Getting baby into a routine can seem like an impossible task at times – frustrated parents often feel that as soon as they have learned about their baby and started to be able to predict their needs, they totally change again, and have a whole new routine and set of rules.
Setting a routine, of some sort, is important, though, for family wellness. It gives your day a sense of structure and gradually allows your baby to feel secure within a set of gentle guidelines. A strict schedule will never work with a baby – they’re not machines – but a gentle, baby-led routine can do wonders for settlings a baby and taking care of their wellbeing. You should be aware that this routine will need to change over time, to accommodate your baby’s changing needs as they grow and develop.
For psychological reasons, a routine can be of great benefit. Babies enjoy the sense of safety and security that they get from knowing what is happening next. Babies tend to be calmer when they know what to expect next. If each day is just a chaotic series of events, they feel more stressed as they are unable to predict what is happening next, yet are unable to communicate this or to take any control over events.
Parents often enjoy the very loose structure of a routine called ‘E.A.S.Y’ – coined by Tracy Hogg, author of The Baby Whisperer books. This stands for ‘eat, activity, sleep, you’ and basically means that throughout the day you should run on a four-stage cycle of feeding the baby, having some activity time with the baby, putting the baby to sleep and then having some time for yourself.
Babies who are in a routine also tend to sleep better, as they understand the cues and stage of their routine when they normally go to sleep each day. A baby who sleeps will, of course, benefit their parents.
In the future, children who have brought up in established routines, tend to be more secure and self-reliant and also do better at school.
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