Newborns are never going to have a routine.
They have needs that have to be met immediately and it is literally impossible to settle into much of a schedule with a baby so small.
It is important, however, to help a slightly older infant to get into a routine.
It benefits baby and mother both.
Experts say that a baby can begin to fall into a routine between two and four months of age.
Making your baby fall into a routine is fairly easy.
What you need is to establish a routine for yourself first and then help the baby to adjust to it.
Babies respond to routine and it makes them feel more secure.
They want things to go smoothly too, even though it may not seem that way.
Schedules make them feel calmer because they know what to expect.
The main thing you need to get this started is consistency.
Set the time Setting the time for everything that you and your baby need to do is very important.
You should always check your to-do list so that you can adjust the time for your baby.
Basically you only have to set the time for few things; sleeping, eating, playing and taking a bath.
Knowing when things should be done will help the baby follow the routine easily.
Good sleeping habits Smaller infants need at least three naps a day.
This needs to be established early on, with feeding schedules falling in between the naps and the bedtime.
It is likely that your baby is waking up in the morning around the same time every day.
This is the beginning of a baby helping you to create the schedule you both will follow.
The morning routine Feed your baby his breakfast as soon as he wakes up.
Your baby will be able to catch this routine easily as you follow this constantly.
After breakfast, he is probably in a mess and so, this is the right time to take your baby to a shower to freshen up.
Our brain is at its best after waking up from a good night sleep.
After breakfast and shower, give him educational toys to play with.
Mental exercise in the morning will benefit your baby a lot.
Eat and Play Never skip breakfast.
Breakfast is the most important meal of all; it is important to train your baby not to skip it.
It is always a good thing to feed your baby after waking up from a good night sleep.
They are hungry at this moment.
You should also feed your baby with small snacks or milk between regular meals since babies get hungry more often.
Other than sleeping, eating and playing are their two most favorite activities.
It is always appropriate to allocate a time for playing before dinner time.
This will help improve the baby's health as it serves as his regular exercise and thus, maintain his metabolism while still young.
Some babies are also hard to feed; putting the play time before dinner can make him feel hungry and easier to feed.
Play time also prepares the baby for a good sleep at night.
The night routine The night routine is much like the morning routine.
You start with a dinner and clean your baby after the meal.
This will train your baby to groom himself after eating.
After grooming, spend a little relaxing time with your baby.
This will help lower his brain activity and make him sleep faster at night.
When letting the baby sleep, always give him milk at night.
Milk contains calcium that serves as muscle relaxant making him fall asleep faster.
Story telling is always a good way to make the baby fall asleep.