Do you keep your kids on a routine or schedule?

We try to stick to a dayly routine when possible, trying to be strict with meal times and the time to get up and go to sleep. That way it is easier for us and easier for the baby. The baby learns more and eats better if there is a more or less fixed timetable. Without that it would be a complete mess for the parents as we anyway have obligations.

I absolutely agree with you. Especially in my case. I have 5 children with my youngest a toddler of 1&1/2 yrs old. At one point I was living without a daily routine and boy was that hectic. Without one there were nap times being missed(like mentioned)which resulted in crankiness,my older ones ere eating at different times which resulted in twice as many dishes and messes,etc the list could go on. Stability is a comfortable thing for a child I believe they need it.

I think schedules are good as long as you maintain some flexibility. Routines make children feel more comfortable and safe, because they know what to expect. If you are too rigid, though, it can be too confining and make children anxious.

When my son was a baby, I did have a schedule, but I also was willing to be flexible for times when he didn't want to eat at the usual time, or slept longer than usual, things like that. Now, at 22 months, we have a routine we follow, but it's not always at the same time. For example, we play outside, come in for lunch, then he takes his nap. Sometimes lunch is at 11 and nap is at 11:30. Other times lunch is at 12 and nap is at 12:30. It all depends on how the day is going and how early he got up that day.

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I did to a certain extent. I was never rigid about it though. There was a routine for naps and bedtime, but I was less strict about other daily goings on.

There are no absolutes in parenting. As long as a child is being cared for and loved then a parent is doing their job. You have your way of doing things and other parents have theirs.

Well, you know what? My parenting style was more like your friends. I figured they children, let them have freedom!! Well, there's a consequence to pay for this. As you said, when your kids aren't on some sort of schedule, life is chaotic for you. It seems like you never, ever get a break. I don't think that your friends children love her any less. But, speaking from experience, children should at least have a bedtime. It adds some normalcy to your life, and theirs. So, there's no need to feel bad about it.

True, I think both parents and kids get embarrased-we like watching the TV with the kids in the evening, but sometimes some of these soaps are very sexually explicitly, me i like interjecting some off topcs when such scenes appear-but truely, we all get embarrassed.

^_^ Well, my kids do perfectly well with routine and schedule..I would like to think that they do prefer to do things on schedule. Like when I'm just too busy with something, thay would even remind me about the scheduled task for the moment. It also works well with their homeworks. Even if they unexpectedly find some kids to play with after school, it's easier to call them to do their schoolwork, because they are already expecting that to happen after school. And I think they are more comfortable doing things which are scheduled or part of their routine.