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Tuesday, January 6, 2009

let's see how this goes.

I like to talk to moms a lot about scheduling their kids, etc. because I think it is one of the most important things in survival for babies & toddlers. It makes your life easier & there's too if they are in a place where they really thrive. Our schedule is usually based about 50% around our ease and 50% around their needs and this week, we've had a major shift in that balance. This is what our old schedule looked like:

8:00 approx. wake up
10:30am Glory nap, Elias reading/quiet time
12pm both babies lunch & play
2:30pm Glory & Elias nap
6:oo/6:30pm bedtime

This schedule was pretty convenient for me & it worked for them ok, but lately they started to have some little symptoms of things not completely working out for them. Like, they started waking up at 6am instead of 8am. Also, Glory started getting psychotically fussy for like an hour before naps & by noon, Elias was laying his head down in his lunch plate. We needed a change.

So, we're two days into a new schedule that is amazingly good for them and pretty inconvenient for me. It looks like this:

7am approx. wakeup
10am Glory nap/Elias & mommy 1-1 time
12pm both baby lunch & playtime
1pm Elias nap/Glory 1-1 time
3pm Glory nap/Elias 1-1 time
5pm dinner/whole family time
6:30 bedtime

They've both been way happier & it has been such a delight to have time alone with them. Elias can truly play with his toys and do a lot more one on one learning, and Glory can really play with me. It just looks like they're learning more and liking life a whole lot more. However, I have literally no time without a baby to watch. It's A LOT easier to watch just one at a time for the most part though & I can get a ton of stuff done, but there is no true rest or away time.

So - we'll see how it goes.
I'm going to give it a few more days to see if the pay off is worth it. There will be atleast two or so days a week we'd have to modify, but for our "at-home" days, I think it will work pretty well.

Any other scheduling tips, mamas?

5 comments:

Annie said...

Sorry all I can focus on is that they go to bed at 6:30, that's awesome! James doesn't usually hit the hay until about 8:00 and lately he's been trying to push that to 8:30. You're a great Mommy, by the way, and I am learning a lot just by reading your blog.

Rachel said...

My top priority has always been as much simultaneous sleep time as possible. Now that they are on the same exact schedule 1-1 time is limited but we do what we can. The biggest thing is your kids are happy and well rested and you are happy and well rested. And I think you are totally right, looking after one at the time is much easier and still gives you the ability to get things done. Sounds to me that you are making the right changes for this stage.

Oh, btw, since you are a month ahead of me I am totally looking to you for how to go from 2 to 3. :)

Amy said...

Since I work, Wes schedule is wack. If I told you the actual times we go to sleep and wake up, you'd probably be horrified. And weekends... you don't even want to know! We could be categorized as sloths up until 11 am. Seriously. I always make sure Wes gets enough sleep to be rested and healthy, but as for set times, hah... yeah right.

michelle said...

i think you and have the same struggle right now. i'm not finding that i have enough time without small children in my midst, either. except the days where they do nap at the same time. priceless.

you just have to make small shifts and adjustments to get them onto the schedule you want. i think it just takes a little time, but is quite possible.

i have to agree, 6:30 bed time is impressive. right now i'm still shifting...elias is now asleep by 8 and piper is usually fed and down by 9. i want her in bed earlier, though, so i'm going to start waking her up earlier in the morning. crazy, right?

i'm over it. mommys need a break!

kellybollman said...

yeah... i'm pretty much shocked that they go to bed at 6:30 too.

I think.... geez it's been forever, that I put mine down at 7:30 and they would sleep until 8ish - once upon a time. Sounds like u've got a plan. But... I would recommend a nap for you while Elias watches some ultra-educational tv show. hehe - but seriously...
you're a wonderful mommy
love you!