When my wife was away in India over Christmas I established a feeding and sleeping routine for Zoë. I had to, I had to be her dad , her mum, her storyteller and entertainer - and try to get some work done so that I wasn't up all night trying to catch up.
So we did this:
- Breakfast - 7:30-8:00
- Morning nap (if she wanted) - 11:30 to 12:30
- Lunch - 1:00
- Afternoon nap (if she wanted) - 3:00 to 4:00
- Dinner - 6:30
- Bath / Clean teeth - 7:15
- Bed - 7:30-7:45
This gave me the freedom to get some work done during the day and ensured she was tired when she went to bed. I would also make sure that we went for a walk in the afternoon, after her nap, which both built up her appitite for dinner and tired her out a little for bed.
We'd often walk down to the local shop before she had dinner - even if we didn't really need anything. Walking along the river or going to see the sheep would have been much more fun - but it was nightime here by then, so not really an option.
Zoë responded really well to the routine - I suspect all babies and toddlers would. She knew what to expect and when to expect it. Obviously not all babies and toddlers are the same and a routine should suit both you and your child.
There's a great article to read about baby and toddler routines at
contentedbaby.com - just click the link to take a look.
