Another thing you should now and be prepared to, is that toddlers as any of us, changing their routine in agreement with their new needs. This means you should be prepared, time from time, to adapt to a new routine depending on the development stage they are.
For example; when you have a newborn, she only need sleep and milk in the first 4 or 6 months, so, you can conclude, it is not you who decides how much milk or how often they will feed. Each child need different amount and establishing their feeding routine. Some babies will need feed every hour while others every 4 hours and so on.
When your baby starts to weaning you will have a little be more chance to fix a routine that suits you both by structuring three solids meal a day.
By 12 months, she will be eating 3 meals a day and snacks between the meals instead of milk. She will also, be taking one or two long nap a day instead regular catnaps.
If you have put your child in a routine and everything is going fine until before bedtime and then everything gets chaotic, baby starts to crying don't wants to go to bed etc. You should first ask yourself the three more important questions;
1) Is she wet?
2) Is she hungry?
3) Is she hot or cold?
Those are the most important questions after of course, you know that you baby is not ill. It is simple, if your baby played nice during the day and by bedtime is not showing any signing of cold or flu, she is just missing some kind of comfort or wants to get the attention, or go to your bed etc. Teething also can be disturbing for a child sleeping pattern because teeth tending to grows and be painful at night. Give your child a cuddle and some pain killer will do instead put her into your bed.
Babies and toddlers are very clever to get what they want. Through the life, while they grow they get even better in this art and all of these behaviours will come up easily or difficult depending on how you do take care with them while they still young. For these reason, most of the child advisor recommend that you shouldn't teach your child to get depending on anything, any external behaviours before go to bed. This can be; bedtime stories, toys on bed, massage, milk or other especial treat. If is time to bed you should put your child on bed and she should fall sleep naturally, by herself in her on room.
In case you had started any comfort and wants to switch to the natural sleep, there are a lots of Technic you can use to create a routine for your child. Controlled crying and gradual retreat are some examples.
If you are expecting a second baby, sticking your tod's routine can help her to adjust to having a new sibling, because routines can combine your first child need for stability with your new baby's demands. Also, a new baby on routine can help you to get your older one to nursery on time etc. as I said before, it can be challenging in the first 4 months but once you newborn has a regular nap routine, you will get some one-to-one time with your older child and eventually for yourself.
When your child starting nursery or preschool her routine will change again and again it can be a hard time. A good nursery will have some settling-in sessions and this can give the nursery a chance to observe her routine and help her adapt to any changes. If they are good they will try to change the minimum, respecting the basics in your child routine. Sense you know what need to be change in order of your child to socialize better and the last word still be yours, some of the changes can even being for better.
Meanly you should know that if she gets the right amount of sleep, food and stimulation during the day, she should sleep through the night.
