Baby Routines

Babies need routines for many things in life; eating, going to the bathroom, playtime etc. These routines are useful as babies are always most comfortable when they know what is going to happen next. While having a stiff schedule is impossible in most households, a baby’s day can be regulated. Your baby’s feeding and playtime should be scheduled in such a way that they complement each other. But one routine you really should endeavour to get right is their sleeping routine; this will allow you and your bub to get much needed rest at night.

When your baby is around 2 months old you can start putting together and implementing your baby’s sleep routine. Your baby will quickly come to appreciate the consistency and predictability that comes with a well thought out routine. Whatever you decide to include in your baby routine, make sure it has events and tasks that will calm and soothe your baby. You might also need to adapt your baby routine depending on the age of your child as babies sleeping patterns change as they develop. Newborns for example sleep in short bursts of about 2-3 hours between feeds, night and day.

Baby Routines Ideas

The best baby routine you can devise for your bub is one that works for you, your household and your baby so there is no ‘one’ definitive routine to follow, but here a few ideas to get you on the right track:

• Let your baby de-stress: Being a baby is hard work, so at the end of the day, your little one may also need to blow off some steam. So play some fairly active games, whether is peek-a-boo or giving a ‘horsey’ ride, get your child to expend some excess energy so that your child will sleep like a ‘baby’.
• A soothing bath: Baths can be a soothing and relaxing activity for your baby. The warm water can ease you bub into bedtime mode as well making sure your bub is nice and clean before getting into bed.
• Washing up: Get your little one into the habit of practising good personal hygiene by giving your tot’s face and teeth a good clean, especially if you didn’t have time for a bath.
• Talk to your baby: With all that you have going on during a normal day you might forget to talk to your baby. Even if he/she can’t reply, have a chat with your little one, chat about your day. Your voice will comfort and soothe your tot.
• Read a bedtime story: An old favourite, get a nice fairytale or classic child’s story and read it while your little one drifts off to slumber land. You could also sing a lullaby if you have the voice to carry a tune.

These are just ideas, if this routine seems a bit too comprehensive just take one or two ideas from it and incorporate them into your own baby routine. The best thing about putting a baby routine like this together is that you can plan some of your evening and get even more ‘me’ time at the end of a busy day.