Compliance with the daily routine is very important for the development of a healthy child from infancy to adolescence. From birth to one year, the child grows especially quickly, and the sleep, rest and nutrition regime changes several times a year. A young mother and other adults who take care of the baby, in addition to following the general recommendations and advice of a pediatrician, need to carefully monitor the child, take into account his individual needs and be sure to listen to their own intuition.
It is necessary to observe the daily regimen for children at any age, from infants to adolescents. The main feature of the daily routine of children under one year old is its variability, dependence on the schedule of sleep and feeding, which changes several times in the first year of a child's life.
In babies under one year old, especially in breastfed babies, the regimen can be flexible: the duration of sleep, the feeding time can shift by half an hour or an hour, if the child slept less during the day, he will sleep more in the evening or at night.
Due to the lack of precise rules for observing the daily regimen in children under one year old, inexperienced parents may not pay enough attention to this, which will adversely affect the child and complicate the life of the adults themselves. The baby gets used to a certain sequence of events, sleep, feedings, walks, and if this schedule is violated, it becomes restless, crying, and may lose appetite.
The daily routine and sleep of the child
In the first two months of life, babies mostly sleep, waking up for half an hour or an hour. They can sleep during the day and stay awake at night, at this time it is too early to talk about a strict routine.
Approximately at the age of two to three months, the first regime is established, when the baby sleeps 8-10 hours at night and 3-4 times during the day from 40 minutes to 3 hours. At about the age of four months, all babies are already sleeping almost all night and three times during the day. The transition to two daytime naps can occur at about 5-7 months, and the transition to one daytime sleep occurs at the age of 1-1.5 years.
The time of nighttime and daytime sleep for each baby is individual, but you need to carefully monitor so that in total the child sleeps enough. The "norm" of sleep for a newborn is 16-18 hours and by the year it decreases to 14-15 hours a day.
The daily routine of a child up to six months depends mainly on his need for sleep, very young children sleep most of the day, and adults should be very careful to ensure that the child gets enough sleep.
The dependence of the regime on the introduction of complementary foods. Walking
An important step in establishing the daily regimen is the introduction of complementary foods, which usually occurs at the age of 6 months, starting with one additional meal per day up to 3-4 times by 9 months. The kid gets used to the fact that in the middle of the day he receives something other than milk or formula, and is already waiting for this. At the age of 7-8 months, the baby is given porridge for the night, and the child gets used to it, after dinner he is satiated with porridge and sleeps better. In addition, evening feeding is included in the very necessary ritual for the child to go to sleep at night.
An important part is the walk, children usually sleep on the street for up to six months, and the walk is tied to one or more daytime dreams. Closer to the year, children begin to learn about the world, after an active walk, the child's appetite improves, it is easier for him to fall asleep. Daily walks should take place at about the same time.
Starting from the age of 6 months, the child's day regimen, in addition to sleep, depends on the time of the introduction of complementary foods and active walks.
Young children are very sensitive to all changes, the predictability of events and a stable daily routine give them a sense of the safety and reliability of the world around them. The daily routine is absolutely necessary for the child to grow up healthy, calm and inquisitive.
