Being a mother is a great responsibility. Having a baby is one of the most challenging experience a woman could ever have. But motherhood is not easy. Being a mother of one, I know how hard motherhood is, especially if you are a first-time mother.
The common scenario, if you have a baby, is that you tend to neglect your other duties and responsibilities in the home since the baby eats up most of your time and energy. You end up being tired and haggard, and it may even affect your mood and how you deal with other members of your family.
This should not be so. If you take motherhood positively, it should be something you enjoy. One way to do this is to establish a daily routine for your baby. This way, once both of you have adjusted to these routines, you can budget your time and energy and have enough of them left for other chores in the home.
HOW TO CREATE A ROUTINE FOR YOUR BABY
Creating a baby routine is important so you and your baby can have enough rest. If you are well rested, you can create a positive energy which will also affect your baby. If your baby gets enough rest, you will have a happy baby. Rest and sleep can affect the personality development of your baby.
Make sure to teach your baby the difference between day and night. Usually, babies tend to sleep longer during daytime and stay awake longer at night. Try to find a way to change your baby’s sleep schedule. Helping your baby learn the difference between night and day will develop a workable routine.
When I was a first-time mother, my daughter used to sleep longer in the daytime and wake up at night. It should have been alright if she just wakes up at night and plays, or just lie on her crib quietly. That was not the case. She usually woke up around 11 PM or midnight and wails. Naturally, being a first-time mom, I panicked. Is there something wrong? Maybe she feels pain somewhere?
Nothing can shut her up. Not even after I did everything to make her calm down. Our pediatrician told me to change her sleep schedule. What I did was do things to keep her alert and awake most of the day (except for the occasional naps), so she will sleep longer at night. It worked.
Introduce your baby to a bedtime routine. If it is bedtime, give your baby a bath, put on his or her pajamas or sleepsuit, read a story, feed your baby, and put him or her in bed and say “Goodnight”. Doing this regularly will develop a bedtime routine.
Learn from your baby. You baby sends out signs or cues. Observe and learn to read and interpret these signs so you will understand your baby better. They will let you know what your baby wants. They usually create patterns, so once you understand them, it will help you create a routine which will be best for your baby.
Make your baby’s routine a priority. Being consistent is the key to making your baby adjust and adapt a routine. Make your baby understand that there is a right time for doing things. Having a baby makes life busy and unanticipated disruptions can affect your routine. By prioritizing your baby’s routine, you are teaching your baby that certain things happen at particular times.
Expect changes while your baby is growing. Growth spurts may affect your baby’s routine. Being flexible will help you teach and guide your baby to creating and adapting routines.
Your baby’s routine should be adjusted, depending on his or her age. As the baby grows older, his or her routine changes. You need to adjust your baby’s routine based on his or her age. The older your baby gets, the more time he spends awake during the day. Then there is playtime. When your baby reaches six months, eating solid food should be added to your baby’s routine. Continue adjusting your baby’s routine as he or she grows older until you reach the time where your baby can comprehend things better.
Nobody is perfect. Do not expect perfection. Although your baby may follow a daily routine, expect changes as he or she grows older. There are times when your baby might need extra feeding, or he or she might not want to take a nap, like he or she usually does. These are “flaws” on your and your baby’s routine.
HOW HAVING A ROUTINE HELPS IN EVERYDAY LIFE
It is very important that you create a baby routine. Once a routine is established and adapted, you can adjust your schedule and go on with your usual daily routine like doing household chores. A baby’s needs are immediate. But you must learn to communicate with your baby and make him or her understand that things must be done on certain times.
Once a daily routine is established, you can do more things at home and attend to other tasks other than catering to your baby’s needs and whims.
Having a daily baby routine is very helpful in everyday life. It can create a sort of a normal atmosphere in the home. Your baby will feel secure with you if he or she knows what to expect, as routine demonstrates that you will be there for them, and trust grows. If you find that a routine has been broken one day, then return to it the next. It will reassure the baby that everything is all right in his or her world. This is a wonderful beginning to a lifetime of learning - all created by establishing a simple daily routine.
Babies are a gift from God. They are blessings. But they can be quite a handful if you do not know how to deal with them. Teaching them to respect authority by creating a routine will make your everyday life easier and will make you appreciate your baby and motherhood better.
