants it (I love us snuggling and I know she's safe), so I'll introduce her own bed this week... (god I will miss her) but that's about me and my family.

I guess if number 2 may be coming along soon, perhaps a small 'routine' isn't a bad thing to introduce, like you say it will give you time for every one and get organised!!

xxx

 

[nikky0907]

I don't have a daily routine with Lola. She has a bedtime and morning routine, also I somewhat know when is what during the day but it's nothing strict and defined.
Just go with what works for you...

At bedtime it's usually easier for them to have a routine so they know that it's time to sleep.
Lola has her bath, bottle and bed.

As for moving them in their own bed, it was hard on both of us, it took over a week for her to get used to it but in the end it worked out and she now sleeps perfectly there...

 

[angie0235]

We have a sort of routine but it's very flexible:
7ish Katie wakes and i wash and dress her then she has a feed, she plays in her cot while i get ready
8ish we head downstairs and it's onto the play mat while i have breakfast, steralise bottles and tidy up
Anywhere between 9 and 10 she usually has about 20/30mins nap
Next feed is about 11ish then she'll have longer nap of around an hour or so at about half 12. I usually take her out in pram after feed at 2ish.
Bath time is 6ish - sometimes she'll feed before bath, sometimes after but she's usually so tired by 6.30 that she's upset if she's not put down.
We didn't try to put her in this routine she just seems to have discovered it herself. She feeds when she wants to and I can't imagine trying to force her to do things at certain times. I decided to just go with the flow and it worked ofr us.

 

[cupcake]

i think one of the problems is that i find it hard to stick to the same thing every night

 

[Chel]

At 7 months to not have an exact routine is totally normal. You would probably have a pattern with bub though.

From my experience a 7 month old you'd be aiming for 2-3 hours awake to 1.5+ hours asleep. And aiming to have breakfast, a morning snack, lunch, an afternoon snack and dinner at roughly the same times each day.

He's still a little man, so you should still be really flexible to his needs and not worry too much about the clock.