Routine advice for 7m old

[JJSS123]

Can I please have some advice on a routine for my 7m old. We are stuck in a rut and have barely any routine i am getting barely any sleep and he is barely napping. Just any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and happy new year!

Do you put him down to nap or is it in your arms?

I put him in his bouncer too nap as soon as he shows any sign of tiredness like rubbing his ear or eyes. I’m struggling to know what to do with him in the day to entertain him too.

Do you have a sling? (Someone has to ask - May as well be me...). Long walks are the answer!

No I have a slipped disk in my back so the thought of a sling makes me want to cry. Definitely want to get out walking every day with him. The fresh air does wonders

It’s hard to entertain them especially in the late afternoons I found as all the classes and things to do seem to be on in the mornings.

What I do is make sure we get up at the same time every day and that way the days fall into a pattern.

Up say 730 and then milk breakfast etc play, then I would try and have a couple of days with a class or a group to get you out by a certain time.

I loosely followed Gina ford’s timetables (never read the books just her timetables by age) which gave a framework for feeding and naps and I worked around that. Get out for walks, do shopping, have “activity stations” around the house to give a change of scenery when they get bored, find the best way for them to sleep during the day (pram, car, cot, your arms) and make sure they get that sleep even if they fight it.

Then get a bedtime routine starting early and aim for bedtime lights out around 7 or 730 latest.

The key (perhaps not obvious) thing with a routine tho is you need to do it every day and stick to it, even at weekends. Might suck getting up early if that’s not you but you’ll see the benefits long term.

I never thought I'd be recommending an app but the Huckleberry app is brilliant for predicting nap times.

I only discovered this with my second and it was especially good for her because I was often so distracted with my eldest that I wouldn't always notice her sleepy cues. Used it probably from about 2 months old and it's never failed me (I just used the free version).

At 7 months if we ever had a 'house day' I would make sure I had a set of toys for the morning then bring a different set out after lunch. He still had 2 naps a day at that point as well. One around 10am then another around 2pm. Maybe try putting him to nap upstairs/in a different setting. Might help a little?

Is he with you in the living area for naps then if he's in the bouncer?

I was really struggling with my baby and his naps, then when he was 5 months I changed and brought him up to his crib in the bedroom to nap, blinds and curtains closed, he cried for a few mins but then went to sleep. By the second day he was used to it and no more crying. He loves napping now.

I don't find the sling comfortable either so don't use it. I put him in his buggy for a walk.

He's nearly 7 months now and I find he gets bored easily and I have to change what he's doing regularly. I give him time to lie on his back with toys above him, time on his tummy to try and crawl, time sitting up with toys, he has a few toys that he can lean on and stand to play, and he has the jumperoo.

He doesn't have a set routine for food and naps but has meal times roughly around the same time every day and sleeps whenever he needs to

I agree that you need to start the day roughly the same time every morning, breakfast, play, nap, lunch, little nap, play and then absolutely have to have a bedtime routine. Bath, bottle, bed every evening. It does pay off. The routine's good for you too, if you have a rubbish day at least you know there's an end!! Good luck