Daily routines can ensure that your baby slowly starts to learn how his or her day should go, and it can prevent your child from getting too tired and having a meltdown as help you out when it comes to doing your other tasks during the day.
1. Bedtime
Setting a daily routine for sleep is very helpful in letting your child understand that nighttime is for sleeping and not playing.
To get started on a sleep routine, pick a time when you should start getting your child ready for sleep. Once that’s set, you need to choose three to four things that you can do everyday that will help your child ease into sleeping. An example would be getting your child washed up and changed into bedtime clothes, then sing some songs, tell your child a bedtime story, and then tuck them in. The key here is to be consistent when it comes to the bedtime routine so that your child won’t get confused.
2. Bath time
You can start bathing your baby in a tub as soon as your baby’s umbilical stump falls off. Creating daily routines for bath time is all a matter of preparation. Make sure to prepare everything that you need beforehand, such as soap, towels, change of clothes, diapers, and some warm (not hot!) water.
You don’t actually need to bathe your baby daily, as babies usually need to be bathed at least three times a week. However, there’s nothing wrong if you wish to bathe your baby daily, especially for warmer climates.
3. Nap time
You can start setting a daily nap time routine for your baby as soon as your baby starts having a pattern of napping during the daytime. Instead of letting your child fall asleep anytime, it’s best to work around your child’s patterns and create a routine based on that.
The nap routine should be a condensed version of your bedtime routine. Once you see that your baby starts getting sleepy, you should sing your child a lullaby or tell a bedtime story, and then darken the room so that your baby can sleep. Once your baby gets used to the routine, he/she will start to pick up on these signals and know when it’s time to sleep.
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4. Mealtime
Establishing a mealtime routine is one of the most important routines that you can set for your baby. Start it by sitting your child one-on-one before dinner and let your child learn how to eat with a spoon. Once it’s time for everyone else to eat, pull your child’s high chair closer to you so that everyone in the family can eat with your baby.
Eating together helps develop social skills and healthy eating habits. It also brings your family closer together, and research has also shown that kids who eat together with their family are less likely to be depressed and they usually do better in school. Setting a meal time not only for your baby, but also for everyone in the family can help everyone get connected with each other.
5. Do it your way
Daily routines are important, but there really are no specific methods when it comes to what’s best for your baby. As a parent, you’re the best person to understand your baby’s needs, so if you see a need to adjust your routine or change some things about your baby’s routine, then feel free to do so. The important thing is to use whatever method works best for you.
READ: Learn how to sleep train your baby with these tips
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