Scheduling Your Little One

There is such a happy medium between having your child on a great schedule that you follow daily, but also being able to veer from those routines when it is necessary. After Harper was born, the days of the week no longer mattered, night and day didn't even really matter at first either, it was really just all about the hours. My eyes were constantly checking the clock; those hands going around were what determined my life those first few months. Nursing, pumping, diaper changing, over and over and over again. I knew that I didn't want to feed her on demand so I got her on a schedule as soon as possible and followed it a little too religiously at first. I think I was worried that if I didn't follow my every 3 hour agenda that things would just hit the fan and then I would have no schedule at all. However, after a few months of this I started to realize that varying from her schedule a little really was ok. There were growth spurts, diaper blowouts, teething and other things that shifted our routine slightly and I had to learn to bend with those.

As Harper got a little older I tried to get her naps on a schedule as well, three times a day and around the same time each day, she was much happier with a routine and I was too. I could plan outings, or playdates and know when in my day I could fit things in. I am a very organized person and I knew that for my sanity I had to have an agenda. I am very lucky to have been able to stay at home with her as well, which also made this much more doable for me. I also noticed that when she stuck to a similar day to day schedule, she slept through the night so much better as well. She went to bed and woke up around the same time every day. (I will do another post sometime on how we sleep trained her. She started sleeping through the night around 6/7 weeks old) Meal times and nursing's were also always around the same time everyday. She picked up on that very quickly too so she didn't want or expect food at random times. Since she is used to her routine, I am able to change things up occasionally if I need to and she handles it really well. 

Around 8 or 9 months when she dropped to two naps a day, I brought in something new to her schedule. Playtime alone. I started with just 10 mins or so at a time where I would give her books and some toys in her crib to play with. I usually did this in the morning before her nap. It was great for me because I would be able to get some stuff done on my own and she was learning to be ok having time alone. A dear friend of mine really helped encourage me through this, her two little girls are older than Harper and have playtime in their room together everyday. It is so great for them and also fantastic for their mom! It was hard at first, Harper didn't like it at all, but after a few days, she got used to it and I would add on a couple more mins every couple of days. Now at 14 months old Harper can play happily on her own for 45mins to an hour. She enjoys it and I can take advantage of that time too!

I know there are so many people out there with different views on their kids and how they do things. This is just my experience and since it has been so fantastic for us, I would like to share it with anyone who is interested. Please feel free to comment any questions! Thanks for reading.