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@anandam: We never did. I let LO lead for the most part. I personally feel that if LO needs a schedule- he/she will let you know, will put themselves on one. I follow her cues when she is tired or hungry and help her get what she needs. We are pretty free spirits, and LO is too

LO is 9 months Tuesday. We have no schedule and he's the most laid back happy go lucky baby there is. Normally he goes to bed by 7/7:30 bc he showed is that's what he needs but if were out and he misses it I just babywear him and he's fine

Eta: he's in daycare 3 says per week no schedule there either. When he'd tired he sleeps, when's he's hungry he eats etc

@Bookish: This, exactly.

Until she was about 6 months, we were like @mrs.shinerbock: the schedule was based on previous wake times-- so I knew she'd get tired about 2 hours after whatever wake up. Now we have set nap times and bed times, but they are still flexible, depending on what we are doing that day, if she slept late or woke early, etc. She is pretty flexible, but I will admit I guard that morning nap and don't mess with it. It's the longer of the two naps and I don't make plans that interfere. Afternoon nap I'm looser with. I SAH with her so we figured out what works for us together.

So I LOVE schedules. Love. My kid? Does not. I made myself miserable in the early days trying to figure out a schedule that he would groove with. To this day, we rarely have the same wakeup time more than two days in a row. It's mellowed me, and with future LOs I will remember better that they are tiny humans with their own minds, not little programmable tamagotchis. Also, I think trying to schedule feedings with itty bitties is asking for trouble. Good luck!

For the first few months we didn't have a schedule at all, but after that one became necessary and somewhat formed on it's own. We never would have gotten L to sleep through the night if he didn't have a bedtime! It made a HUGE difference for him and improved his sleep by leaps and bounds. Even kids who don't need a bedtime generally need a bedtime routine - doesn't necessarily have to be the same person doing it, but in general they do wind down better if they have their bedtime cues where they know it's coming - drinking a bottle, reading a book, putting on PJs, singing a song, etc.

We didn't really have any set schedule until 6 months. Up until then, her naps and awake times kept changing. I kinda learned how long she could be awake for before a nap, but nap lengths were always different and morning awake times different so I just went with the flow. By 6 months though she consistently had a 7/730 bedtime and two naps. At 10 months, her naps are roughly around the same time of day, but it all still kinda depends on what time she wakes up in the morning. Plus if we need to go somewhere she adjusts to our schedule.

At the beginning, we never followed the clock or a strict schedule - we just aimed for the EASY method. Est activity sleep "you time". Good luck!!

We just passed 3 months and my son is starting to fall into his own routine. He's up between 630 and 730 most days, and down for a nap within 90 minutes of that. His longest awake time of the day is usually after that, he is up til about 11:30 or 12. He takes a short nap then (sometimes only 15-20 min, but it works for him), is awake for about an hour, then takes a long nap, and another short nap in the late afternoon, and is in bed by 715 most nights. We didn't force this on him at all but he's become remarkably consistent on his own! As long as I try to be home for his afternoon nap, the rest of the day is super flexible. We'll see how long it lasts!

@Mrs. Lion: this sounds a bit like us!

I think alot of babies and toddlers will naturally fall into some sort of consistent routine or pattern and will really thrive on having some sort of structure to their day. I had a sleep consult when A was 6-7 months and one of the best bits of advice that I was given was to try and stick to a consistent routine / schedule / whatever for at least four out of seven days.

I also think that particularly high needs children or those with more "sensitive" personalities and temperaments (I wasn't sure how to word that!) benefit from a consistent structure even more.

We've never had a schedule and DS is 21 months old. We have a routine but times vary. DS has always been flexible and we like that. It's worked for us. But I'm sure it also depends on your child's personality.

I should have added. this was in response to a newborn. Around 6 months he (finally) fell into somewhat of a natural rhythm at least in terms of relativity, i.e. second nap roughly 3 hours from first nap, etc. We've continued with a flexible schedule since then

We have a very loose schedule, meaning morning wake ups and bedtime is roughly the same. The rest of the time I just follow her cues for when she's hungry or tired. I really stressed myself out trying to get my first LO on a schedule, so I've taken a more hands off approach with Lo2.

We've never had the intention on putting LO on a schedule. To this day (he is 14m) we still go with the flow a lot. He definitely has a set structure to his day and has put himself on a schedule somewhat (he is usually down for the night at 7pm) BUT he is also fine if we deviate from it. So we'll take him out later etc. and he'll just fall asleep at some point and sleep in the stroller for the first part of the night.

I think what really helped us is that he has a strict bedtime routine (a really easy one: undress, change diaper, put swaddle/sleep sack on, (brush teeth), nurse (not anymore now)). So he knew he was now expected to sleep.

@Foodnerd81: I didn't realise how much of a schedule person I was until reading this thread. All the non schedules are making me feel a little panicky

I loved when we had a schedule!!!! I always knew what was coming, now DD is all over the place, transitioning from 2 naps to 1 and it stresses me to the max!!! I can't plan anything ahead of time anymore because I never know when she will be napping. I feel trapped in my house these days.

Lo is definitely not on a set schedule yet, and she's 10 weeks. We just watch her for hungry and tired signs. She sort of has a pattern but it isn't consistent yet. Makes planning anything really hard, but I'm sah right now so I just follow her cues

For us, it's more about routine & being aware of ideal wake time at her age & avoiding overtiredness. I let LO wake up when she wants & we go from there. At 8 months her ideal wake time is about 2.25-2.5 hours so I will figure out when her morning nap should be from that, and then do it again for her afternoon nap based on when she wakes up. She can go longer between her last nap & bedtime so we usually do bedtime 3-3.5 hours after she wakes up from her last nap. So we are not married to nap times or bedtime but our day has a routine.

At 3 weeks, hopefully you are one of the lucky ones who has a naturally sleepy newborn! I'd only worry about wake time & having proper nap times if your LO is staying awake too long & getting overtired. Starting a bedtime routine with bath & lotion can help your LO understand the difference between daytime sleep & nighttime though. We have been doing that since the beginning.

I didn't have any kind of schedule for a long time! The first thing we 'scheduled' was a bedtime, and that was around 4 or 5 months, and still pretty flexible! Then her bedtime routine didn't get established until closer to a year (milk, brush teeth, book, cuddles, bed). Baths are still rushed to fit in whenever we can, they're not part of any schedule. I would say meals have always been kind of scheduled, but just on the same schedule that DH and I have always had. We never changed any part of our own meal-time to have to accommodate a child, it just worked out for us!

I didn't put my son on a schedule, but we also didn't have to get out of the house or be anywhere during the day at a specific time. At the same time, my son would not nap reliably anywhere but in his crib, so we became creatures of habit, regardless.

I don't think there is any correct way to do it, if your family is thriving without a schedule, I don't see the reason to impose one, you know?

We have a routine, but not a schedule. Like you, we work irregular hours, days, times, etc. My son is 1, and goes to bed between 7-8 pm, wakes up around 7 a.m., and we try to do the 2-3-4 method. A nap two hours after he wakes up, another one three hours after that, and bedtime four hours after that. If the naps happen, they happen, and if they don't, they don't I don't feel that there's any harm in being loose if it works for your family.