At my daughter's four month checkup my pediatrician recommended that I start her on a schedule. She said that at four months a baby is ready for a schedule. I was eager to start, a schedule would make it easier for me to plan my day. I wasn't sure where to start but I decided that the best thing to do would be to observe her for a couple of days and see if she had her own routine. I initially thought my daughter didn't have any routine but after watching her I realized I was very wrong.
This is the schedule I came up with based on my observation.
7am - Wake up and Feeding
7:30am to 9am - Playtime
9am to 9:30am - Nap
9:30am - Feeding
9:30am to 11:30am - Playtime
11:30am - Feeding
12pm to 1pm - Playtime
1pm to 2pm - Nap
2pm - Feeding
2:30pm - 5pm - Playtime
5pm to 5:30pm - Feeding followed by Nap (Only Naps sometimes)
5:30pm to 6:30pm - Playtime
6:30pm - Bath (Start bedtime routine)
7pm - Feeding followed by Bedtime
Some important notes that I wanted to mention. First you need to be flexible with your schedule. Their are days when she wakes up later and this affects her morning routine. Obviously I feed her as often as she needs to be fed. I just put the main feeding times down in my schedule. Their are some days when she needs more naps a day or they last longer. I usually place her down for her nap when she shows me signs of sleepiness. She will get very cranky and start rubbing her eyes. It is important to set a bedtime routine and to follow it every night. After a week of following this bedtime routine my daughter falls asleep at 7pm every night without any problems. It is important that your child has playtime where they entertain themselves, such as a mobile or play pen with toys, as well as playtime with you. Sometimes I run errands during her playtime hours. I have noticed that since I put my daughter on a schedule she has been happier.
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