Parents of babies/toddlers - do you stick to a routine at weekends??

[MonChoufleur123]

I don't mean if you're on a day out, but if you're largely at home, doing errands etc?
It's not that I particularly like being so rigid it's just that I know doing things at certain times eg lunch, afternoon nap makes life easier because it stops little one from getting really hungry /over tired and I can anticipate what he wants /needs. But if I don't actively plan and point out what time it is OH is happy to let things drift on a Saturday and Sunday. Should I just relax? Am I being unnecessarily uptight? How important is it to stick to routine every day? Disclaimer: am exhausted from baby who wants to feed several times a night which doesn't help! Thanks for any advice xxx

If we are at home we tend to stick to a rough routine as then DD is happier and so are we. We will try to alter the routine to do things, sometimes with more success than others. Maybe your OH is less aware of your usual routine and the consequences of not following it!

I have a nearly 2 year old and yes we are ridge with routine but will now happily just forgo her afternoon occasionally but she is crap going to sleep on a night time. If she could cope with being for flexible then we would be more flexible.

We do with the younger one as he doesn't have a concept of weekends so just gets all riled up if he eats late or goes to bed too late. It is a bit restrictive, but I know from the older one (8) that it will end soon enough and then weekends will feel more like weekends again.

With my 3 and 4 year olds we try have for a while we dont bother sticking to a routine, they get bored and are more likely to play up if we do.
Some kids like or need routines but if they dont then its more fun and flexible for the whole family not to have to stick to a strict one.

Yes with my toddlers we stick to a routine for them, it makes the day go smoothly. So get to do lots around things like meal times and nap times.

Babies thrive on routine.

Weve only stopped the routine at weekends once the youngest stopped napping. Now they are 3.5 and 6.5 and we just do what we fancy when we fancy (including meals too).

Yes I try and keep it roughly the same with 20mo. OH would probably let things drift if I didn't point out the times. I'm probably more mindful than he is of the shitstorm that can occur if you don't

Dd is 5 but we always kept to routine until she dropped her nap at nearly 3.
So much easier with a well rested child!

Yes we keep the routine on a weekend. Maybe not exactly to the minute, depending on what we’re doing, but life is much easier (for us) if toddlers and babies get the food and rest they are used to!

Yeah we stick to roughly the same meal times and nap times just makes life easier for all of us.

We stick to the routine- makes things much easier for me!!

We stick to the same routine for DS (10mo). DH has to check with me every weekend what time things are, and has to be reminded a few times as well, but I know if I don't stick to a routine (mainly nap times) then nighttime will be horrible as DS will be up lots in the night and DH tends to sleep through it.

Yeah, until they stopped napping in the day.

If we don’t have things planned then yes we stick to routine but we’d never make sure we were back for nap time if we were out and about. Bedtimes can be later too if we need them to be.

Breakfast, lunch and nap time are stuck to on the weekend and everything after that including bed time is negotiable

I aim to stay roughly to her normal meal and nap times, give or take half an hour. But don't stress if the day ends up getting away with us.

If we've gone really off track then I try to stick more strictly to routine for the following day or two. Get things back on track.

Thanks so much all - glad people think it's worth sticking to a routine... I think I will type it out and print it off to type out and stick on the fridge!!
It's really hard to strike a balance between not constantly interfering and trying to make sure you're not up all night with a cranky baby... gah.

We keep to the same routine. It's not set in stone, but it's roughly the same. Makes life so much easier.

Youngest is 16m and if I don't stick to something close to her routine she turns into a stressy demon and everyone moans about her being grumpy!

There have been weekends when I have longed for Monday how sad is that - just to have normality back.