How to accustom a child to the regimen is of interest to all young mothers, because in rare, isolated cases, the baby independently builds the correct routine. The regimen is necessary not only for the baby, his proper development, but also for the mother in order to manage to do all the important things, as long as there is an opportunity for this. How to accustom a child to the regimen from birth? There are many ways. We’ll talk about them.
In 1 month
First of all, you need to know at what age a child can develop a regimen. Do not assume that the newborn is still too small for any regimes, etc. How can a baby be accustomed to the regimen of the day? And is it necessary to do this at all?
From the very first days of life, a sensitive child’s body gets used to a certain regimen, making changes to which will be more difficult, but it’s also not worth rushing to do it yourself. Parents of the baby want to quickly free themselves a few hours, forget that the tiny body must adapt to the environment. You can rush in building a sleep and feeding regime for those mothers who are breast-feeding and have chosen a regimen not by demand, but by certain hours.
If the child is not full-term or born very weak, you should not rush into the regimen. Decide when to do it, how to, in this case, the pediatrician will help. According to experts, babies who develop correctly, who do not have any developmental abnormalities, already at 2 months old can get used to a certain regime of feeding and sleep. The feeding and sleeping regimen of the baby is endowed with many advantages, namely:
- Mother frees up a lot of time, now you can begin to plan the necessary chores for housework and work. There is an opportunity to leave a child for someone, because you know exactly what time he needs to eat.
- Newborns who are fed up and put to bed in time behave much more calmly, do not arrange concerts on the street.
- The baby begins to feel the time and recognizes day and night by his well-being.
- Children who have been accustomed to the regime since childhood have been more obedient in the future.
There are certain rules for a child to become accustomed and attached to the regimen, namely:
- All manipulations (feeding, going to bed, etc.) with the child are carried out at the same time. In order to control yourself, you can set an alarm for yourself. Repeating the same thing over the course of several days will develop a habit for both you and the baby, and soon his body will demand sleep and eat at the time you have taught it.
- It is better to feed the child immediately at certain hours. But many experts think differently, arguing that feeding infants should be on demand. In fact, if you feed on time, then there is nothing wrong with that.
- At the same time, check and change the diaper in time. Firstly, a child is much more comfortable being dry. Secondly, it is the key to proper development. If the child is sleeping, then the diaper should not be woken up and changed for him. If the child is accustomed to a certain feeding regimen, then he should look into the diaper after each meal.
Additional tips for properly accustoming the child to the regime:
- The baby’s night sleep should not be less than 10 hours. Based on this need of the child, it is necessary to develop a schedule at what time the newborn is awake and when he is sleeping. In the daytime, the baby needs to sleep several times a day, for 1.5-2 hours.
- The daily regimen should include morning wash and evening bath.
- Another important mode is the time for a walk, at least an hour a day.
- A baby should not be awake for more than 5 hours a day.
In 2 months
First, decide how you will feed the baby - on demand or at a specific time. Developing a diet and teaching kids to do this is not a new technique. This feeding regimen was used in Soviet times, when women needed to go to work soon after birth. If you choose hourly feeding, then the child will develop a regimen that will be most convenient for you.
How to teach a child to eat at a certain time?
Very simple! For this, it is necessary to apply and offer the baby to the baby always at a certain time. From 2 months to six months, the intervals between feedings should be no more than 2 hours. With each month the interval is increased. At night, the child is fed with an interval of 5-6 hours. There is no need to develop a special regime for feeding a child on demand, since he needs to be fed when he wants to. By all standards, it is necessary to accustom the baby to the regimen gradually, but not earlier than 2 months.
How to make a regimen for a 3-month-old baby?
For infants 3 months of age, a feeding regimen should be developed at intervals of 3-3.5 hours. But you should take into account the individual characteristics of the baby.
How to teach a child up to six months?
Babies 3–6 months old must necessarily sleep at least four times a day, while the intervals do not exceed 2-3 hours. They are accustomed to the regime on the same principle as the children a month, two ... The main thing is to perform all the manipulations with the child at the same time. Try not to wait for the baby to fall asleep himself, but to lull him when the time is right. And only in this case his biological clock will “tune”, and as soon as the time for sleep approaches, he will let his parents know about it.
One year old baby
The older the child, the more the intervals between sleep, games and meals are longer. In a year, the child must reach the regimen, according to which they are engaged in kindergarten, so that in the future it will be easier for him to walk and adapt in the kindergarten. But how to teach a child to a kindergarten regime? For a one-year-old baby, the optimal and correct daily routine will be the following:
- 8:00 - rise.
- 8:30 - breakfast.
- 10:00 - walk.
- 12:30 - lunch.
- 13: 00-16: 00 - daytime sleep.
- 16:30 - afternoon tea.
- 17: 00-18: 30 - a walk.
- 19:00 - dinner.
- 21:00 - a night's sleep.
Of course, there can be runs in an hour and a half, all individually, because such a schedule is approximate. Parents can edit it for themselves, based on the needs of the baby.
What if the child refuses to go to bed on time?
The whole family is already cocked, no one is sleeping, everyone is trying to put the child according to the regime at a certain time, but does he still? You can only blame yourself, especially if the baby is already more than a year old, and he is still not accustomed to the regimen, especially since it is absolutely necessary for the child’s body.
So how to teach a child to sleep? This must be done from the first month of life, as mentioned earlier. Follow certain rules in order to put the child to sleep according to the regimen. You can teach a child according to these rules only if you persistently and patiently observe them every day.
The first rule. Come up with a daily ritual before bedtime. It can be a glass of milk before bedtime or a fairy tale, song, etc. Soon, the baby’s body will develop a reflex: the song is a dream.
The second rule. No active bedtime games. If the baby is only a few weeks old, then it is easier to accustom him. The main thing is not to be nervous in the learning process, as the poor mood of the parents is very felt by the children.
The third rule. Do not break the mode. Do not be lazy even a day. If you have already decided that your child should be trained in the regime, then stick to it yourself to start. No one succeeds right away, but don't get upset. The main thing is not to miss the moment in the decree for the child of a certain regimen and the development of reflexes that prompt the infant body what it needs.
Key Secrets
What other secrets to use to teach a child to the regime?
- Since the appearance of the child in the house, it is worth every day at a certain time to bathe him in warm boiled water with decoctions of herbs.
- Do not change your child’s diet abruptly to avoid colic and stomach problems. Introduce new products gradually. This will prevent unforeseen situations that can disrupt the baby's mode and well-being.
- Do not play actively and let your baby stay awake before going to bed.
- Never be angry and restrain yourself, remember that children are also nervous if their parents are nervous, and moreover they will not go to bed on time.