Routine is still extremely important in your child's life. By now you would have adapted your routine, to fit your childs sleeping and play requirements. Let’s talk routine, a routine is so vital in establish order and structure to your child’s life, have a routine from Day 1 and adapt it as your child ‘s play time and sleep time change. It is essential that it is written ****on a whiteboard or piece of large paper and secured somewhere obvious in your kitchen, the fridge is ideal.
Is there one on your fridge? Yes….great, next question is it up to date? If No, or there isn’t one, then sit down tonight, I mean tonight, not tomorrow or the next day / week and write one out. Remember to base it on…..
Feed → Play → Sleep
Feed: meal times, breakfast, smoko, lunch, smoko and dinner
Play: sectioned time for playing, both inside and out, both on their own and with you (remember BabyTalk)
Sleep: sleeps and naps or if you child is older and not sleeping at all three sleeps anymore they must still have rest time, or time out in the morning &/ afternoon just to relax and have some quite time.
Add in…bath time, story time, and jobs around the house if your child is walking and able to help (children love, just love helping with jobs, they do not consider it a chore or work). A routine will keep you organized, give you more time, and make you feel in control and you child will like the security of having structure to their day – especially the play time with Mum or Dad.
Feed
Solids are introduced or have just been
Give milk in the first part of feed or can use the milk feed just before you put them to bed from say 8-9 mths or old, warning here, if they are too tired when you put down they will not be interested in the milk. They still need the milk feeds.
Information on solids available in a wide range of places main point to remember is “every bite counts so make it worthwhile to them nutritionally” – see additional section on Introducing Solids
The 3 – 4 hourly routine still applies, just a greater part of being awake (play time) compared to a newborn baby.
Play
At 6 months of age will still only be up for a play & feed for approximately 1 hr before becoming too tired.
At 9 months this will stretch to about 1 ½ hrs
At 12 months it is likely to be the pattern of 2hrs up and 2hrs down (sleeping)
Still use the ½ hr of Babytalk a day.
It is essential that…
→ attention and focus is your baby’s choice
→ that what he is looking and listening to is the same object
→ the environment is free from distractions and noise
→ Still no tv, there is far too much too learning from the environment around them.
Sleep
Between 6 – 12 mths of age, they will drop the afternoon sleep. As a result of not needing this sleep they will become tired late in the afternoon, therefore you will find yourself putting your baby down at an earlier hour for the night sleep.
It is important to still include some relaxing time for 1/2hr or more in the afternoon at the time when they used to have their sleep. This time is basically a quiet period in their cot with some books, and/or appropriate toys.
Your baby still needs time alone, to wind down, relax and have time out from the stimulating environment around them.
You expect that you baby at 6-9 mths to have two naps during the day totaling about 3-4 hrs. Usually a longer sleep during the middle of the day.
With11 hrs at night in one big sleep.
At 6 mths of age the roll-over feed drops off, you may find it increasing difficult to wake them for the feed or you can try just not waking them at all and in most cases at 6 months of age they will sleep right through to their usually waking time in the morning.
Routines are for guidelines, to allow you to plan for the day – this gives you a sense of control and organisation. Babies and children need routine and order to their lives. The recommendations are just that, recommendations to keep in mind of where you are heading, what the aim is.
Example routine of a baby at 6 months of age, the times of Feed, Play and Sleep obviously depend upon the first waking time for the day, however it gives you an idea of how to structure a routine ensuring plenty of sleep or rest. This type of routine when written and left on say your fridge allows anyone else to come in and look after your baby and know what is expected where. Note the additional notes on the end for another carer.
Kate’s Routine – Typical for 6 months
Between 6am - 7am
Feed
Up and play for a hour or so
8am
Kate asleep or going to bed
Kate will have at least a 1 hr sleep maybe 2hrs
9.00/10.00 am
Kate will wake up from here onwards
Before a feed, talk, chat and play as much as you like.
Morning
Feed – bottle with powdered milk, room temperature
240ml of water + 3 scoops of powder (Follow guidelines on the formula pack)
Food – custard or fruit puree, at room temperature, in high chair with bib, and small bottle of water. After milk.
Change nappy
Kate will stay up and play for about 2hrs – when she starts yawning, or getting fidgety, irritable take her to her room and wrap her up and place in cot.
Lunch time
Let her relax and wind down by herself in cot for 10 mins.
Then go back and wrap her and position in cot, just smile, no verbal and minimal eye contact, Kate will try one last attempt to get your attention and play by kicking excitedly and verbalizing.
She will go to sleep on her own with the door closed.
She will sleep for at least 2 hrs maybe longer.
She will sleep till the next feed at around 2.00 pm or later
2.00pm
Kate will wake herself when ready for her feed. Play as before.
Feed – bottle of milk, breast or powdered
Kate will stay up and play for about 2 hrs – when she starts yawning, or getting fidgety, irritable take her to her room and leave her playing in her cot to relax for 15 mins then as before return and wrap her up and place in cot, change page on magazine for her.
If she is still up after 3 hrs by 5pm or so put her down for a sleep, this depends on what time she wakes from her lunchtime sleep. If she doesn’t wake till 3pm then just go till she is tired.
Mid afternoon jar of food, chicken etc. if not too tired.
Between 6- 7 pm
Rice cereal, mix with 1 scoop of milk powder and water from jar or bottle, about 2 teaspoons of cereal, still has it very runny, have her small bottle of water at the feed as well. Feeds in the high chair. Give her as much as she wants. Usually feed her milk feed before.
If during sleep time Kate does not go to sleep, leave her in her cot until next feed, minimum 3hrs between feeds. She needs a minimum of 2hrs sleep.
Kate has a sleep cycle of about 50 mins when she enters lighter sleep, she may make a few noises etc at this time She has learnt to re-settle herself and can do this on her own.
If you need to check, use monitor as first option, then if really crying go in a check It’s best not to interfere too much unless she is distressed. If you check any of the above then do so with minimal interaction, play time is before or after a feed.
not stuck
room temperature around 25 degrees
rewrap if needed
nappy change
Nicole Pierotti
Originally Published: April 22, 2013
Last Edited: April 12, 2023
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