I read an article today encouraging routine nap times once your baby is around three months of age.  It suggested waking baby up at the same time every day, and, scheduling nap times at the same time every day.  It went on to say that if this was too rigid, then put the child to bed two hours after he/she wakes up.  Oh, so let's just substitute one rigid with another rigid.  When I think about doing this, it just feels "off" to me.  It feels so controlling...and so...rigid.  What if she's not tired?  If I were to do this, aren't I interfering with my baby's natural order of things?  Who am I to tell the baby when she's hungry, or when it's time to nap?  I know I'm the parent, but my idea of parenting is to allow the child's own guidance, her own senses, to tell her when it's time to nap.  The article also suggests having the baby nap in the same place he sleeps every night.  Again, that leads me to wonder, if there's only one spot the child will sleep, doesn't that make things a whole lot harder in the long run?  Not only for me, but for my baby as well?  Is the "routine" or schedule for my convenience, or for the baby's? I just wonder if I'm steering my baby away from following her own guidance if I make up the routine, vs. allowing her to figure it out for herself.  Maybe there is no "routine".  Maybe it's nap when she's tired, regardless of when or where that happens.  That feels right to me.