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Am I worrying about routine too much??...

Hi ladies im relatively new to posting, just wondering what your opinions are.

I have a gorgeous 4 month old daughter who has a fairly good bedtime routine which involves bath bottle and bed.

Quite often we get invited out to friends for dinner or round to their houses for an evening but I usually end up declining coz I dont want to unsettle little one?

What do you ladies do? Am I doing the right thing by just waiting till she is older before going out more?

Thanks

Replies

  • im the same as you. i panic if im not following the routine!!!!

    depends how often it happens. sometimes like if we've been out for the day, ive just got to go with flow and jessica has been fine.

    i think babies are more adaptable then we think.

    maybe just pick and choose your nights out you want to go out to.
  • im the same as you. i panic if im not following the routine!!!!

    depends how often it happens. sometimes like if we've been out for the day, ive just got to go with flow and jessica has been fine.

    i think babies are more adaptable then we think.

    maybe just pick and choose your nights out you want to go out to.
  • Ive often thought this myself and do tend to stay at home rather than mess the routine, however about once a week my lo goes to her nans till late and she still always settles fine.

    I think routine is good but flexibilty too, if you wanna go to dinner do it ! I'm sure lo will be just fine, its not like you do it every night !
  • We often take the travel cot and park Al in a different room - he's usually pretty good and if he won't sleep he just joins the party and we don't stay out too late!
  • I don't think once in a while will hurt hon - if we have friends around for the evening I tend to let LO stay up if she knows them and she has come out to other friends' houses with us on occasion, and has slipped back into her routine without a problem the next night.

    As long as you're consistent generally, I don't think you need to deprive yourself of a good night's company every time - don't forget, you're not 'just' a mum, fab as that is!

    Hannah xx
  • I think you're right to have a good solid routine, but I would build some flexibility in as well. If you go round to a friends you could possibly bath lo at theirs, give the bottle, get her into her pjs and then put into the car seat, or down in a quiet corer until you are ready to go? Or just do the routine a little later when you get home?

    My lo is 13 months and although we have a strong routine she is fine if we're out till later etc. But I guess it depends a lot on the baby- you won't know how she is until you try!
  • I think that routine is good but as the others have said you need to be flexiable sometimes too! Ashton has a set routine for bedtime but on the couple of occassions that we have been out till late he doesn't bother him. I think as long as the routine is well established you should be fine. xxx
  • I'm really really reluctant to let LO dictate what I do and don't do. We've had a good routine in place since 6 months, an uninforced routine which LO fell into naturally. I swear by this method (though I know it's not the only way) as my LO is now very adaptable if we do something out of the ordinary, yet can be relied on to stick to her routine on a "normal" day.

    I'm not saying you're doing the "wrong" thing at all by declining invitations cos I know different things work for different people! But I agree totally with stsarina when she says that general consistency is what's important, and would myself go so far as to say that even more important is that your LO learns flexibility.
  • Aww thats great girls thanks for all your replies. My little one fell into her routine pretty much by herself too, but I understand that I shouldnt let her routine domnate every aspect of our lives. Thanks again girls x
  • I pretty much agree with PinkToothbrush, I think flexibility is important. Babies do need consistency, but if they have this and are settled they should be able to cope with bnreaks in routine from time to time - I was determined my LO would not be a baby who could only sleep in his cot, he needs to be able to nap in his car seat or pushchair too or we'd never leave the house! If you've been invited to a friend's house, and they don;t mind you taking LO, I'd go - like someone suggested, take PJs and milk so you can get them ready for bed, let them keep going as long as they like and put them in buggy (or travel cot if you can take one) to sleep if they need to, if ready for bed you can put them straight down when you get in. We do this occasionally at my mum's and LO is always fine going back into his usual routine - it he wonlt settle and is getting upset though, obviously we do come home!
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