A smiling baby enjoys a bath in a white tub, watched over by a parent, while an older sibling plays in the background.

Is a Fixed Daily Routine Sensible for my Baby?

Since everything is new for your child at the beginning where they only gradually discover the world around them, fixed processes can help.

The advantages of a regular daily routine

Fixed daily routines offer your baby fixed points of orientation. These promote cognitive development and give them security. Establishing routines is particularly useful if your baby is restless or sleeps poorly. Problems of this kind can often be resolved through routine processes.

Of course, your little one can't adjust to fixed eating and sleeping times. Nevertheless, it helps them if they can recognise regular processes. This can be done before breastfeeding, for example, you might bathe them before going to bed and then sing them a song.

When you let your baby eat, go for a walk with them or put them in their cot, you should make it dependent on what your little one needs at the moment. If you watch them carefully, you will quickly see the signs when they are tired or hungry.

As early as between the second and third month of life, the intervals between their nap and their hunger phases become more reliable in small steps, as their day-night rhythm gradually levels off. A set daily routine can also be very helpful for you as a parent, as you can better organise your everyday life.

If your darling has a fixed bedtime, you can plan your day accordingly, do outstanding work or simply plan some relaxation for yourself. If you integrate fixed routines into your everyday family life right from the start, you can also plan times that you use to exchange ideas with one another. Dinner together, for example, is ideal for this.

You should keep this in mind

Daily routines are definitely useful for your baby, but they should have a high degree of flexibility at the beginning. Remember it should not be the order of the activities or the time, but the needs of your child in the foreground. So be sure to respond if your baby is hungry or wants to take a nap, even if it's not yet time.

The first months of life are inspiring for your little one and they have to process a lot of impressions. It can also happen that your baby doesn’t express its needs as usual. If these changes or if other processes suddenly have to be taken into account in everyday life, it can be a bit exhausting to introduce a new fixed daily routine. This can lead to confusion for your baby, which they will complain about by crying. But after a short time the new, fixed processes will give them security and security again.

Over time, your family will benefit more and more from the fixed daily routines. Most importantly, you pay attention to the signals your child is giving out and not just stubbornly following a set plan.

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