trying to start an everyday schedule with no success

Amy - posted on 04/20/2009

My daughter was the same as your daughter, I would still try to put her down for a morning nap at the same time everyday and an afternoon nap, not that she would always settle. Then I would always give her a bath at the same time in the evening and try to settle her for the night (again it sometimes would work and sometime it wouldn't) However she is just over 6 months now and she is starting to get into a better routine. She will have her morning nap at 11:00 am and an afternoon nap around 3:30 pm. She is eating solids for breakfast and dinner, after dinner we will have some playtime, then I will give her a bath, nurse her and she will usually go to bed for the night around 9:00pm. So her day routine is starting to get really good! However her night routine is still being worked on, she is up a lot and sometimes she will get up and want to stay up until about 1am! So we are working on that. I also during the day try to take her to playgroups and swimming, I like to do this so we get home right when it is nap time, then she sleeps better. With my daughter Ava, I really found that the schedule didn't start to work until about 2 weeks ago. However I was putting in place the schedule prior to that, the difference is that now she is following it. Good Luck, I know that it is hard, after so many months of a baby on demand schedule!

Ines - posted on 04/20/2009

My son is 6 months and 2 weeks. I've tried really hard in the past(and still do sometimes) to stick with a strict schedule. And it NEVER worked for him. He was never consistent with the amount of naps he can take, or when he was hungry. So one day, I just started on 'feed-play-nap' order. And repeat throughout the day. And it just started to work wonders. I would feed him first thing in the morning, then play with him, until i see signs of tiredness(rubbing eyes, yawning, crankiness), then i'd put him in his crib. If I read him well, then he usually just cry for a minute or so, then he'd just go to sleep(I have to leave the room for him to do this though.. if i stayed, he just cries louder and louder). Now that I started him on solid, I still do the same thing, but will feed him solid on specific hour(7:30am, 12:30pm, 5pm). The bed time is always consistent though(7pm in bed). hope this helps.

Leanne - posted on 04/19/2009

I try to follow the EASY theme by The Baby Whisperer Tracy Hogg..
Eat, Activity, Sleep, You (time for yourself). It is hard if baby doesn't want to co-operate always by eating right when they wake up. But my best friend swears by it and she had I baby first followed by twins and they are all very well adjusted great kids! I keep my morning and my bedtime routine the same regardless of where I am; the afternoons seem to fall apart sometimes though.

Kirsten - posted on 04/18/2009

My son is 6 months old and until very recently he was a lot like your daughter, he just slept and ate whenever he wanted. I like you had had enough. The feeding doesn't bother me it was the naps that were driving me nuts because he would only sleep for 40 min at a time and then he'd be cranky an hour later. So I started keeping him awake for at least 3 hours at a time. This has worked great for us. He now takes 2 naps a day. The morning nap is usually 1 1/2 to 2 hours and the afternoon nap is at least an hour. I asked my pediatrician about sleep amounts at our last checkup and he said at 6 months they should be sleeping 10-11 hours at night and doing about what I described for naps. It was really rough while I was trying to get him used to staying up for 3 hours at a time but it was totally worth it. Now I can usually just lay him down at the end of the three hours and he goes to sleep without any rocking at all. Good luck!

Zojoho - posted on 04/18/2009

Hi Denika,



This is what I do with Holly, and also did the same thing (but even stricter LOL) with my older 2 children.



6.30am: Feed (Formula/Bfeed/Solids)

7.00am: Nappy Change, Dress & Playtime

8.30am: Nap (May nap anywhere up to 1/2 => 1.5 hrs)

10.00am: Feed (Formula/Bfeed)

10.30am: Nappy Change, Playtime

12.30pm: Feed (Formula/Bfeed)

1.00pm: Nap (May sleep up to 2 hrs)

3.00pm: Feed (Formula/Bfeed)

3.30pm: Nappy change, Playtime

5.00pm: Nap (Power nap usually no more than 1/2 hr)

5.30/6.00pm: Feed (Formula/Bfeed)

6.30pm: Bathtime

7.00pm: Feed (Top up with either Formula/Bfeed)

7.30pm: Bedtime (can be ealier..but Nooo later)



Obviously you need to adjust it to suit your Daughter's needs..but this is generally what I do everyday..the more you are consistant, the more your Daughter will fall into that routine.

As they get older tho, her naps will decrease in frequency and length..however, because I was quite strict with my first two children, they both still have afternoon naps even today (My DD is 5 y.o. & my DS is almost 4 y.o. - Holly is just over 6.5 m.o. )...so who knows, it may work with your Son too if you stick at it.



As for the Solids part of it, it is totally up to you where you fit her solids into her schedule, I prefer to do it for brekky, that way if they have a tummy upset or feel a little unsettled from it, then they will be "cranky" during the day and not during the night.

I hope this all helps you, it's just an idea of what you can do, so take from it what you will. Good Luck, and let me know how you get on.

Mwah, Kyley. xx