sometimes I would rather shave off my eyebrows than unsettle DS to get him up and bathed, and I figure the world will not implode if his bath waits until tomorrow ...
but we have a routine, and WE decide when it will work for US to deviate from the routine, iykwim.
I'm a very organised person so routines and checklists are my friends, but I figure routines are only good when they're achieving your purposes - which in our case is to keep a happy, harmonised, balanced, healthy family!
I think that routines are a very personal thing and everyone has a different view on what suits or doesn't suit them. I have used a routine for both my boys and have found them great. I am not too rigid with it as i sometimes have to work around daily activities and outings. I like to stick to a basic feed, wake, sleep routine but don't deny either of my sons food, sleep or a drink if they want it or I feel they need it - this doesn't happen very often though as they are both pretty well set in their routines. I have tried to get both of them use to sleeping while out and about so it does make it easier to work to a routine. I am comfortable breast feeding in public too so that helps if I need to feed descreetly on the go. Althoug I stick to a feeding routine I like to be a bit flexible so I sometimes have a variance of 30mins either side as long as the kids are happy to do so, I am pretty structured with first feed of morning and last feed of the evening and try to stick to the routine without it being difficult but still allowing our family to go on outings and do our daily errands etc, I Personally think it's great to have a flexible routine that way it provides a predictable daily pattern but with allowance to change if needed. That's just me personally and I do understand that others don't like or favor routines and thats perfect for them! Routines are not there to make life harder or restrict us they are there to try and make life a bit more easier and predictable! Good Luck with finding the pattern or style of parenting that suit you and your family! Xx
I never had a routine - I too was 100% baby led .... well, I thought we didn't have a routine... that was until I was talking with my nurse at the clinic when Bubs was a few months old: she told me to write down what we did for a few days - turns out he had made his own routine. Every few months the "routine" would shift and we would gently move onto the next stage.
Not so long ago I was fretting over dropping the late night/early morning feeds: again, he's done this on his own and has just naturally progressed to waking up later at a more respectable hour (although some people might not see 4.30am as 'respectable').
So, what I guess I'm trying to say is that whether or not you decide to follow a strict routine, you bub will most likely put themselves into one anyway!
DS used to be on a routine for everything i didnt make it that way it was just him alwayus ate at the same time sleep at the same time etc but now with the 2 his routine went out the window DD doesnt have a pattern t all really being damand fed and BFed but we still do a lot of things at the same time like breaky lunch dinner bath and bed but we can do anything or go anywhere DS does get a little cranky if hes up too late but most of the time hes fine
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