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Behaviour/development

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Original poster

7 month routine so different from everyone else

15 replies

junsab · 16/05/2012 20:53

Hi All,

I have a PFB, 7 months. I'm quite happy with the routine he is on but it's so different from the 'norm', I'm wondering if I'm a bit mad!

It goes like this:
7am: bottle then back to sleep
9.30: wakes/ bath and has breakfast ( no one else seems to do morning baths instead of evenings!)
11.30: bottle
12.30: nap
2.00-2.30: wakes and lunch
4: bottle
5.00-6.00/6.30 nap
7.00-7.30: dinner
8.30: bottle
9-9.30: bed

I know it seems a bit odd but it works for us. My DH would never see DS in the week if he had an early bedtime as he's never home before 8.

Plus we have a big and very close family and are always having dinner and staying with my parents or inlaws at least once a week and it means everyone can see him/play in the evenings.

It's also how all mine and DH's family and extended family have always done baby routines (might be an Asian thing!? )

However I'm only just starting to realise how far from the norm it is

Am I doing it all wrong?

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EmmaCate · 16/05/2012 20:57

Define 'wrong'! If it works for you I don't think anyone should criticise. If you hated it and wanted to change then there would be a lot of constructive advice, but you don't.

I am sure you will have the sense to adapt it as soon as he has to start conforming to times set by others e.g. nursery.

I knew a few people who did morning baths too BTW!

YoullLaughAboutItOneDay · 16/05/2012 21:00

My gran always complains that people bath babies in the evening these days, so I think morning was normal in this country (or at least parts of it) in the past too.

If it suits you, go with it. The one thing I would say is that four bottles in 24 hours doesn't seem much at just 7 months?

StetsonsAreCool · 16/05/2012 21:02

We've always done morning baths as DD is just in a better mood for them. Saturday morning is when she gets her bath now, aged almost 2.

The rest of it, well it works for you so it's not wrong is it? If he's happy with that routine and you're happy with it, keep doing it.

We've always had dinner at 7ish, so in the early days so did DD, bed at 8-8.30 I think. When it was clear she needed an earlier bedtime (around the time her daytime naps moved/dropped) we moved dinner time forward. Now it's around 6.30.

Don't feel like you have to do what most other people do. It's only most of them, not all of them

thisisyesterday · 16/05/2012 21:03

why does it seem odd? sounds fine to me

if it works for you then no reason to change it just becasue other people do things differently

ShowOfHands · 16/05/2012 21:05

I have an 8 month old. What's a routine? Seriously, if ds is tired he sleeps, hungry he eats, energetic he charges about. If it suits you, it suits you. Doesn't matter what other people do.

seaweed74 · 16/05/2012 21:52

I did similar with dd1. Had to change when she started playgroup! Loved getting up late and seeing her in evenings. Not possible now due to nursery etc. tonight she was in bed for 6.30!

DownyEmerald · 16/05/2012 22:16

We always did bed at 9 til she dropped her naps. If we tried getting her to sleep at 7ish she slept for 30 mins and was then wide awake for much too long. It meant dp got to see more of her, tho' eating a meal was not easy. We were the only ones out of my mummy friends that did that, but I did lots of things differently, not out of any plan, it just developed that way.

We just moved things as we needed to and as her sleep needs changed - childminder/playgroup/school all changed the routine. She is a great sleeper now.

Sounds like you have developed a routine that works for you all as a unit - I wish more people would do that!

I know in Europe people often put kids to bed a lot later. I always meant to do more research into that, but never got round to it.

Original poster

junsab · 16/05/2012 22:52

Youlllaughaboutit: he was on 5 bottles but I read that they should be dropping to 3 bottles by 9 months so was trying to prepare for that.

Then I met a few mums whose dc were still on 4 bottles at a year and very happy.

I realise I'm doing too much reading about what I should be doing. DS is happy on 4 bottles and I don't think that's going to change by 9 months

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Original poster

junsab · 16/05/2012 22:54

Yes Seaweed I do like the extra sleep. So glad I'm not the only one. Was starting to worry I was crappy selfish mum for not being out and about at 8am!

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YoullLaughAboutItOneDay · 17/05/2012 07:56

Fair enough Junsab. Sounds like you are both happy. For other things though, do bear in mind that when they say 'by nine months' or 'by one' actually you don't need to push towards those deadlines. Two months (7-9 months) is a massive period of time for a baby, and a lot will change naturally in terms of the amount of solids they eat. So don't put pressure on yourself when you see phrases like that. And, as you say, you don't have to do what the books say anyway. Generally you'll be much happier going with the flow .

MainlyMaynie · 17/05/2012 12:42

My DS has a late bedtime/wake up. He also has morning baths and I still BF on demand. It works for us!

nieveandarlo · 17/05/2012 15:03

I generally do morning baths as with 2 children (4yrs and 7 months), i'm too knackered to do both in the evenings! we don't have an adult-sized bath as yet (house in progress) so DD has a shower in the evening and DS a baby bath in the morning when everyone else has left for their day... much nicer and calmer for us.
Also i agree with Showofhands - whats a routine?? My DS has never been very sleepy in the evenings so has a pretty late bedtime - 9ish, made eating interesting when he was very little!

I am thinking i need to get a better bedtime routine going (whenever bedtime may be) as he's not been sleeping very well at night... could be teething though.

He'll be going to a childminder for 2 days a week in September so we'll see how that changes things.

I agree with all of the above - you do what works, which is not necessarily what the books say!

fuzzywigsmum · 17/05/2012 15:33

Sounds great junsab. Although our DD goes to bed at 7, I think it's a perculiarly British thing for babies to go to bed so early and friends are always complaining that they never get to see DD. Re mornings, my mum always did things your way. Baby would be fed and straight back to sleep so she could get husband and older kids out of the house. Then the baby would be got up, bathed and dressed. There's definitely no right way to doing these things.

rrreow · 17/05/2012 17:16

My DS (1 year old) has a bedtime of 9.30 (we start the routine at 8.30 and he's usually asleep by 9.30). DH and I both work and if we didn't do it this way we'd hardly get to spend time with him. Works for us and I don't think there's anything wrong with doing what makes sense for you and your family.

Smokedsalmonbagel · 17/05/2012 21:57

My DS1 use to go to bed 8.30pm and wake up 8am. It was lovely as we weren't early risers. A lot of my friends kids wake up at 6am and were jealous!

Just do what suits you! Unfortunately its all changed now he is school. Bed at 7 and up around 7am.

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