Child's daily routine at 3 years old: daily routine, nutrition and sleep by the hour until 4 years old

What is the daily routine for a three-year-old child? This is a convenient and correct order of actions during the day, the rhythm in which the child spends his day. This mode includes the time when it is time to go to bed and wake up. Time to eat and time to play. And, of course, walks in the fresh air. This order has a positive effect on the physical development and emotional state of the baby. A proper daily routine helps a child overcome the crisis of three years of age. Although it also happens that it can occur earlier than three years old or, conversely, a little later.

How to ensure your child sleeps soundly?

1. A child needs to sleep a certain number of hours a day.
So, a baby needs about 18-20 hours of sleep per day, and a grown-up child already needs about 14 hours of rest day and night. Focus on the table norms - they will let you understand how to adjust the regimen taking into account the age and individual characteristics of the baby. 2. Children are easily overtired and difficult to calm down if they are overstimulated. What we often forget. The younger the child, the less time he can stay awake without accumulating fatigue.

In this case, it is important to watch for signs of tiredness in your child and spend the last hour before bed in quiet games that will slow him down. Working with fine motor skills will help here: (deleting the word will do) playing with different fabrics, sorting through cereals or beads (under the supervision of an adult), modeling, finger painting

Don't forget about the bedtime ritual, which sets the mood for rest and helps the baby relax.

3. Children react strongly to external stimuli, especially light and noise.

Therefore, it is important to create suitable conditions for rest, starting from birth.

If it is light in the nursery, it will be difficult for the child to fall asleep. Here's why: the hormone melatonin, which affects how we sleep, is produced only in the dark. However, it is easily destroyed under the influence of light, especially the blue spectrum. If the baby sleeps in the light day and night, this greatly reduces the quality of his sleep and the production of melatonin decreases. If the light hits the baby, it passes through the fontanel directly to the brain and destroys the already accumulated melatonin

Therefore, it is important to keep the room dark even in the morning.

Also, in the light, the child will be distracted by the objects around him, and not tune in to rest.

How to create the right atmosphere:

• Darken the room with dark curtains and make sure there is no light coming from electrical appliances.
• Is it worth creating silence? The best option would be to use white noise, which will drown out extraneous household sounds when the child is sleeping. White noise is not addictive and is a positive association for falling asleep.

4. The biological rhythms of children work differently than those of adults. For children, it is physiological to go to bed at night between 18.00 and 20.00 and get up no later than 7 am. This mode allows the baby to get the necessary amount of quality night sleep, since the first half of the night sleep occurs mainly in the deep phase. During this period, active restoration of the body occurs. Early placement is possible from 4 months until school age.

5. It is easier for a child to live according to a schedule. Following a daily routine gives your baby a sense of predictability and clarity throughout the day. It is easier to put a routine child to bed, since his internal clock is set to sleep at a certain time. You also shouldn't skip naps in hopes that your baby will sleep better at night. In the absence of daytime rest, the baby will have a harder time going into the night and will sleep restlessly due to overwork.

6. Getting up at night is the norm. In the first months of life, frequent awakenings of a newborn baby are due to physiology.

But as they grow older, sleep becomes more consolidated and by the age of one year the child is already able to sleep all night without waking up. More precisely, the child will wake up between sleep cycles, but will fall back asleep after a couple of minutes. Provided that he knows how to do it on his own. Babies who do not have this basic skill (and it is acquired, like the ability to attach to the breast, chew and walk) need outside help to prolong sleep. These “helpers” are motion sickness, breasts, bottles, pacifiers, and mother’s presence nearby.

7. Positive sleep associations make it easier to fall asleep. Turning on white noise, using a favorite toy, sleeping in a sleeping bag, and having a bedtime and wake-up ritual can help when working on your child's sleep.

8. The child must have a permanent sleeping place. It's best if it's a crib. There should be nothing in it except a thick mattress with a sheet with an elastic band. A baby does not need a pillow and a blanket in the first year of life - it is better to use a baby sleeping bag. The soft toy can be placed in the crib after six months.

9. The mother’s condition is easily transmitted to the child. If you help your baby calm down, calm down yourself. Children easily read our emotions with the help of mirror neurons, which actively work in them in the first years of life.

Include cuddles in your pre-bed ritual. By hugging your baby, you stimulate his peripheral nervous system and calm him down.

Check the table to ensure that you are using sleep aids and avoiding sleep disrupters:

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How to create a daily routine for a child

Once you have established a wake-up time, determine what time your child will always eat. Nutrition helps adjust your biological clock. If your child attends school or daycare, schedule meals at home at the same time as they eat there to ensure a consistent eating pattern.

Nutritionists recommend six small meals throughout the day for children, each of which includes some protein, carbohydrates, fat, and fruits and vegetables. These meals should be spaced two and a half to three hours apart. Therefore, if a child has breakfast at 7:00, the second breakfast should be at 9:30, and lunch at noon.

Include time for physical activity in your daily routine. It is best if, after waking up, a boy or girl can go outside and run in the morning sun. It is also necessary to set aside time for active games in the afternoon, towards evening. You should not move actively in the evening in the dark, especially under artificial lighting, which interferes with the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone that tells the body that it is time to sleep.

If your child is under five, set a nap time. Babies can be ready for their first nap within 45 minutes of waking up. Babies under the age of one and a half years often need two naps during the day. The first nap should begin 2.5-3 hours after waking up or four hours if the baby sleeps once a day.

For preschoolers, naps should usually begin about five hours after waking up. After lunch there is a natural drop in energy, so this is a good time for everyone to take a nap, even you. It is optimal if naps end no later than three to four o'clock in the afternoon (with the exception of infants, who need a short 30-minute rest around 17:00).

When planning your baby's nap, don't forget about yourself. It has been found that a short nap, maximum 20-30 minutes, not only improves concentration for the rest of the day, but also protects against heart disease.

Now set your bedtime. For example, if your preschooler wakes up at 7:00 a.m. and takes an hour and a half nap during the day, he should go to bed around 8:30 p.m. to cumulatively get the 12 hours of sleep he needs. If a school-age child gets up at seven in the morning, he should go to bed between eight and nine in the evening. Please note that this is the time of falling asleep, and not the beginning of getting ready for bed - that is, at eight or nine o'clock in the evening the child should already be in bed and asleep.

Finally, set a time to start getting ready for bed. All evening procedures and the process of falling asleep usually takes from 30 to 45 minutes.

Below are examples of daily routines for children of different ages and adults, taking into account different wake-up times.

Examples of daily routines for children

* The duration of recovery sleep is 20–30 minutes.

**Elementary school-aged children need approximately 11 hours of sleep, so set their bedtime to 8:00 p.m.

*** The onset of puberty shifts the melatonin production cycle to a later time. If possible, choose a school that starts at 8:30 a.m. or later so that your teen isn't forced to go to bed early when their body and brain aren't physiologically ready for sleep. Before going to bed, turn off all electronic devices and night lights, which can inhibit melatonin production.

Active games and activities

It is easy for a mother to understand at what time the baby is most active, prone to outdoor games, and at what time he is ready for intellectual activities and mental development. It is important to adjust the daily routine to the baby’s internal rhythms. For example, if a child is active in the first half of the day, this time should be used for physical education and games with peers. In this case, the time after afternoon tea should be reserved for reading, modeling, putting together puzzles, and intellectual games.

A three-year-old healthy child should spend at least 3 hours in the air. During bad weather and the baby has a cold, the time can be reduced to 10-30 minutes. In winter, you should not wrap your child up too much to ensure mobility during games. Walking will “wake up” your appetite and promote sound sleep.

Daily walks in the fresh air strengthen the baby’s body and promote healthy sleep.

Reasons why your child's sleep may be worse

Sleep disturbances at this age may be behavioral in nature. Let's look at what problems you may encounter.

The baby refuses one of his naps.

Most one-year-old children are not yet ready to switch to one nap, as their sleep needs are still high.

If one of the dreams does not take place, leave earlier in the night to prevent fatigue from accumulating.

If your baby doesn't fall asleep during his second nap, limit his morning nap to an hour. Or shift the start of your lunchtime nap to a slightly later time. This sleep does not need to be limited.

Baby learns new skills

The baby learns to walk, understands that he can get up in the crib by himself, holding on to the side, or actively begins to speak.

Sometimes a new skill becomes so exciting for a child that problems with sleep and behavior arise. For example, a child begins to experience separation anxiety, especially during bedtime. Or practice getting up in the crib instead of sleeping.

In this case, give your child the opportunity to practice the new skill while he is awake. In a week or two he will get used to it and his sleep will improve.

As a result, even many 12-month-old children often wake up at night, sleep short naps during the day, and fall asleep only with the obligatory presence of their mother.

Identify negative associations with sleep and teach your baby to relax and fall asleep on his own. If necessary, consult a pediatric sleep consultant.

The child does not sleep well due to unsuitable sleeping conditions

He is disturbed by too warm pajamas, high/low temperature in the room, insufficient darkness or humidity, an uncomfortable mattress in the crib, noise during sleep.

Review your sleeping conditions and change them if necessary.

The baby reacts to changes in the family.

Any deviations from the usual routine can affect a child’s sleep: the imminent arrival of a second baby, moving to a new house, the appearance of a nanny.

Prepare your child in advance for important changes in the family so that they do not upset the usual daily routine.

The child wakes up due to hunger.

This happens if the baby has not eaten enough during the day or his diet is not balanced. At this age, children are often distracted during feeding and may become malnourished. They are more interested in exploring everything around and playing with toys than sitting in a high chair.

Let's figure out how to establish an appropriate feeding schedule at 12 months.

Note to mom

If a three-year-old baby's sleep time decreases every day, this indicates insufficient physical activity. Outdoor games and sports are recommended. On the contrary, when a baby sleeps more than usual, this indicates physical fatigue and a lack of vitamins in the diet. In this case, you should introduce more quiet games into your daily plan and provide a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

It is important not to overload your child with a large amount of information when trying to raise a child prodigy. All abilities will manifest themselves in due time. In the meantime, the baby is developing and gaining strength. The right routine will help him grow up active, inquisitive, healthy, and discover a lot of new things every day in our wonderful world.

Pediatrician of the 2nd category, allergist-immunologist, graduated from the Belarusian State Medical University of the Federal Agency for Health and Social Development. Read more »

How to wean your baby off breastfeeding

Many children themselves refuse to breastfeed by the age of one, but there are also those who are ready to feed on breast milk until they are 2-3 years old. After a year, the composition of mother's milk no longer satisfies the needs of the child's body, so the child must be weaned from breastfeeding. To do this, you can use the following tips.

If your baby is breastfeeding before bed, you can try offering him a drink from a cup or sippy cup instead of milk. This can be formula for children over 1 year old, compote, kefir or liquid milk porridge. In the first weeks, the drink should be sweet, since mother's milk has a sweetish taste, and the baby may refuse unleavened drinks. Children who use the breast instead of a pacifier can be distracted by a fairy tale, rocking motion, or a song.

Even if the baby cries and demands the breast, it is important to wait at least 10-15 minutes. If the crying does not stop after this, you should feed the baby, but no more than 2-3 minutes, and try again the next day. The easiest way to wean yourself off morning breastfeeding is

When the baby wakes up, you should immediately offer him tea or give him a piece of biscuit (cracker), and then entice him to play. It is important not to overdo it with feeding, otherwise the child may refuse breakfast.

If your baby is not yet ready to wean, there is no need to rush. It's best to put it off for a few weeks and then try again.

Games for children 3 years old

The entertainment industry is rich in its diversity and offers a lot of games for three-year-old children. In general, games for a child are not just a way to spend time. While the baby is folding, for example, a construction set, he develops finger motor skills while he tries to grab small parts and stack them one on top of the other in the correct order. Coloring books instill taste and develop imagination. Plasticine is another great tool that, in addition to the above advantages, also develops diligence. Children can play games alone or with friends the same age or parents.

There are many educational online games on the computer for children 3 years old. Now is the time that you can’t live without a computer. And these games will not only educate and entertain the child, but also introduce him to the computer and its capabilities. Online games have many genres and directions; for example, logic games, coloring games, and fashion can be noted. The characters used in the games are cartoon characters known to children or just kids like them.

Diet at 2 years

How many times should a 2 year old child eat? Some doctors believe that four meals a day are enough: breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner. Others recommend adding a second breakfast to these meals. The guideline should be this: if the baby eats with appetite at lunch, then a second breakfast will not hurt.

Starting from about two years of age, children are characterized by greater selectivity in matters of food: food preferences are formed, favorite foods can become hated, and the menu is compiled only from a certain set of dishes. If the baby is active and cheerful, he has enough energy, this situation should not cause concern. But if there are any alarm bells or controversial issues, it is better to discuss this with your doctor. Pediatricians say that this attitude towards food is a temporary phenomenon, and if you don’t pay a lot of attention to it and don’t force the child to eat foods “necessary” for the parents, it will go away.

The age of two is characterized by a selective love for certain foods.

A few tricks will help you instill good eating habits:

• choose products in the store together with your child;
• let your baby “help” you prepare food: mix the salad or add the necessary ingredients to it;
• provide your baby with a “choice without choice”: instead of asking “Will you eat zucchini?” ask “Will you have zucchini or broccoli?”;
• decorate the dishes beautifully, because it is more interesting to eat, for example, a mushroom from an egg than just an egg;
• exclude small snacks like apples, cookies, juice, yogurt, etc. between main meals.

A child’s daily diet should include meat, fruits, vegetables, cereals, and dairy products. The optimal ratio is considered to be: for every 4 grams of carbohydrates there should be 1 gram of protein and fat.

1. Carbohydrates - cereals, vegetables, fruits, bread.
2. Proteins - meat (including poultry and offal), dairy products, fish, eggs.
3. Fats - butter and vegetable oils, fat from animal products.

It is important to adhere to such recommendations, but without fanaticism. It must be remembered that at about 2 years old a child enters the first age crisis.

He begins to realize himself as an individual and test the boundaries of his capabilities. Therefore, “I don’t want to!” and I will not!" most parents hear it very often. It is important to distract the child from such manifestations of “adulthood”, gently insisting on his own, because maintaining a diet is very important. Firstly, it allows the baby to get hungry at the right time. And secondly, the main daily routine and such an important component as daytime sleep depend on the feeding schedule.

Adaptation in a team

The schedule of a 3-4 year old child depends on the environment. Did mom go to work? Can I entrust the baby to my grandparents if I’m busy? Or do you have to look for a kindergarten or half-day group? When choosing a garden, you should focus not only on reviews and its reputation, but also on its close location to the house. This will help you not waste time traveling to the garden and avoid contact with people on transport.

When preparing your baby to visit the kindergarten, you should find out the institution’s schedule and adhere to it in advance, for 3-6 months before the start of the kindergarten and the mother goes to work. A new team is stressful for a child, but the regime will orient him in an unusual environment.

It is equally important to teach your child basic self-care skills:

• wash your hands and brush your teeth;
• go to the potty;
• be able to communicate with peers;
• eat carefully, do not throw food and bread around;
• put on outerwear, shoes and a hat without the help of adults.

How much should a 2 month old baby sleep?

Two-month-old babies' sleep is longer and more restful than a one-month-old baby's, but he still remains sensitive, since the duration of the deep sleep phase at this age is very short. The average nightly sleep time at this age is 8-10 hours

, if we consider night sleep to be the period from the last evening feeding (usually at 22-23 hours) to the first morning meal (about 5-6 am). Most babies stay awake for 30-40 minutes after their first feeding before falling asleep again.

During the day, the child also continues to rest a lot - an active increase in periods of wakefulness will begin from the beginning of the fourth month of life. At 2 months, the child should sleep 3 times during the day for 1.5-2 hours.

Some children sleep 2 times a day, but the duration of sleep can reach up to 3-3.5 hours. This option can be considered as a variant of the individual norm, but only if the child develops in accordance with generally accepted indicators. If a baby with this regimen becomes lethargic, capricious, eats poorly and shows no interest in the world around him, his regimen should be reconsidered and adjustments made, after consulting with a pediatrician.

What to do if your child does not sleep during the day

Difficulty falling asleep during the day, frequent waking up at night - all this may be a variant of the norm, since the sleep of children at this age in most phases is superficial. To help your child sleep more peacefully, you can use the following tips.

1. During sleep, the child should be protected from loud and unexpected sounds, since a child’s hearing becomes more acute at 2 months, and any sources of sharp sounds can wake him up.
2. Sleepwear should be made of 100% soft cotton. It is best to choose closed sleepsuits - they will help keep warm if the child opens up at night. If financial capabilities allow, it is better to choose clothes without internal seams.
3. The temperature in the room must comply with sanitary standards. For a two-month-old baby it ranges from +16° to 18°C.
4. Three hours before bedtime, you should not feed your baby so that he eats well at the last feeding and does not wake up at night from feeling hungry.
5. The light should also be dim. Some babies need to turn off the lights completely in order to sleep well through the night. Some people need to leave a dim night light. Parents need to observe the baby and note under what conditions he sleeps more calmly.

The cause of sleep disturbances at 2 months is very often painful intestinal spasms.

You can fight them with abdominal massage, dry heat and medications (“Baby-Calm”,).