3 Reasons Why You Need a Schedule
It sounds so counter intuitive, doesn’t it? How can a schedule give you freedom? Doesn’t it just restrict you from doing what you want to do?
Oh, contriare! While it can seem very rigid to have a schedule, it’s actually the most freeing thing – especially for babies. Here are some reasons why
1) Your baby thrives on scheduling
It’s no secret that schedules are great for children. The whole basis that schools and day cares operate on is creating daily routines and habits that help children become comfortable knowing what to expect and putting them in a position to learn at an optimal level. The exact same concept exists for babies! When babies have a routine and a schedule, they learn when to expect sleep times, feeding times, etc, which can help regulate them to become comfortable throughout the day. When they know what to expect, fewer meltdowns happen and babies can comfortably drift off into dream land without a peep.
Routines are Key
Having a routine means baby can expect when sleep is coming
2) There’s no guessing about when sleep will happen
Beyond the benefits for your baby, a schedule really helps the parents regulate, too! When you have a schedule, you know when in the day sleep will happen. At these designated sleep times, parents have the opportunity for a break themselves – which is absolutely necessary to prevent burn out. Parents also need to sleep, relax, and be productive in their own time, and when the baby is on a schedule you can spend time with your child without worrying about when “you” time will come – it will always happen at these designated times in the day.
3) It helps you learn to set boundaries
I think the most important part about having a schedule is really learning how to effectively set boundaries that are right for your family. One of the most crucial skills having children makes you learn is how to make wise choices for your children. Some days, it might be fun to say yes and do things on a whim. Other days, it might not be the best choice and it might be better to say no. Either way, having a schedule can give you the confidence and freedom to say no to those activities or environments that don’t work for you.
Boundaries are Important
Parenting is all about setting boundaries - the earlier you gain the confidence to set them, the better off you will be!
At the end of the day…
A schedule gives you the freedom to know when in the day sleep will happen giving you the freedom to say yes to a happy baby, happy parents, and a well rested family. For more information on how to build a schedule, contact us over at Nighttime Heroes Sleep Schedule Coaching.
