Is your child a routine junkie?

Steven is such a stickler when it coumes to his routine. If we do one thing off of his routine, he is a crank all day.

This morning, for example. The TV went out while he was eating breakfast (he doesn't eat in front of the TV, but it's on in the background). Well, 7:00 rolls around and he doesn't hear Sesame Street. Now I know he's confused. He finishes breakfast, we go in the living room and he doesn't SEE Sesame Street. This is when he panics. He starts grunting and wining. Fine, I put on a DVD. He's OK watching it but not enjoying it as much as usual because he KNOWS he should be watching regular SS, not the DVD.

Fine. DVD ends. We sing our own songs, I dance around a bit. He stares at the TV screaming and grunting the whole time. I don't know what to do. I get his crawl ball. He plays for about a minute, then stares and grunts at the TV.

Now, his daddy wakes up. He knows that daddy wakes up then Elmo's World comes on. He sees daddy then darts his eyes to the TV. Starts whining and yelling at the TV again.

As if that wasn't bad enough, mommy has to put out a press release. So now, we don't leave the house at 7:50. He starts really craying and yelling and being unbearable. Finally, we leave at 8:05 and he stops. Then, since we're late, his Aunt can only hold him for a few minutes and doesn't have time to play, like usual. He starts yelling at her as she's leaving mom's house.

He was still cranky when I left my moms this morning because his whole routine was messed up.

Is anyone else's DC like this? If he doesn't have the same conditions every single day, he gets cranky. IF I take off during the week, he is a fuss pot until we go to his grandma's house. It's like he KNOWS I am not supposed to be home. OH, and God Forbid I come home late from work

Re: Is your child a routine junkie?

Oh and I had to add...when Sesame Street IS on, he barely watches it. He is perfectly fine playing with his toys or the cat, and just having it on in the background

Re: Is your child a routine junkie?

you have a smart little cookie on your hands.

no my dd is not like that

Re: Is your child a routine junkie?

My DD is the same age as your son and she is more a routine junky closer to bedtime. God forbid we are out late.....we pay the price of DD's wrath!!! She just can't handle it! I know exactly what you are dealing with but it sure does stink to start the day off that way. I'm sorry it was a rough one and I hope it gets better

Re: Is your child a routine junkie?

Bella is not like that now but I fear that she will be like that when we go on vacation and I go back to work. I have her on such a routine now, she can almost predict what is coming next. She knows when it is time to eat and falls asleep 2 hours to the minute after waking.

I don't know what to tell you ,but you have a really smart little one on your hands.

Re: Is your child a routine junkie?

No, DD is not that bad but she does need her morning nap and to go to bed by 7 or else she is not a happy camper! And she is not the "sleep anywhere" type of baby so it does make doing certain things difficult but we manage!

Re: Is your child a routine junkie?

My DD isn't old enough to really have a routine yet, but I will say with DS we never had one. He didn't go to bed at a set time (he didn't stay up all night though). He didn't nap at the same time each day, we didn't really do any bedtime rituals. We didn't do anything routine for fear that the routine couldn't be done one day (like on vacation) and it would throw him off big time. It seemed to work out because he was never cranky as a little one. Present day...well, that's a different story

Re: Is your child a routine junkie?

Josh is sooooo into a routine. I hate it. If he isn't in my arms exactly an hour and a half after waking up, he flips. He will only nap on me or on the couch with my hand on his hiney.

When he eats, he needs a toy in one hand and his cup in the other or he looks at me like I am a nut. Constantly searching for his toy.

The other night, DH gave him a bath. Josh loves this black cup that I use to pour water on his head. DH did not know this..I said did he have a good bath? Leo says no, he was yelling the whole time. Then I realized, I had washed the cup and it was in the kitchen. All the toys in the tub, he needs this black cup.

I kind of wanted a "he will sleep anywhere type" baby. He is so not that. He likes napping and he likes napping at home. Its not even worth taking him out. On DH's days off, he hates it when I say we have to go home and put Josh down...I have to or my night will be wrecked

Re: Is your child a routine junkie?

Thanks ladies...at least we are not alone!

He will sleep anywhere for naps and for bed, as long as he has his routine. Meaning...he will sleep anywhere as long as at 7:00 he gets his bath.

He will nap when we are out and about, as long as he gets his meals around a normal time. So he is not THAT bad...but he needs his conditions to be the same. He needs bath bottle, rock, book, songs, sleep. He doesn't care where he is as long as that's what you do.

He's quite a pip. I swear he and Josh were seperated at birth

Re: Is your child a routine junkie?

I'm finding that Luca is so used to sleeping/napping in his crib that he doesn't nap when we're out and about. He gets overtired and cranky. Last week DH's grandfather passed away and we were at the wake one day and the funeral the next. He was so thrown off that he was a complete crank-pot for 2 days.

Re: Is your child a routine junkie?

YES!! If there is a little change in Jacob's routine, he is cranky ALL day and he even wont sleep through the night

Re: Is your child a routine junkie?

Posted by Lucky

My DD is the same age as your son and she is more a routine junky closer to bedtime. God forbid we are out late.....we pay the price of DD's wrath!!! She just can't handle it! I know exactly what you are dealing with but it sure does stink to start the day off that way. I'm sorry it was a rough one and I hope it gets better

Re: Is your child a routine junkie?

My grandson is very much a routine junkie when he is with me. He eats breakfast at a certain time. When he is done, it is cleaning time. He goes to the cabinet to get the glass cleaner. Then he gets the paper towels. He then heads for the living room and starts taking the books off the coffee table and I clean the table. He then goes to every spot in the living room where I use the glass cleaner and makes sure I clean it. Next is dusting. He opens the door to the laundry area and points to the duster. He takes it and starts dusting. When I am done with that, it's off to the bathrooms. He stands at each door until I open it, enters and lifts up the toilet seat. While I am cleaning the toilet, he goes into the cabinet and gets the Lysol wipes. Of course, when I am done, he puts them away and closes the door.

By this time, it is time for a nap (for him and me, too). He comes into the kitchen, gets a diaper from the pantry and then I have to chase him down the hallway. After the change, he wants his binky and heads for the bedroom so he can take his nap. That lasts for about 3 hours. We have the same routine every day and if it is altered, he is not a happy camper. It is such a hoot to watch him do this.