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Before we jump into the importance of routine for your 8-month-old I want to give you a quick routine or day in the life. This is just so you know exactly where I am coming from when it comes to routine.
Quick Daily Routine
7:50 PM BEDTIME
7:50 AM WAKE UP – NURSE
PLAYTIME
9:15 AM SOLIDS Pureed fruit, soft butternut squash.
9:55 – 10:30 NAP
WAKE UP – Distraught. Grumpy mood. Very short nap.
10:40 AM NURSE
12:00 PM SOLIDS
1:00 PM NURSE
1:15 – 4:40 NAP
Such a long nap is not normal. I am wondering if they are getting sick. They definitely needed the sleep.
4:45 PM NURSE
6:00 PM SOLIDS
7:25 PM NURSE
7:50 PM BEDTIME
We recently go on this routine of nursing 5 times a day with 2 naps and typically about 3 times for solids. Occasionally we do 2 or 4 times for solids. It will vary with the day.
Setting Up Routines
When it comes to the naps, eating solids, and nursing it is very nice to have a simple routine or flow to the day. These routines evolve every couple of months because your baby is growing and changing.
As your baby continues to get older, they are constantly learning.
You can start creating routines that help them know what to expect throughout the day.
Around the 18-month mark some parents really struggle with communication and temper tantrums. I believe now is the time to start implementing routine and practices that can reduce or eliminate issues later. For example, take the time to have very consistent bedtime routines. The routines can slightly evolve over time, but the overall principle is the same. This helps prevent evening meltdowns in the future.
If you start incorporating basic sign language you can help keep communication open. Your future toddler will be more easily able to express their wants and needs. This again prevents melt downs.
These small routines, skills, and practices make for a better and happier home. Start working on them now slowly over time you will notice the benefit they serve.
Eating
The introduction of solids can be purees or finger foods. Typically, parents will do a combination of both.
When it comes to purees, I watch my baby’s body language. I do not force-feed them anything. They are truly interested. There is no need to play airplane or anything like that.
Some babies like food more than others and that’s ok.
We are just getting going with finger foods.
Everything You Need to Know About Introducing Solid Food to Your Baby
Playing
Playtime continues to get more and more interesting! You are likely starting to see more personality in your baby.
I will say some days we do a lot of independent floor time, while other days my 8-month-old wants to be held and cuddled a lot.
This means some days I get a lot done at home and other days I do not. And that is ok.
Keep your baby on their toes by switching up their toys. Rotate them each day or even throughout the day. If you run out of toys give them baby-safe household items. Like a plastic cup from the kitchen.
Take your baby to look in the bathroom mirror. Give them a tour of the whole house. Talk to them about everything that is happening around them.
Encourage playful talking and gabber back and forth.
Start playing little games like peek-a-boo.
You can also start doing small hand gestures like waving, blowing kisses, and incorporating basic sign language.
Naps for an 8-Month-Old
When it comes to naptime, we keep our routine very basic. Typically, it involves eating or nursing anywhere from 30 minutes to right before a nap. I never want my babies to wake up from a nap because they are hungry.
However, I learned with my first baby not to nurse to sleep. Nursing is not a part of our naptime routine.
Once baby is fed and seems to be getting tired, we head to their bedroom for a diaper change. Sometimes we do any outfit change too because the introduction to solids is a complete mess.
We get the sound machine going, pacifier in mouth, shut off the light and cuddle for about 1-2 minutes. I just slowly walk around the room, holding my baby on my shoulder.
When I am ready to put her down and leave I do so. I determine this by how tired she sees. Sometimes she gets squirmy like she wants to go down fast. Other day I savor a bit more of the sweet cuddles.
I put her down on her back in the crib and immediately leave the room closing the door behind me.
I will be honest we are in a rally good place with going down. She is able to do so pretty independently. I can get it done in under 5 minutes. This has taken time to master. It was a gradual process of putting her down more and more awake. I worked really hard to master the putting down “awake but drowsy.”
It took time, patience, and practice.
Around this time most babies are only doing 2 naps. In the ideal world, it would be about 90 minutes to 2 hours in the morning and afternoon.
We are not always perfect on naps due to my work schedule, but we do our best. Today I was off work, but it was a weird nap day. Nap #1 was way too short, and she woke up honestly really unhappy. Then nap #2 was long to make up for it. That nap was crazy long compared to our usual.
Night Sleep
We have recently gotten to the point of not waking up for nighttime feedings. At this age, babies are going to sleep 11-13 hours on average. Right now, we typically do right about 12-hour nights.
Our nighttime routine is very basic. We nurse about 10 minutes or so before. We do a diaper change and put on jammies. Sometimes we do lotion. Then we come out and say goodnight to Dad and big sister. We go into the bedroom, get the pacifier, turn on the sound machine, turn off the light, and cuddle. I do not rock or bounce my baby to sleep. I just cuddle and walk around a bit. I do not wait for them to fall asleep. We put down awake at this point.
As you can tell this is very similar to the nap time routine.
Conclusion
Get in sync with your baby. Start working on little skills to improve your daily routine and communication. Having your baby on a routine takes time and work, but it does pay off in the long run. I can’t get my baby down happily for a nap so very simple. I don’t deal with stress and anxiety every time a nap rolls around.
Mastering routines and understanding your baby better will help in the long run. I know it seems early, but it can really help.
Check Out My Articles
The Importance of a Daily Routine for Your Seven-Month-Old’s Development
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Milestone Moments: Tracking Your 9-Month-Old’s Growth and Development
