Managing your little one comes down to reading the baby, not watching the clock or following a book to the letter. When it comes to routine, my experience tells me, flexible is best. Let's talk routine.
Routine will change depending on the age of your bub. Babies 0-3 months old have Baby Aerobic Time (BAT); where as older children 'tell' you what they want, you just need to listen.
The routine for most well 0-3months olds, apart from the 3-4 hourly feeds, is that they are subject to an unsettled time of day or night. These periods are known by various names, for instance: ‘witching time’, ‘arsenic hour’, ‘colic time’ and so on. I prefer Baby Aerobic Time (BAT). BAT will happen for a couple of hours (at least) each day. For most babies this time eventually changes to late afternoon. The happy news is, BAT seems to end around the 3rd month. There is little you can do about this colic time, but have a flexible routine, keep calm and take a few deep breaths.
Routine for older babies remains flexible. At this age (>3months old) most parents have a good understanding of who their little one is and how they behave. Older babies are more alert, interactive and communicate in a way that lets you know what is needed. If you can not read your baby by now, you may be more sleep deprived than most. Having said that, guessing is still the name of the game. Keep in mind your bub is changing quickly; try adding ‘ish’ to your routine. For instance, feed at 5am’ish, nap at 8am’ish etc.
For those of you, who cannot function unless you have a rigid schedule in place, be prepared for hiccups in your plan. If you are a clock dictator and your baby is not, then I recommend learning to READ the baby, not the clock. The same applies to book dictators…READ the baby, not the book! Ask yourself: what is my baby telling to me?
Final thought: Routine is comforting and necessary for healthy development of our little ones, but without flexibility within routine, you will end up with a battle on your hands.
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