The schedule versus no schedule debate is almost as hot as breast feeding versus formula. In fact, its been in the news lately, as LibDem MP Nick Clegg basically told schedule guru Gina Ford she was an idiot. Although not to her face.
The one thing I always knew I wanted, when I had a baby, was to not have a schedule or a routine. My whole life was one big schedule, thanks to being a PA, and I always thought it would be nice, once I had a baby, to just go with the flow.
So I did. Adam was (and still is) fed on demand. For his first few months he stayed up until he fell asleep. And so on.
And then the little stinker did something that still amazes me. He created his own schedule.
It started at bed time. Simon and I are not stupid. When a baby gets cranky beyond belief around 8pm? That’s when he should be going to sleep. So we moved our dinner time earlier so we could start Adam’s bed time (gulp) routine at 7. And if we are even a bit late starting? He let’s us know he’s ready for his bath and his bed.
And then, just recently, as he’s started to sleep through more and more often, I realized he’s also set a schedule for the day time. He wakes up between 5 and 6, at which point whichever parent is on duty gets up, gives him his dummy and tells him to go back to sleep. Which sometimes works. Yesterday, for example, he woke up at 5, but I managed to get him back to sleep until 6.
So up by 6. Bottle. During the week, 7 is chair time as Simon and I have breakfast, or, if I need to be somewhere, I take a shower and then eat.
745 Simon is out of the shower and Adam goes and plays with Simon while Simon gets dressed.
0800? Have a good day Daddy!
0815 – 0830? Fast asleep.
0900 – 0915? Back awake, time for another bottle and some porridge please mummy!
0930? Time to dress me mummy! Why yes, overalls would be lovely today.
1000? Yayaya bouncy chair! Get in the shower mummy, I’m ready to go go go!!!!
1030? Let’s go for a walk/to the shops/anywhere please!!!
1045? zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz in my pram while mummy pushes me!!
12 – 1230? Home again home again jiggedy jig! Ooh, clean bottom how nice…can I have some rice and veg now? And then some milk? YUM!!
1230 Disco Saucer time!!! Who knew Mummies needed to eat too?
1330 – 1400 zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz nap time!
1430 – 1500 If mummy’s lucky I’ll sleep a whole entire hour!!!!!!
1500 – 1600 Ahh, nothing as nice as lying in mummy’s arms waking up. Oh yes, please, I would like to play with my Mickey Mouse!
1600 More milk please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1700 Kick kick kick in my chair. What’s mummy doing? Oooh, washing my bottles. What a nice mummy!
1720 Snuggle in mummy’s arms again.
1730 What’s that I hear? Daddy’s HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1730 – 1830 Play with daddy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think Mummy’s cooking dinner.
1830 – 1900 In my high chair, playing and being with mummy and daddy while they eat!
1900 Bathtime!
1930 Bottle time!
2000 zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
The times are not that precise, obviously, but pretty close.
And so my wishes for no schedule have gone out the window.
Darn it.
It is pretty damn amazing how they do that isn’t it! I too let Micah set his own schedule because I have always beleived that everyone is happier when they get to sleep when they want to eat when they want to etc. By the time he was a year he was on pretty much the same schedule as the rest of the family and by now at 3 if dinner has not been started by 5 he lets me know in no uncertain terms that he wants to eat NOW and then have his bath because in his world “a bath will do the trick”.