Baby Scheduling 101
By: Deana Elwood, Head Bee
Tags: Baby, Parents, Books, Parenting, Scheduling

It changes?!?

Yes! As baby grows, nap schedules change, bottle schedules change, and your life changes. Some absolutely can not wait until newborn stage is over because the 2–4 hour sleep sessions are the hardest. However, keep in mind their nap schedules which are important to follow is also your nap time! Babies have no concept of day and night at the young stage so it is your scheduling practice that helps them learn this. Creating dark rooms at night for bedtime and bright rooms for day will help them understand day and night. Also keeping them on a scheduled nap and feeding time will be very beneficial as they can not tell you hungry baby needs food or tired baby needs nap. This stage for us was tricky, but with following a strict schedule, little man was happy and well rested.

Then he/she gets older and naps may be spread out more and feedings may too. Here is where the juggling act occurs and if you are planning to go out, plan and schedule well. No, you do not have to stay home forever because feeding or napping schedules, but truthfully I skipped a lot because as a breastfeeding mama it was not only easier, but I needed naps too. Keep in mind it’s okay to visit people and go out after baby is older, but try your hardest not to skip naps or when you get home tired after a long day, baby will be up and you will be struggling to be up.

Not all babies are alike.

You can google, BUT remember your baby is different from the author’s baby of the post. So with that being said, your baby may be a great sleeper or a hungry baby versus what you searched, so follow babies lead and not always what you find on Google. Your pediatrician is also a great help when finding mile markers but again, all babies are different. My baby compared to my nephew = complete opposite. My little man slept so well and I almost woke him up because I was concerned how long he napped. My little man also wasn’t a hungry hippo like my nephew who ate more often. Again small and tiny, but you can follow and learn from them. As a breastfeeding mama it’s on demand, and I learned so much from him and it truly was amazing. Not to say if you don’t breastfeed you won’t learn, because you will. Cues are great things to watch and learn from that will help with your adventure of planning.

Making Things FUN

Schedules not only keep baby and family less stressed, but can create happy atmospheres for each activity. Scheduled bottle time would approach and I created a song to let him know it was time. Through association, he knows at that time with song it is time to eat. Tubby time same thing, I ask him if he’s ready for tubby time and now because I made it an exciting question, he gets so excited and claps. He is also on a schedule with tubby time so at that time if I walk into the bathroom with him maybe just to brush teeth or wash hands, he will wiggle his feet and look at the tub. Creating exciting experiences along with scheduling will create happy and sound atmospheres for little ones which for parents equals happy parents!

Good Habits

Schedules can also bring great future follow ups to creating great habits. After we eat I sing the clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere song so he knows after we eat, we clean up. He may not fully understand what his responsibility should be now, but as he gets older he will be able to sing and partake with the cleaning up. Sponges are exactly what these little ones are, so why not allow them to absorb as much information as they can.

Family Time

Last but not least, creating schedules also creates family bonding time. Lets be honest and agree that we all work tremendously hard not just for our children, but also for ourselves. I know as a full time teacher when I get home I throw on the full time mama hat proudly and cuddle and play with my lovebug because nothing could take me away from him. It’s not easy, but we create our family time so that we both can pick a night to both do tubby time, book time or any other activity we love to do as a team. The bond gets stronger when the family works together. LOVE YOU J+J+G.

Whatever it is you love to do with baby, enjoy it because time goes so fast. Create the life and family traditions YOU want with your little tribe because you truly as a parent worked so hard already, why not do what you want and makes you happy.

Xx

Baby Buzz

Deana