Wee Bud is five and a half months old now. Our lives were changed when we put her on a schedule. We are not fanatic about it but, my goodness, it has been a life saver! Wee Bud responded to it almost immediately and became happier day and night. She was sleeping through the night within a week. It was almost as if she were wanting some amount of predictability and when we gave it to her she was delighted. Having been a nanny for years, I was used to parents telling me their child's schedule. It was easy for me to keep the child on that schedule. Once we had Wee Bud though, I found myself wondering, who gives me the schedule? I had no idea.
I voiced this to my friend, who I happened to have nannied for in the past, and she looked at me with astonishment and something like amusement. "You are the parent now," she told me. "You set the schedule."
This simple obvious truth revolutionized my approach to Wee Bud.
I was no longer the nanny. I was the parent. I knew how to care for children. I now have the additional task of training them.
We put Wee Bud on the schedule. Within a week, we allowed her to cry herself to sleep. (That was a torturous night with divine benefits that I will have to address in another post.)
With having a schedule, our child is happier. We are happier. Our home is happier.
I feel like I am required to put something in here like "every child/parent/home is different." And you already know that to be true. But just because everyone has different cars and driving styles doesn't mean that basic road rules are different for everybody. Just something to consider.
Ah, she's awake.
