Managing Your Baby’s Day: Structure and Routines
There are different ways to incorporate structure and routines into your baby’s day depending on your parenting style and lifestyle. Because babies can’t manage their days, it is our responsibility as parents to do this for them. We can do this by establishing structure and routines that are developmentally appropriate for your baby. Remember, you can create structure and routines that fit your parenting style and there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach. Below are some suggestions for incorporating structure and routines into your baby’s day.
What is the best way to structure your baby’s day?
A structure for your baby’s day may be as simple as repeating this pattern throughout the day based on your baby’s needs and natural rhythm:
Focused feedings with your baby
Spending some time practicing new skills during an age-appropriate wake window
Incorporating sleep in between feedings and wake windows
When feeding your baby, aim for full feedings so your baby is taking in as many calories as possible during a focused time of day. This can help satisfy your baby’s appetite so your baby has energy to practice new skills during the wake window, and so that your baby’s tummy is full for a period of time to sleep.
Watch for a sleep cue during your baby’s wake window, such as a yawn, redness above the eyebrows, or disengagement. As you see your baby losing energy and becoming tired, start winding your baby down for sleep. This is a simple structure you can follow throughout the day that helps meet the needs of your baby for feeding, wake time, and sleep.
The value of routines
Routines can be built into the structure of your baby’s day, which can help babies feel safe and secure, build trust with caregivers, and provide a foundation for learning healthy habits. You can create simple routines around feeding and sleep so your baby knows what to expect during those times of the day. For example, a feeding routine might look something like this: you notice your baby is showing hunger cues, such as rooting or fussiness. Take your baby to a quiet, calm, but bright room where you and your baby can focus on a full feeding, free from distractions. Keep your baby awake and actively eating during a feeding.
Preparing your baby to sleep
You can also establish a simple routine before naps and bedtime, that helps your baby relax and prepare for sleep. After you notice a sleep cue, such as a yawn, take your baby into the room where s/he sleeps and read a book to help transition your baby from playtime to rest time. Change your baby into a clean diaper.
Swaddle your baby if your little one is not yet showing signs of rolling over, or use a sleepsack if your baby is more mobile. Turn on a sound machine, create a dark environment with blackout curtains or shades, sing a song while you rock or sway, have a final snuggle, and lay your baby down relaxed but awake.
How we can help … taking the next step!
We would love to help customize a plan for a structure and routine that best fits the needs of your family. Book your session for an a la carte coaching call if you need help with creating structure and routines for your baby, or if you are in need of a structure or routine tune-up as your baby’s needs evolve and change.
