I thought it would be good to write out our daily routine with Ethan. I know in the early stages of mama-hood I was stuck on just knowing where to start and how to build a routine. Remember: our schedule is unique to us (and so would yours) but a few pointers/tips and seeing how another mama does things is always a great help. Our schedule spans from 9am-9.30pm approximately. Occasionally this shifts by half an hour either way some days, but I try to stick to the routine to give Ethan some continuity. I work 2-3 12-hour shifts in the pharmacy and Daddy works 9-5pm all other days with additional shifts, as he is a teacher and musician.
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9am: This is my favourite part of the day, Ethan always greets us with a huge smile in the mornings when we come into his room. It's nappy-change time straight away (as his nappy is usually very full) and then it's breakfast-time. Breakfast is typically an 8 ounce bottle of milk (we use SMA Pro 2) with a bowl of oatmeal - he loves Heinz® First Steps Oat & Banana Multigrain Porridge! 9.30-11am: It's play-time. I pull out all of his favourite toys (a mixture of soft and hard toys); he loves his toy piano and the touch-and-feel books.We also have his A-B-C songs playing on YouTube in the background, which keeps him entertained for a while.
11.30am: Snack time – usually consists of his veggie sticks (the KIDDYLICIOUS® brand is his absolute favourite!)
1-2pm: Nap time. Ethan goes down for his nap, which lasts for approximately two or three hours.
3-4pm: He wakes up and has his lunch – another 8 ounce bottle, a pureed baby food pouch (usually the Piccolo® brand – he loves the mac and cheese one!), and veggie/fruit puffs.
4pm: Play with Mummy or Daddy, bounce around in his jumperoo (a great buy, which I listed in my last blog post) and put on some of his favourite gospel music.
5:30/6pm: Daddy comes home from work. My husband and I attempt to eat dinner uninterrupted (easier said than done!) whilst Ethan has a few more baby snacks on veggie puffs – although in reality we only get through a few bites of our food! On nights when I work, I get home around 8.30pm, so dinner for me is usually whilst my husband does bath time.
7:30pm: Ethan has his dinner and a small 5 ounce bottle (so he doesn't get overly full).
8-8.30pm: Play with Daddy; he's usually so excited to see us when we get home from work – when he hears the keys jangle at the front door he comes crawling all the way to the entrance! I usually give him a bath, depending on how the day goes.
9-9.30pm: It's usually bath time, and he has all his favourite bath toys in there with him so he really does enjoy it now. We change him into a clean sleep-suit and a fresh nappy. Ethan will then usually have another 5 ounce bottle, and we brush his teeth before it's finally sleep time again (check out my earlier post for our bedtime routine).
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Hope this helps! I try to follow this routine as closely as possible, but I also try not to be hard on myself if our routine goes out of the window for a day. Mama-hood is a journey of discovery and we are learning everyday, so just find a routine that works for you and your baby, stick to it as much as you can and you'll be just fine!
Simply Deborah xo