scedule Questions

SidraJedi · September 2013

So, we just quit daily coffee again (if you saw my recent squeezing post, this is why) and I am attempting to establish a real schedule for me and DD. I have a love/hate relationship with schedules so I have usually kept a loose weekly schedule and datebook. But since both of DDs cousins are in the terrible 2s (and I am accepting the full reality of my new normal ) I am beginning to understand the merits of a schedule and of begining that schedule now so that she better understands the concept of expectation when the time comes (as well I get more done, of course).

So, for those of you who have pretty good schedule adherence; how do you do it? Wake baby up in the am at the same time? keep LO up until the appointed nap time? Wake LO up when nap time is "over"? I've heard "never wake a sleeping baby" so I don't but I do try to make her wait for the right nap time if she is showing me sleepy cues early. Sometimes it works. We are usually both up for the day at 8am but sometimes she will wake me up at 7. I never wake her up in the am on purpose. As far as bedtime goes we haven't established a real routine yet but her nighttime diaper always goes on at around 8pm and she shows a difference in nighttime diaper vs daytime diaper so that is kind of a bedtime cue? And it seems like some days she needs more slep than others but we are both still adjusting to this caffeine free lifestyle so maybe it will even out?

wifeofadam · September 2013

I would agree that there are merits to a schedule with a 2yo, but don't forget that an infant is very different than a toddler. If you're a SAHM and you are EBF, there really isn't a need to force a schedule on your baby (unless you feel like you really need one).

Don't feel like because your six month old doesn't have a schedule, it means that she will never understand the concept of one when she is older and really needs one. That will come with time, I promise.

As far as a schedule goes, I have a very strict one for myself and for the three older kids, but my baby is still sort of changing her needs up daily, so it doesn't make sense for me to create a strict schedule for her. With that said, she does have a certain pattern of behavior - nap about two hours after she wakes for the day, nap again around 1:00 when the house quiets down during the older kids' nap, nap in the early evening right after everyone else eats dinner, and bedtime around 8:00. Nursing is still on demand. Some days she needs more milks than others and some days she sleeps more than others. A schedule wouldn't be good for my DD right now, I think.

IME schedules sort of evolve and become solidified closer to the year mark. They keep changing up until that point with my babies.

kleigh926 · September 2013

I agree with the PP's. We *sort of* have a schedule, but it varies widely depending on her wake up time, which is anywhere between 6:30 and 8:30. I do not wake her up unless I have to for work, which is only 2 days a week at most. She still changes so much, I don't think trying to establish any more of a schedule is a good idea at this point. Really, the only thing that we try to adhere to pretty closely is bedtime (8:00).

Drea926 · September 2013

We have a schedule but really more of a routine. DS's wake time is pretty consistent at 7, but sometimes he sleeps all the way through until 6 to eat, in which case he may get up for the day then. His morning nap is usually around 10 and afternoon nap is around 2, though he'll sometimes conk out earlier around 1. Depending on the lengths of the naps, he'll take a third nap around five. Our feeding times are pretty much the same time everyday - give or take 15 minutes or so, and bedtime is always at 7. It's predictable enough to satisfy my type A personality! ;-)

ETA - I didn't really do much to enforce this - I have always been a super nerd and recorded his feeding times and nap times, and I just designed the routine around that. When he changes his pattern, I update the routine!

SidraJedi · September 2013

Thanks gals! I thought I was being such a hippie! I seriously thought almost everyone was on a schedule by now. I feel much better.
Since I stopped drinking my daily latte or coffee kombucha a few days ago, she has totally fallen into a similar routine to your LOs and aside from a few times trying to get her to wait 15 minutes for her nap, I have just gone with it watching and waiting to try to figure out how to encourage consistency.
I appreciate your advice!

BTW I am just going to sit back and enjoy the semi predictability and consider a real schedule closer to her 1 year mark. It's funny that I had to quit coffee first but I have still gotten more done the last few days even without a real schedule

musicalmama5 · September 2013

Our "schedule" seems pretty close to what others have outlined, although it changes constantly. I actually wrote out last week what his schedule had been looking like, and then wouldn't you know, he changed it up on me.

I agree with @expatmama that "lazy parenting" is the way to go. If I fight with DS over a nap for more than like 20 minutes, he gets to stay up. Usually he'll fall asleep nursing if he's really tired. If he's not, he won't fall asleep nursing and I'm just too tired/lazy to walk around shushing/bouncing/rocking for 30+ minutes!

holly321 · September 2013

Like po said, I don't schedule DS, but he had fallen into a pattern on his own, just like dd did. He is fussy for sleep usually within a half hour of the same time every single day.

Want a personalized experience?

scedule Questions

Re: scedule Questions

Choose Another Board

Search Boards