Establishing a Good Morning Routine for Your Baby with Bepanthen
Ever since we were children, our mothers have banged on about us abiding by a disciplined daily routine. And try as we may, we listened, but never really truly understood what she meant until after we had children of our own.
Why is a Routine So Important?
Every parent parents differently - we would be boring if we were all the same! However, routine is one thing we should firmly stick to. Establishing a bedtime routine from about 6-8 weeks old is ideal, and will contribute to your children being both self-settling and reasonably good sleepers.
A routine is safe and secure. It is comforting. Babies know what is coming next, and there are not any nasty surprises. If they feel like this, they will get settled at night or stay happy during the daytime. Of course, you should never strive to push the same routine on a very unhappy, distressed baby who needs comfort or in the very early newborn days, but the time comes when they are ready.
Your Morning Routine
The same principles of your children's bedtime routine should also apply during the morning. It is advisable to practice a routine that is similar each day, or you would never be able to leave your house!
1. The first thing you should do is change your child's nappy.
By the morning, your child would have had his or her nappy on for more than 10 hours, so it will most likely be full and heavy. As it has been on for such a long time, your baby might need extra protection against the effects of nappy rash.
To protect your baby’s sensitive skin, try using Bepanthen Baby at bedtime. Bepanthen Baby forms a protective flexible barrier for up to 10 hours1 which is known to protect your baby's skin right through the night . This keeps your baby comfortable throughout the night and makes sure they wake up with a smile.
Apply Bepanthen Baby first thing in the morning too. It is hypoallergenic, free from colourant, fragrance, and preservatives, making it the ideal nappy ointment to include in your daily routine. In fact, 9 in 10 moms agree that Bepanthen is suitable for every nappy care2
SOURCES:
1. Flexing-cracking study
Reference:
Internal report Oct-2018 -In vitro flexibility test with bioskinsubstrate (n=10) -Optimised visual assessment. *Bepanthen Ointment cosmetics status UI:1600198 ** individual response may vary
2. Consumer Satisfaction Survey conducted by IQVIA in 2019, with 300 mums in Thailand, with at least one baby aged 6-12 months old. 150 mums are frequent users of Bepanthen® Ointment (every diaper change or at least 4x/day) while the other 150 mums are using it as-needed. Results derived are based on the proportion of mums who strongly agree with the stated statements. A 5-point scale was employed in all questions.
2. Breakfast
After you have ensured that your child's bottom is clean and protected, food is on the agenda. A fruit bowl, cereal mix or scrambled eggs are recommended as they easy to prepare and can sustain your child's energy levels for the first half of their day.
3. Daddy time
Having a spouse who shares the responsibility of taking care of the children's early morning needs is important, as it give you the time to nip to the gym, or to complete a few tasks before your other half starts work.
4. Getting dressed
Having your children play or hang around with each other while you and your other half get dressed for work. You can also opt to alternate between giving attention to your children or leaving them to their own devices, which will help them learn how to entertain themselves.
The safety of your children is important, especially when it comes to them discovering items that they can put in their mouth. As such, it is important to keep your young children with you while you get ready for work. Alternatively, you can also choose to reapply some nappy ointment onto your children's bottom when changing their nappies.
5. Nap time
At some point during your day, your children may want to take a short nap. If you are heading out, your children will most likely fall asleep in the car. But if you are having a day in, you can put your children in a cot and they will most certainly fall asleep by themselves. Alas, this will initially some getting used to, but if you are able to identify the visual cues, which include rubbing their eyes or ears, and yawning, you can get them to sleep before the yelling begins!
A routine can seem a bit tedious sometimes, but breaking it is even worse! You will pay with a tired, confused, cranky child if you let it go for a few days, BUT overall it is worth persevering with and achieving one that works for you and your baby.
I truly believe following a routine results in a happy, secure child who is comforted by knowing what is coming next and what is expected of them. This makes life much easier for everyone!
A Few Routine Top Tips
- It can feel a bit like banging your head against a brick wall, but do the same thing each morning and eventually your baby will recognize what is happening and be ready for the next activity on the agenda.
- Don’t put too much pressure on yourself if it doesn’t work out one day. There is no pressure to be anywhere, and you can always start again the next day.
- Try and stay as relaxed and chilled as you can (especially with a small baby), as they will eventually pick up on the routine cues.
Bepanthen covers all the elements of family life, from motherhood right up to fitness.
