How much of a routine do/did you follow with a 6 month old? Answers from all wanted!

[moodyzebra]

Ok, out of the lastest GF thread...
With your first/only child, at 6 months old, how much of a routine are/were you following?
Answers if possible categorised into:

1. Fairly strict routine, or GF-like.
2. Fairly loose routine.
3. None, or very little routine.

Last thread I found anything like this was in 2000! Eulalia, maybe JJ, are the only 2 posters I recognise from then.

mine was fairly loose. We used to have lunch and tea at the same time-ish and a bedtime routine of bath, milk, sometimes play and then sleep. Naps were all over the place but then sometimes we did baby things in the afternoon and sometime the morning so it would have been a shame for him (and me!) to miss out on things. I started to get better at noticing his tired signals so could get him to nap for 2 hours in am or om if I was at home. If I wasn't I hoped he would catch up in the car or buggy.

I think 2. DS and I are both routine fiends - we love them. He had his own routine even before he was born - and it really was his own. He woke at 7a.m. every day whether it was a working day (in which case I was always in the car or at work) or a weekend while I was still tucked up in bed. So we always had a routine which fitted both of us. DP (lucky b*gger) is not so much of a routine person, but had to fit in around us - as he has had to do with me over the years anyway!

But the good thing is that because they are self imposed natural routines you can be flexible about them and you never feel tied to them. The best bit is his insistence on being in bed by 6pm! Long may it last (although maybe a bit later than 6am start would be good occassionally).

1 (but not GF). Went through awful time 2-5 months with sleep refusal/overtiredness and could only crack it by enforcing a pretty rigid routine. Times varied but I definitely organised my life around his need to sleep before he got overtired. He's still the same at 29 months, unfortunately.
With ds2 we are 2 verging on 3 - I try to have a fairly consistent pattern but often events get in the way(!) - luckily he's a far more adaptable soul than ds1.

2 - like hercules

do you know ds3 has been the longest onto any sort of routine. and still pisses around at night

heis 13 months

Number 1 but not GF as I couldnt bear it. He is still in the same routine now really at 2 yrs and it works well for us. He needs a sleep desperately in the afternoon and if he doesnt get it then he doesnt sleep at night as well. Hope the next one is as good.

DS2 is 6 months old exactly, in about 8 hours! And he is on a reasonably strict routine, but not as strict as GF.
His food and sleep times are kept to, give or take half an hour either way, but that said, he will pretty much nap anywhere now, but that took some effort!

Probably between 1 and 2 i'd say. Never thought I'd be there as before ds born, thought routine was anathema and GF total nazi who's book I wouldn't even buy...how the worm has turned! No routine at all for first 3 months (and co-slept for first 4 weeks), but then hit terrible night waking patch at 3 1/2 months and in total desperation, started structuring feeds a la GF (devil woman ). Worked like a dream. Now do 2 naps a day that depend on what time he woke up/how long he slept at last nap. Feeds fairly structured too. But never wake him up from sleeping (he seems to do quite well regulating himself ) and if need to go out then get him to sleep in car. However, enough of a routine that I do feel restricted in when I can go out during the day (main slot is 2.30 til 5.30pm). the thing is I feel like that's a good trade off given that he sleeps from 7 til 7! tomorrow, routine is shot as have an appointment in midmorning...we'll see how we do...i feel like i need to loosen up a bit so that I can do more stuff (and so can he). but as routine is agreeing with him, i'm scared of going back to bad sleeping...

definately 2 i dont live by a book as in everything got to be certain times but at the same times regarding meals he oes have his dinner and tea near same time every day brecfast is when he decides to get up which ccan be anything from 6am to 8.30am