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As long as the mommas are giving advice...
So Ryan has been in daycare for about 3-4 weeks now, and we are struggling to get into a "nighttime routine." The problem is that he naps and eats at different times each day at daycare. (At his daycare, they follow the young babies' lead on when they are hungry and sleepy. They don't start them on specific meal times or nap times until they're about 9 months to a year old and graduate up to the next room.)
Sometimes when we get home, he's really tired because he hasn't had a good nap in a few hours. Sometimes he's hungry. Other times he's just eaten or just napped. So obviously, this affects how the rest of the night goes, and we find that every night is different.
Any advice on how to get him on a nighttime routine? Or does it even really matter? Should we just roll with the punches and adjust our schedules each night based on how his day went? Once he is on the regular eating/napping schedule at daycare, I'm sure we'll fall into a more natural routine, so should we just be flexible until then?
I feel like being flexible is working for us right now, but you always hear how it's so good for babies to have a routine. But he's always been a good sleeper, so I don't think having less of a routine is hindering that at all.
Thoughts?
Re: As long as the mommas are giving advice...
I'm not really sure what you should do to be honest. My son was always an excellent sleeper and when he started daycare we just continued with his nighttime routine. From the time he was about 4 weeks old we did bath/bottle/bed at around 7 pm. It worked and we continued and we do it to this day. I am a HUGE fan of schedules because I think it helps then sleep which helps them to be healthier.
I would say do what works for you now. I wouldn't go off the rails with no schedule but I'd give yourself some leeway with an hour or so in your schedule. If he needs to nap a bit when he gets home, maybe let him sleep for an hour or so and then get him up. See what works. Good luck!
yikes that is really tough.
would daycare be willing to do more of a schedule or will they not?
If so I'd look into him taking 2-3 naps at daycare. Or 2 naps + a catnap when you guys get home.
What time do you wake him up in the morning to get ready? That will help me help you.
yeah i'd definitely ask this as well. by the time dominic was 4ish months old, he had put himself on a pretty regular schedule and once that happened i just stuck with it. that's kind of weird they do things that way at the daycare, most people like their kids on schedules and i'd be so annoyed if i had to wait until almost a year old to get them onto a schedule, lol. while i';m a sahm i think (most) kids do better on a schedule than letting them do things whenever. of course your LO is still young though. i can definitely see how frustrating that would be having no idea when he's going to be ready for a bed, etc when you get off work.
We have a flexible evening schedule. Our daycare also follows DS's lead, so we do as well. We get home around 4:30/5 pm and we play or he'll eat. He usually takes a 30 min. cat nap, but I make sure the room isn't too dark so he doesn't think it's bedtime. Then it's more playing and/or eating until he starts to seem tired, which is almost always around 6:30 or 7. We start our bedtime routine then- bath every other night, lotion and PJ's, then we read a short story with DH. Depending on when he ate earlier I'll either rock him a little and put him down drowsy or nurse him to sleep/drowsy.
It suprises me how much he likes the routine. He can be cranky or getting really fussy, but as soon as we start the routine he calms down. I think trying to have some kind of routine is good, even this young, but you still have to be flexible with it.
I think that as long as being flexible is working for you right now and he's always been a good sleeper and nothing is going wrong then what your doing now is just fine. No reason to fix something that's not broken?
We didn't have a routine in the beginning at all because Brooklyn was a pretty good sleeper and we had no problems. Once she got a little bit older (around 8-9 months) she started having a harder time with sleeping at night so we kind of put her on one. We just did a bedtime routing of bath, book, bed so she knew it was time to go to sleep for the night.
I also think most babies kind of put themselves on a routine. B just started to nap and eat at the same times every day by herself once she got a little older.
The Life of the E Family
They probably would be willing to try to get him on a schedule if we ask them to. I guess I haven't asked yet because I figure he should just nap when he's tired. But it also makes sense to try to get him on a routine. So confusing! haha.
We wake him up at about 630 in the morning to feed him and get him ready for daycare. He's at daycare by 730.
Aw, thanks!!
We have same car seat as you. Love it!
That is such a great idea! I always worry that he'll think it's bedtime when I know he just needs a quick cat nap. I'll start leaving the blinds open for naps so that he knows the difference.
Thanks for all the input ladies!
At his age he should be up for 2-2.5 hours at a time, so if he is up at 630 I'd be looking at him napping at 830-9 then after he wakes up 2-2.5 hours later going down for another nap.
At that age Lucy got 3 naps.
I'd try to put him to bed by 7 at the latest so he gets close to 12 hours of sleep.
If you can get them to put him on the schedule I think it will make your evening time more predictable which IMO (and I know it isn't everyones) makes for a happier baby
haha well I'm of the opposit camp, I like it to be dark when Lucy sleeps, and she has no issues knowing when it is bedtime. We just make sure she has a bedtime routine so she knows that it is bedtime.
I figured I sleep better when it is dark and I don't like to sleep where it is light so I figure she doesn't want too either