From infancy on, children count on rituals and routines to offer comfort and security. By Carla Poole, Susan Miller, Ed. The baby quiets as she latches onto the bottle's nipple and eagerly sucks. Babies feel secure and confident within the loving framework of caregiving rituals. Each newborn develops her own special daily rhythms and patterns for eating, sleeping, and alert wakefulness.
Some babies leisurely suck and take short catnaps during an extended feeding.
Others quickly digest a generous feeding and then fall into a deep sleep. By 6 months, most babies begin to develop a more predictable schedule for sleeping, feeding, and playing. Caregivers can help a baby solidify his patterns by offering some simple routines. Some babies, for example, love bath time. After the excitement of laughing and splashing in the water, they're ready for food and a nap.