Diaper Days Blog: 5 Low-Stress Routines That Truly Help

From birth, your baby soaks up knowledge from you. They learn how you smell. A little later, they see you when you enter the room. Those early routines of feeding, bathing, and sleeping lay the foundation for a deep connection between you and your baby. But as your child gets older, you may wonder, what daily routines do they now need for their development?

Children thrive when routines are predictable, calm, and filled with loving interactions with the people in their lives. For today’s moms, creating calm, predictable routines filled with more social interaction can be difficult. But it is doable.

Here are five low-stress routines that help your baby’s development:

1. Strive for NO screen-based entertainment/play (TV and handheld screens). Yes, I know everyone else is doing it. But did you know that the tech giants (Bill Gates of Microsoft, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, and Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple) severely restricted their own children’s screen time, opting for tech-free childhoods? If screen activities were healthy, wouldn’t they have allowed their own children access?

2. Stay emotionally engaged with your child through frequent face-to-face interactions. Yes, that means you have to stay off your phone, which I understand is a struggle for many. But your baby needs you. Today’s youngsters experience more delays in social-emotional skills than previous generations. They are lonelier and more isolated due to excessive technology use in the home.

3. Talk to them a lot (use single words, baby talk, and regular speech – use it all!)

4. Keep regular routines (feeding, play, sleep, etc.) as much as possible. Children feel safe with structure and predictability. The more predictable, the less stress.

5. Look at picture books with them. You don’t have to read entire stories—point and label pictures. Turn pages. It’s the togetherness that makes this routine more potent than being alone, staring at a tablet.

For more details and suggestions on how to create healthy, brain-building routines, get my latest book, The New Mom’s Guide: Help and Hope for Baby’s First Year.

What part of the day is most challenging for you?

Disclaimer: All information provided reflects general guidelines and general recommendations. It is not intended as specific medical advice for your child. If you have concerns about any aspect of your child’s development, talk with their doctor. If your child is receiving therapy, please share this information with the therapist.

Ginny Cruz, MPA, PT, is a pediatric physical therapist, childhood development specialist, and award-winning author. Her newest book, The New Mom’s Guide: Help and Hope for Baby’s First Year, contains 400+ ways to help your baby meet those first-year milestones. Get your copy on Amazon. Discover more at ginnycruz.com