I copy and pasted this from the EASY FAQ's
If you are just about to give up on EASY or just having doubts- please read those wonderful supportive words from Tracy Hogg and don't forget you can always ask for help here Smiley
Taken from Babywhisperer Solves All Your Problems.
EASY- it is not a schedule, because you cannot fit a baby into a clock. It’s a routine that gives the day structure and makes family life consistent, which is important because all of us, children and adults, as well as babies and toddlers, thrive on predictability. Everyone benefits: Baby knows what’s coming next. Siblings, if there are any, get more time with Mum and Dad- and they get to have les harried parents who have time for themselves as well.
When EASY seems hard.
Most parents’ queries are not about routines. Instead, their questions tend to focus on one of the letters of EASY. They might ask, “Why are my baby’s feeds too short?” (E), “Why is he cranky and uninterested in his toys? (A), or “Why does she wake up several times during the night?” (S). But we (…) have to look at how the three areas are interrelated (…). Eating affects sleep and activity; activity affects eating and sleeping; sleep affects activity and eating- and all of them will naturally affect you. Without a predictable routine everything in baby’s life can go haywire- sometimes all at once. The solution is almost always EASY.
Why go EASY?
EASY is a sensible way to get you and your child through the day. It is composed of repetitive cycles of each letter. The E, A and S are interrelated- changes in one usually affect the other two. Although your baby will transform over the coming months as she grows, the order in which each letter occurs does not.
Write it down!
Parents who actually chart their baby’s day by writing everything down have less trouble sticking to a routine or establishing it for the first time. They are also better observers. Writing things down, even though it seems tedious at the moment will give you a much better perspective. You’ll see patterns more readily, and see how sleep and eating and activity are interrelated. On days that your baby feeds better, I’d just bet he’s less cranky during his awake time and sleeps better too.
Not a schedule.
Parents also have problems with EASY when they think “schedule” and focus more on reading the clock than reading baby’s signals. A structured routine is not the same thing as a schedule. A schedule is about time slots whereas EASY is about keeping up the same daily pattern- eating, activity, sleeping- and repeating that pattern every day. We’re not trying to control children, we’re guiding them. (…)
Sometimes you’ll have a day when you’re on track and everything goes smoothly and other days not.
Reading baby’s cues.
The most important aspect of EASY is to read your child’s signals- of hunger, of fatigue, of overstimulation- which is more important than any time slot. So if one day, he’s hungry a little earlier, or seems tired before it’s “time” to put him down, don’t let the clock threaten you. Let your common sense take over. And believe me, the better you at interpreting your baby’s cries and body language, the better you’ll be at guiding him and at clearing whatever obstacles gets in the way.
