Tue 26 Jan 2010
Do you stick with a schedule when it comes to parenting or do you just sort of go with the flow? Do your children vary in their needs with one needing a schedule and the other being a free spirit?
I am a schedule parent. Maya needs a schedule, especially for sleeping. From day one it was very obvious that she was not a sleep anywhere kind of baby. She slept best when she went down at the same time and in the same place. To this day she still requires a schedule in order to sleep well. If we let her I think she would stay awake forever.
When Maya was really little we were able to get her to sleep, occasionally, in her stroller or in her carseat. Nowadays she will only sleep in her bed. She rarely falls asleep in the car and never falls asleep in her stroller. Even on our big, long 12 hour drive up north for Christmas Maya only slept for about an hour because she just doesn’t sleep well in the car.
Since Maya has always been a schedule baby I’ve always been a schedule parent. Very early on we set into a routine that worked well for her and made sure she got the sleep she needed, when she needed it. As she has grown up we have adjusted the schedule to meet her changing needs. Today we’ve got a pretty good toddler schedule going that works well for her. I sometimes wish she was more go with the flow and would sleep on the go better, but I’m fine with being home when it is bed or nap time and sticking with a schedule that works for her.
Some parents are schedule parents and some are go with the flow parents. Neither way is better than the other. It all boils down to what works best for you child and your family. You are best able to read your baby’s needs. You’ll know pretty early on if you have the type of child that will sleep anywhere, anytime or if you have a child that needs to be in her crib at the same time every day in order to the sleep she needs. Setting a schedule that works well for your baby will come easily.
So, again I ask, are you a schedule parent or a go with the flow parent?
Care to comment
The only thing we are really scheduled on is bedtime. She goes down @ 7:30 unless it’s a special occasion (like when my mom flew in to visit – we took her to airport with us). She gets up at roughly the same time each morning, simply because she has to so I can get to work. On the weekends, we let her sleep in. Usually she’s up by 8 or 8:30. Other than that we pretty much go with the flow. But she’s an unusually good kid, even for a toddler. We just flat lucked out.
with both our girls we were go with the flow parents. and the kids totally responded to that. there was no way in hell we were going to get away with a schedule. lol