Building Your Daily Routines with an Infant

Because I have a newborn right now, my daily routines are based around his feeding cycles. This means that things go roughly in 3 hour cycles, though sometimes 2-2.5 hour cycles and that's okay. Either way this routine works because it is based around the baby's feeding needs and yet still allows for the rest of the family's normal routines to be accomplished. Life with a newborn is a phase unto itself, requiring a completely different way of structuring your day than at other times.

My goal for the early morning is to get everyone up, fed, dressed, and ready to start the day. Early morning starts at 7:00am for me, but other than that it's more of a routine (a flow of events) rather than a schedule (set times for events).

Each set of to-do items is listed loosely by where they take place. I find it most efficient and natural to move from one room to another as I complete these tasks. So I start out in the nursery feeding and caring for the baby, move on to the master bedroom to get dressed, then the bathroom, and finally the kitchen where my husband, 2.5 year old Tobias, and I can all eat breakfast together. After breakfast my husband goes to work while I take Tobias upstairs to get him ready for the day.

Early Morning Routine: 7:00am

1. Nurse Gizmo, change diaper, dress him for the day, put down for Nap #1
2. Get dressed, make bed, tidy bedroom
3. Brush teeth, put on make-up, wipe down bathroom sink
   
4. Eat breakfast, wipe down kitchen table, unload dishwasher
5. Bring T-rex to potty, brush his teeth, dress him, tidy bedroom, and start Roomtime

Here is where I take a bit of a break to check e-mail, browse a few blogs, and manage bills and online accounts.

Late Morning Routine: 10:00am

1. Nurse Gizmo, change diaper, free play in living room, put down for Nap #2
2. Outside Time
   
3. Table Time (Littlest Learners curriculum, practice Bob books, or play with learning toys/coloring)
4. Put T-rex on potty
   
5. Prep Lunch while T-rexwatches a video
6. Eat Lunch

Early Afternoon Routine: 12:00pm

1. Nurse Gizmo, change diaper, swing, put down for Nap #3
2. Storytime
   
3. Put T-rex on potty, then down for Nap
   

Late Afternoon Routine: 3:00pm

1. Nurse Gizmo, change diaper, free play in living room, put down for Nap #4
2. Set out afternoon snack
3. Wake T-rex, put on potty
   
4. Eat Snack
5. Chores
   
6. Prep Dinner
   
7. Eat Dinner
   

Evening Routine: 6:00pm

1. Me-Nurse Gizmo, change diaper, daddy time, bath, nurse, put down for Bedtime by 7:30pm
2. Kyle-Bathe T-rex, put on potty, change into pajamas, storytime
   
3. Put T-rex to bed by 8:00pm