Baby Routine (6 Months+)

As a new mom, being on schedule, let alone being ahead of it, can be quite a daunting task. Juggling between the constant changes in a baby’s developmental cycle and adjusting its basic routine, to put a tick mark on your checklist that all has been done for the day, that too while keeping in sync with self-care; setting up a system isn’t the easiest. If you’re looking for ideas as to how to get your baby into a routine, you’ve come to the right place.

Aug 25,2021 by MomComIndia Share

Ever so often, new mommies and their tiny tots struggle to come to terms with their new routines and rightly so, it can be as flexible as it can get. As your baby grows, at every stage their needs only increase by manifolds. We are often asked to share ideas on how to build upon it. We hear you.

So let us begin by sharing my son’s routine when he was around 6 months. He is an early riser, with that being said, it gives us a lot of time for early morning snuggles and getting the day started. He wakes up at six in the morning and that lets us build our day from here. In the next half an hour I get him prepared to step outside.

In those 30 minutes, at first, I let him sip on to some lukewarm water and get his metabolism kick-started. Right after that, he poops and soon after the diaper from the previous night is also changed. I get him all dressed up according to the weather outside, to breathe in some fresh air and soak in the sunlight. From the very beginning, it has been our endeavour to explain Kabir (my son) that outdoors is meant to be active and to play games. While, the bedroom on the other hand, is for relaxing and to catch a nap.

We curate the activities for him in a way that he observes and grasps better. Getting him oriented to the objects around the house is another step in his initial grooming and a positive sensory response. Children at this stage observe as well as learn words and actions more than our comprehension. They pick and understand a new vocabulary with ease. During the next 45 minutes, the concentration is on activities involving skill building and motor responses. We let him play with his toys, followed by breakfast. We try to keep his diet full of cereal goodness and lots of seasonal fruits. This diet gives him lots of fibre and is a great energy booster.

Since the day Kabir was introduced to solid food, we made it a point that he always sits on the feeding chair. This has dual advantages, firstly the fear of choking is completely negated and it inculcates a good habit since the very beginning. For many children who have a hard time sticking to one place during the feeding time, Mums can engage them by reading their favourite story, talking, playing and laughing with them. Use of television or any gadget during feeding time is not advisable at this age. Post breakfast, it’s time for him to play as his energy is fired up . Play is exercise for babies and it helps him catch his first nap of the day. During this playtime, it’s a good mix of physical activity using his favourite ball, moving around in the walker, crawling and grabbing the things that catches his fancy.

Post his nap, he wakes up with his dad (my husband was doing night shifts during this period), and both of them play some brain engaging games like identifying objects and the like. Soon after he gets his first snack of the day, which is mostly a fruit. Kabir then steps out for some playtime in the park and meeting his peers. Now socialising isn’t just for adults. Even our tiny tots need it for an all-round development. Most of the time we have seen that children don’t respond well to new faces, both adults and children. They need to be exposed to adults, children and toddlers of different age groups alike. Such events only help them be more accepting and adjusting to a new environment and adapt easily. Practicing etiquettes and manners from an early age is a good idea.

Now moving on to Kabir’s lunch time, it generally comprises of rice, pulses and fish. Post lunch, its entirely daddy-son time, where they get to bond. Fathers are not only huge role models for their kids, but also a companion, friend…a buddy of sorts. This is the time, when Kabir’s dad gives him massages, bathes him and plays with him. As a mother we get enough opportunities to bond and connect with the child, say during feeding.

Post the relaxing bath and massage, Kabir is put down for an afternoon siesta, after which he wakes up in two hours, for his next snack. Snacking time can usually include food items such as vegetarian, non-vegetarian soups, mashed potatoes and much more, basically keeping a healthy mix of choices in the food options.

Come evening, Kabir has two hours dedicated for playtime. It is pretty much similar to his morning routine, but we try to balance it out with both indoor and outdoor activities. The aim here is to tire him to a point ,where hitting the sack at the end of the day isn’t a difficult task. With planning out such activities, the problem of light or less sleep can be taken care of.

Kabir’s dinner time usually consists of Chapati and Chicken, he relishes non-vegetarian food. Right after dinner, it’s time for the night time routine to kick in. He gets a clean-up, changes into his night clothes and gets moisturised. Well planned out routine for every part of the day, also trains the child’s mind eventually to know what to expect next.

Once he sets into the bed time routine, mom and baby can indulge in a “quite play time” which include activities like reading a story, light music, nursery rhyme, lullabies or simply flash some animals and children’s characters on the wall using projector lamps. The best way to end the day is a lot of cuddles and snuggles. To a child’s mind that’s a huge positive reinforcement and a sense of security.

Over a period of time every child goes through changes in their routine, but our every endeavour should be towards comforting the baby. It is preferred to stick to one routine unless your baby’s stage demands a change. It takes about a minimum of 15 days to in-still fresh habits and routine in a child, but believe us, you will get there in spite of any resistance that you may experience. There will be times when the child is experiencing teething or any associated illness, an ongoing routine is bound to go haywire, do not fret such phases.

We are confident that the new parents out there are doing a great job already at identifying their baby’s patterns, but a little help and some novel ideas doesn’t hurt… isn’t it?! This was baby Kabir’s routine. Though we shared our family routine with you, restricting you under time stamps, would make parenting rigid. Adapt it as per your family structure. Catch a nap when you can. Happy parents raise happy children.

We would love to hear your experiences too. Your comments, questions and feedback are always welcome and feel free to share this article and spread the word amongst your friends and novice parents. Do share our enthusiasm to build a parenting community. Introduce more parents to MomcomIndia. We reach out to you via our pages on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and this website. We are confident that the new mums and dads out there are doing an incredible job already. Enjoy simplified parenting.

♥♥ 6 महीने के बच्चे का पुरे दिन का रूटीन, इस आर्टिकल में इस बारे में बताया गया है | इस आर्टिकल की जानकारी हिंदी में पाने के लिए नीचे दिए वीडियो को देखें ►