5 Tips For Creating A Routine With Your Baby

It’s important to know that even this guide won’t be the definitive answer you’re looking for when it comes to creating a routine with your baby.

The truth is that every child and household is a unique experience, and as such, you’re going to want to take every tip with a pinch of salt. Use what works for you and chuck out the rest. It really is about experimenting before you find the routine that works for both you and your baby.

With that in mind, the knowledge you can get from the internet can be a real help, so here are some of the top tips you might benefit from when creating a routine with your baby.

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1. Create structure and be consistent

To create a routine of any kind, it needs to be structured, and you need to maintain consistency for it to stick.

With that being said, it’s important to create a basic feed-play-sleep structure. As such, it provides a simple and repeatable structure that you can stick to every day without fail. Sure, it’ll feel mundane, but babies thrive off structure and routine, so keeping it the same every day will certainly help.

This demonstrates the power of routine — it brings calm, predictability, and balance to both parent and child.

It’s good to keep your routines predictable, but more importantly, they need to remain consistent. Use the same soothing techniques during both the day and night to maintain consistency. For example, using a specific sleep aid like white noise or a cuddly toy that mimics a heartbeat can help ensure the same routine happens every day.

For mothers, supporting this structure also means caring for your own well-being. Incorporating daily vitamins for women into your routine can help maintain energy levels, hormonal balance, and overall vitality — especially when managing the demands of motherhood and sleepless nights.

With all that being said, try not to force it. The more you try and force a rigid schedule, the less likely it will be to work. Listen to your baby’s needs and create a rhythm that works for all your family and builds that stability that you need.

2. Make use of Environmental Cues for Day and Night

When you have a little one, their circadian rhythm isn’t yet developed, and so their ability to distinguish between night and day will require some assistance from you.

As such, you’ll want to use environmental cues, like controlling light within your home. Make the house bright and active during the day in order to keep your baby alert. When it’s time for them to sleep, put them in a dark room, ensuring you do the same at nighttime, so that they get used to falling asleep at night too.

It’s also helpful to use sound when it comes to influencing the space. Keeping the house lively and chatty throughout the day is going to help your little one get used to the hustle and bustle within the house. At night, you should maintain a quiet and soothing atmosphere at all times.

Changing your baby’s clothes is often a cue for waking up, just like it is when putting on their pyjamas at night. Of course, they won’t have a great deal of understanding from newborns, but as they grow, they’ll begin to associate the changing of clothes between morning wakeup and getting ready for bed.

3. Incorporate Activities 

When it comes to activities, incorporate some movement within your space. Having a period of activity or play during the day will help to burn energy. That way, they’re more than likely to feel tired when they get ready for bedtime. Stimulating their senses both mentally and physically is helpful for regulating sleep.

However, it’s worth avoiding stimulating activities just before bedtime. Otherwise, this can have the opposite effect. Opt for a calm routine like a bath or bedtime story instead.

It’s good to allow for independent sleep when it comes to putting your little one to bed. This one isn’t always as successful for every child, and all parents approach bedtime for babies differently.

While it’s not always doable, try to avoid a feeding-to-sleep association.

4. Begin to establish a routine when they’re young

Some parents might feel that starting a routine from a young age is too soon. However, many experts say that establishing a routine between two to four months is early enough. This is where sleep and feeding habits have become more consistent. 

It’s worth tracking the habits of your baby’s wake times and feeding habits so that you can create a routine that works for your baby. It’s also good to be patient when it comes to establishing a routine because it’s not going to stick successfully overnight. 

5.  Remember that development leaps can throw a spanner into the works

Just when you’ve got it all down in terms of a routine, a development leap occurs. This happens at multiple points within your little one’s development and especially within the first two years of their life.

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Development leaps can really throw a spanner into your perfectly established routine. While that’s frustrating, it’s important to know that it’s going to happen and that it’s not unusual. 

With development leaps, it’s all about keeping it consistent. Maintain your routines and try to adapt them as these development leaps occur. Don’t stress yourself or your little one out too much, and know that this storm, too, shall pass eventually.

The Benefits of a Routine With Your Baby

There are several great benefits that come from having a routine with your baby, and not just for your baby but for you, too. Here are all of the benefits that it can provide for both of you.

• Healthy habits - A schedule that’s predictable can help to develop healthy eating and sleeping patterns.

• Cognitive and social development - Repetitive daily activities help to develop sequencing skills and other developmental skills they need.

• Security and emotional stability - The expectations of a routine can help reduce anxiety and give babies a sense of control and confidence.

• Stronger parent-child bond - Consistent routines help with regular moments of connection, which strengthen the bond between you and your child.

• Reduced stress - Routines can decrease power struggles and nagging, which can be present when trying to establish bedtimes and meal times in general. 

• More time for yourself - Routines help provide consistency in bedtimes, which means more time for yourself. 

Creating a routine with your baby isn’t easy, but hopefully, with these tips, it’ll make it that little bit easier.