Monday, 5 November 2012

The no-routine routine

In the sea of various baby training manuals, i have invented my own: it's called the no-routine routine. Unfortunately (or should i say fortunately) i can't write or sell any books on the subject because there is absolutely no training required. The subtitle of my non-existing book is "just chill".
It goes like this: let your baby do whatever he/she wants, you're not spoiling them, and just relax in the process. Tallulah falls asleep, and stays asleep, on the breast. And i will sit like that, in restaurants, cafes, bars, with a sleeping baby on my boob. I let her fall asleep whenever she wants, even if it is 10pm at night. I let her feed for comfort, i don't ever let her cry for more than 5 seconds. I don't use a dummy and i don't intend to force hpfeed her pureed mash.
The sad thing though is that i am seen as spoiling my child. That babies need to be "trained" or they'll never sleep on their own. That i'll be carrying round my "spoilt" child when she's 15. Our society is so obsessed with creating independent individuals out of newborns. They should sleep alone, play alone, learn how to stop crying alone and eat grown-up food before they're even 4 months old.
The thing is, i am loving my no-routine routine! Having spent my whole adult life following routines and deadlines and i love never having to check the time. Where our pyjamas all day. Stay up till late. Go to bed early. Eat whenever we want. Love it!

2 comments:

  1. I love your no- routine routine :-). Jag gör samma sak, jag går efter mitt barns behov och gör ingen "träning" än, jag tycker det är alldeles för tidigt. Träningens tid kommer också komma, men än så länge behöver han inget mer än trygghet och detta kan jag ge bäst om jag följer efter hans behov och tvingar inte saker på honom som är bra enligt böcker och andra. Jag tycker att barn i den här åldern kan inte skämmas bort.
    Kramar

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  2. Precis! Min granne kommenterade nar jag bar tallulah i en barsjal - sa att jag kommer angra det dar. Sjalv ar hans barn brakiga, skrikiga o olyckliga. Suck!

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