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This is our typical schedule for our ten month old baby. They get to be with momma all day. Mom goes to work part of the day as a nanny and baby gets to come along.
Because of this unique situation this schedule is a hybrid of a working mom and stay at home mom.
We have to be flexible at times to accommodate our work schedule. Baby is still being breastfed while also eating solids. They take two real naps a day with the occasional car nap and sleep through the night.
Keep in mind that your baby will not have the same lifestyle as us. It can be helpful to compare schedules but don’t try to force something new on your little one.
Let’s get started with the day!
7:30-8:00 am – Wake Up & Nurse
We start the morning off by nursing. We typically do so out in the living room. The bedroom right now is primarily for sleeping and we want them to view it that way. After eating they spend a little time with daddy before he heads to work.
9:30 am – Breakfast Solid Food
Breakfast typically consists of fruit. We are working on continuing to add new foods but that’s typically what we start our morning with. We always eats breakfast in pajamas. I prefer it this way so they don’t immediately ruin their outfit for the day.
10-10:30 am – Nurse and First Nap
Depending on what time they wake up and how they are feeling will determine when nap time happens. It will fall sometime between 10 and 10:30. Nursing only takes about 7 minutes so I don’t have to allow much time to get that in before putting them down. On a perfect day, they nap for 90 minutes. Often times they will only do 45 minutes…which stinks. Momma needs her breaks.
11-12:00 pm – Wake Up
At some point in this range baby is waking up from their nap. I wish I had a bit more of a precise schedule, but this is what I am currently working with.
Once they are up we do a diaper change and get dressed for the day.
We then hit the road and I head to work where I nanny.
12:30-6 pm – Work Time
(I’ll fill in what we do during work)
1:00 pm – Lunch of Solid Foods
We recently dropped the midday nursing session. It has not been too challenging. I try to keep them busy and moving from thing to thing. I also never sit with them in an area that we nurse like the couch.
1-2:00 pm – Work
Now we are at work getting things done such as the laundry. The kids I nanny for are in school.
2:20-3:20 pm – Carpool
At this point I load up the baby and go pick up the kids from school and get them back home. I do my absolute best to keep the baby awake. Car naps are our downfall.
3:30 pm – Nurse and Second Nap
The goal again is 90 minutes but it NEVER happens. They always wakes up at 45 minutes…so sad. My baby does not excel at napping.
5:00 pm – Snack/Early Dinner
We will eat food if we plan on working a bit longer. If it is a short day we will just wait until we get home.
5:30 pm – Nurse 4th Time
If it is a short day this nursing session may be done at home, otherwise it will be at work. If it is at home it will usually get pushed to more like 6 pm because of our drive time to get home.
6:00 pm – Head Home
I typically get off work around this time and head home. Some days it could be earlier or later.
Our drive home is 30-45 minutes depending on traffic. The baby often falls asleep which is not great, but at this point, they need it because of the crappy naps. The important thing it is doesn’t affect our night time routine.
6:30 pm – Arrive Home
Daddy is home when we arrive so he takes over playing unless they are due to nurse.
I start making dinner while the baby gets playtime with daddy. Believe it or not, I find cooking without a baby at my feet relaxing.
7:00 pm – Dinner
I try to get dinner on the table asap because our evening always seems to go so quickly. We all eat together. We try to the baby in what we are eating if it is safe for them to have.
We have been enjoying giving our silicone bibs a try with the introduction of food. We love these silicone bibs. They are easy to wipe down and do not add to the endless pile of laundry like cloth bibs would do.
Update: Our child is now 2.5 years old! Time flies! We still have the same two silicone bibs and they are going strong. The only thing to add is now with their hair growing we have to be careful not to pull it in the clasp.
After dinner, it’s more play time as a family and particularly with daddy. I usually clean up dinner and give him time with the baby again and I get a break from mommy duty.
Doing adult tasks without the baby “helping” truly is a break. My husband offers to help, but I send him out of the kitchen to keep them occupied.
7/7:15 pm – Bath Time
Bath time is not every day. We only do it on certain nights which are ones where we get off work early so there is more time available. Daddy is in charge of bath time. Because I am a breastfeeding momma I’ve been in charge of feeding and bedtime for a pretty large chunk of their life. My husband has always been able to bathe them so that quickly became his responsibility.
Bath time is not necessarily part of the bedtime routine. They don’t need a bath nor do they take one every night. On the nights they do get a bath we put it on the front end of the bedtime routine.
If you need help in the bath time department check out my 10 Simple but Effective Tips for a Fun and Stress-Free Baby Bath Time.
7:30-8 pm – Nurse & Bed Time
Our bedtime routine is short and sweet. Our baby hits the bed between 7:30 and 8. I take them to their room sometime with and sometimes without my husband. They pick out their pajamas. We turn on the sound machine. They get a diaper change, rubbed down with lotion, and into their pajamas. We say goodnight to daddy and he heads out.
Check out my article on Money Saving Baby Items Swaps that are Simple and Effective. Our sound machine tip is included.
They are then nursed in the dark. They get the pacifier, a quick burp while I’m standing holding them. Then I walk over to the crib put them down and leave immediately. This is just what we do. It works and we have no desire to mess up what is working.
8:00 pm – Done!
By this time I am 100% out of the room. In my world, 8 pm means adult time!
If you are interested in creating your baby’s daily schedule subscribe to my email list and I will send you a PDF of the schedule included in this article as well as a blank template you can tailor to your lifestyle and current routine.
Sleeping through the Night
Our 10 month old sleeps through the night every night except on the rare occasion which would be: a regression, teething, or possibly if we are somewhere other than home.
They do very well at sleeping at night. We are so thankful for this. A good night’s sleep is best for everyone in my opinion.
When they wake up for those various reasons I used to always go in and nurse them. I am working on getting away from this as we are approaching their first birthday and I am ready to start weaning. If you are interested in tips related to weaning check out my article How to Stop Breastfeeding a Gently Wean your Baby.
We now go in and rock only. And by rocking I don’t mean we have a chair in the room. We basically just hold them in our arms for five minutes. Typically they are good at this point. If not we will try again and if we hit a point of desperation I will nurse them. Nursing always works for us.
Naps
Naps have been the struggle of my parenthood journey. I have tried and tried and tried to find the perfect schedule for them at various ages.
A huge blessing is that they get to go to work with me, but I think it has done a number on their naps.
See our baby was born in January of 2020. Their first year of life has been a rollercoaster. In the spring the kids’ school went virtual which changed our routine. Then summer came which was a completely different schedule. Then back to school and then here soon we are back to virtual. To say it has been challenging is an understatement.
But it is hard to complain when you can be with your child, bring home an income, and avoid paying for daycare. We will see what the future holds.
What I Could do Better or Differently?
I wish so badly I could get my 10 month old to take longer naps. I know sleep is important. What I am learning is that I have to keep them awake for car rides. The more they nap in the car the less they nap in the bed. I am going to continue giving them new toys to hold during car rides and taking away the pacifier.
Tips
A huge tip I want to share is to stop looking at advice for where you currently are. If your baby is 10 months old and you are reading this move on. Start looking up schedules for 11 and 12 months old.
Look into the future of what you should be preparing them for. Ease them into upcoming changes.
And finally don’t stress the schedule too much. Find what makes your baby happy.
Check Out My Articles
Raising a Happy and Healthy Baby: Our 10-Month-Old’s Daily Food Routine
Simple and Delicious Meal and Snack Ideas for Your 12-Month-Old
The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Best Gifts for a One Year Old
How to Best Shop for Baby’s First Christmas
Create Familiar Faces Cards and See the Many Ways Your Child Benefits
