Routines.

Hey mom's and mom's-to-be!

I got a message asking to put up a "typical routine in the life of Finn". The mom that reached out was wondering if she was giving her baby enough attention, if he was getting enough sleep and if there was enough meals. Now, remember that my routine is just the one I use for Finn, everyone's routines can differ a bit or a lot but this routine has been in place since Finn was about 5-months old and it's been the best thing for us!

According to Petit Early Learning Journey there are 10 main reasons why routines are SO important in a child's life.

1. It helps your child get on a schedule.

2. Bonds the family together.

3. Establishes expectations.

4. Creates a calmer household.

5. Gives your child confidence and independence.

6. Establishes healthy, constructive habits.

7. Helps you (the parent) remember important things.

8. Offers your child am opportunity to get excited about what's ahead.

9. Provides opportunity for special "daily rituals"

10. Offers stability during times of change or stress.

I've put each reason into 2 categories;

As you can see in the pink category, having a routine can really help your child with learning "what's going to happen next?" When you child has something to look forward to and knows something is coming it can make the transition so much easier. Ex; When it comes to bath time. Every time we have a bath with Finley it's right after supper. So he now knows that after supper it's bath time, after bath it's jammies and then bed. We've never changed his routine so he now expects it to happen and will even want to walk himself to the bathroom to get in the bath. I'm not saying it's not okay to switch it up now and then, especially when you're out at camp or spending time with family, just know that it can get a bit hectic when you do. Finley was only 7-months old for Christmas this year and he was FAR from on schedule, trust me it was quite the day !

The yellow category really shows how a routine can help everyone in the household. When there's a routine everyone is on the same page. No one is scrambling around to figure out what your next move it, diminishing the stress. At my house our routine helps so much, and with Devin on the same page there's less arguing. If he wants to let me sleep in he knows that Finley gets up, plays a bit and then has breakfast. If we didn't have a routine that Devin knew maybe he would try to feed Finn as soon as he wakes up, which would end in a screaming fit. Lmao But you get what I'm saying. It creates a better "flow" to the household and allows you do those special routines with your baby everyday, lets say read a book together before bed time, or in my case its cuddling on the couch watching some songs before nap.

Okay, enough about all that technical stuff, here's Finn's Daily routine.

As you can see here Finley is still having 2 naps a day most of the time, he is just starting to have 1 nap a day from 12:30-2. But we make sure to have lunch before nap and have a snack when he wakes up.

I highly encourage everyone to get a routine going, even if its just a small routine, like bath time or quiet time. Then work your way up to a daily routine. I'm sure it will help you out!

From one mom to another.

Just-A-Mom