If you are one of the many poeple who have come to this site after googling “Typical Toddler Schedule”, please leave a comment to let me know what you are hoping to find. I don’t currently have any posts on this subject but could ask members of my “toddler network” to write one. Before doing that, I thought it might be helpful to survey my audience and see what question they would like answered.
M. Kate
73 Comments
May 17, 2007 at 1:00 pm
My typical toddler schedule…
5:30 wakeup, dress, change
6:00 breakfast, watch Thomas the Tank Engine while we get ready for work.
6:30 Leave to drop off at daycare.
6:45 Drop off at daycare
3:00 Pick up from daycare
3:10 Pick up sister from Preschool
3:30 Arrive home, get snack, milk
3:45 Play, read, run, color
5:00 Dad comes home.
5:30 Dinner
6:30 Get Ready for Bed
6:45 3 Rocks, 3 Reads (Read three board books, rock for three songs on CD)
7:10 Go downstairs
10:00 Nothing… or wakes up and have to rock
5:30 AM… Start again…
September 14, 2009 at 12:11 am
Hi, I am looking for a good schedule, for a mom who does not work, it hard for me to find the perfect schedule, for clean, cooking, paying bills, and take care of my children.
Any Ideas i will love!!!
May 21, 2007 at 5:32 pm
Thanks for sharing! At this point, is your son napping at daycare? If so, how often and for how long?
June 13, 2007 at 5:57 pm
I’ve arrived at your site after searching for a “typical toddler schedule”. In response to your inquiry as to what I may be looking for…
As a “new” mom – I have a girl (34 months) and a boy (18 months) – I’ve done searching online periodically for information on how to best spend time with my children. How to incorporate and to balance: all that they need for their development (in all areas); spend time with them individually; and take the time that I need as a wife and mother. As moms we tend to wear the weight of the world, translated: our expectations of ourselves (expectations that we can never reach). Knowing how other moms schedule their days gives me some input for my own!
Hope that helps!
June 13, 2007 at 9:39 pm
Thanks so much for your response! I really appreciate it. I will try to incorporate more information about a toddler’s needs.
Just the fact that you are searching out ways to challenge your children proves that you are a great mom.
M. Kate
December 27, 2007 at 8:41 pm
I’ve arrived at your site after searching for a “typical toddler schedule”. In response to your inquiry as to what I may be looking for…
I have an unusual family schedule, in that my husband and I both work from home and keep irregular hours. We need to keep our 22-month old daughter on a schedule in order to keep her healthy and happy. However, we are looking down the road at having her in school, and realizing that her usual 10 am may create problems in the future. I’d just like to see what “typical” waking and napping times are, just to see how we compare to more typical families.
January 21, 2008 at 4:15 am
Hi, I googled “toddler schedule” and here I am…
I had my daughter in daycare for 5 months now (since she was 9 months old) but I had to stop doing that. I am trying to spend the day playing with her and teaching her new things but also having her playing by herself. I am currently putting together a daily schedule for her (she is 14 and a half months old) and I was wondering if anybody can help me.
Thanks.
October 4, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Hi!
Here is what we have been sticking to ever since I stopped working to stay at home:
7:00 wake up, change dress – she plays while I cook breakfast and nibble some of mine before actual mealtime
8:00 breakfast- i unload/ tidy up after finishing my breakfast while she continues eating hers
8:30 read/ play or go for a walk if it is nice outside.
9:00 (used to be naptime up until she was about 15.5 months old) now, we play or she helps me vacuum or do laundry – sesame street is also on at this time (1 hr and when Elmo comes on, I know I have 15 more minutes to finish up what I am doing)
11:00 play doh or coloring in high chair
11:30 she helps me make lunch
12:00 lunch together
12:30 more reading, play doh, or coloring
1:00 nap time (I have naptime go from 1-3) I usually don’t let her sleep past 4 otherwise she won’t fall asleep for bedtime. As we transition away from the afternoon nap I’ll probably just have her do a 1 hour quiet time in her room with independant play.
3:30 snack
4:00 shopping or park if it is nice. If we stay in, sometimes we make cookies or play with toys
5:00 dinner prep – independent play
6:00 dinner. I know this might be a little late but it helps diffuse the evening crankiness that seems to start at about 4pm. I find that if I have back to back activities planned before bedtime then there is less misbehavior.
6:30 read books
7:00 brush teeth, jammies, diaper change
7:15 prayers, bedtime story, tuck in, sing a song
7:30 sleep
We are not totally rigid but this is a general idea of how our days go. I like schedules because having guidelines that I can use during the day helps to prevent crankiness, keep things fun, and allow my DD to be able to anticipate what will happen more or less everyday.
Note: If she won’t fall asleep for nap, I move the bedtime up by about 45 min and dinner up by half an hour.
I just had baby #2 so our schedule has been thrown a bit. Also, my daughter is now 2.5 and when she was your daughter’s age, she still napped occasionally in the morning.
I hope this helps
-Sarah
February 17, 2008 at 3:17 am
I would like to know the average wake times 2 years old have. For instance what is the average time a 2 year old can stay awake before needing a rest or showing signs of being tired….like 5 hours awake before needing a sleep.
A typical feeding and nap schedule would be nice too.
February 18, 2008 at 6:07 pm
I am a stay at home mom with a healthy 2 year old son. In fact, he just turned two!! I would like to have a few example days of a toddler schedule. I would also be eternally grateful for some age appropriate activities to do during the activity portion of the schedule! Also, would love to have some meal and snacks added to the schedule. THis would be a HUGE blessing to this First Time Mom!!
February 25, 2008 at 3:27 pm
I found your site after googling “Toddler Schedule”. I was curious what schedule other mothers use with their toddlers, if any, and how I could better change our day to suit him and his needs as well as allow me to tend to daily tasks (laundry, housework, etc.).
March 10, 2008 at 9:13 pm
I came to this site by googling “typical toddler schedule” I was hoping to find how long and at what time a typical 15 month year old will sleep during the day for naps.
March 29, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Our 10 month old is on the following schedule:
7 am – 6 oz bottle
8:30 – breakfast
9 – 10 am – 1 hour nap
11 am – 6 oz bottle
12:30 – lunch
1 – 3 pm – 2 hour nap
3 pm – 6 oz bottle
5:30 – dinner
6:30 – bath
6:45 – pjs/6 oz bottle
7:00 – bed
I always like to know what other Mom’s are doing with their kids. Eventually we will drop the morning 9 am nap around a year old.
April 10, 2008 at 12:51 pm
This is my 8 month olds typical day
7:00am- 4tbs cereal, made with about 4 oz of formula, and drinks like 2 oz
9-10:30 Nap
10:30- Snack, juice/water
12.00- Lunch, 1 jar of veggies and one jar of fruit
1.30-3.00 Nap
3.00- youguort and 4oz formula
5:00- Dinner, 1 jar of meat and veggies, and custard or fruit
5:30- bath, relaxing time
6:30-7pm Bedtime
April 11, 2008 at 10:31 am
I googled 1 year old typical nap. My daughter is 10 months old now and I was wondering what to expect as far as naps in the future. I hear a lot of people saying she might give up her morning nap, but right now she sleeps anywhere from 1.5-3 hours in the morning (10:15 nap time, waking up at 6:30) and then about a half hour- 45 minute nap in the afternoon. Some afternoons she skips it all together and we have a cranky baby on our hands until 7:30 bath time. Does anyone else have a baby who sleeps more in the morning? Should I try to push her nap time back a bit in the morning?
April 11, 2008 at 10:32 am
oops.. I put the wrong email in for my last post, it is ktrokey@mac.com not ktrokkey
(Please don’t publish that!)
April 14, 2008 at 12:21 pm
This is the typical day for my 17 month old. I am a stay-at-home mom.
7:30 – wake up and breakfast with milk
10am – snack /water (fresh fruit and usually a gerber cookie or something)
11:45 – 12pm – lunch with milk
12pm – read a book
12:15 – 2:30ish – naptime (anywhere from 1.5 hrs to 3 hrs.)
3:30pm – snack of cheese or yogurt with crackers or fresh fruit
between 5:30 and 6pm – dinner with milk
7pm – bath
7:15 – cup of milk
7:30 – storytime (2 books that he chooses) then night night
April 21, 2008 at 2:23 pm
With summertime almost here in Wisconsin, I googled..typical 2 year old schedule. I thought I would share mine. I have a 18 month old boy and 7 month old twin girls.
6am-twins awake-drink 4 oz bottle
7am son awakes-8 oz milk
7-9am- Breakfast for all, Sesame Street/Curious George/ playtime, reading, outside with son
9:00am-11am- naps for all/quiet time.
11am-12:00pm-Playtime
12:00-1pm-lunch
1-1:30pm Storytime
1:30-3:30 Nap
3:30-5pm- Playtime outside
5pm dinner
7pm-bed for all 3
As a general rule, my twins are awake no longer than 2 hours befor I put them down for a nap, and then I let them have their own schedule and lat any of my kids sleep as long as they want. I am looking to incorporate more outside time with my son..Let me know if you can suggest.
Thanks
April 22, 2008 at 5:06 pm
I came to this site looking for a typical toddler schedule. I am a work-at-home mom with a 18 months old and here is the schedule we usually follow:
7-9 I usually wake, dress, work
8:30-9 wake up, dress for the day
9 breakfast (yogurt, waffle/toast, fruit, milk)
10-12 playtime, run errands, outside
12 lunch (veggies, meal, fruit, milk)
1-4 nap and I work
4 snack (fruit, 1/2 juice, 1/2 water)
4:30-6 playtime, park
6 cook dinner while she plays with Dad
6:30 dinner (veggies, meal, fruit, milk)
7 play with dad
7:30-very strict bath, pjs, books, bed
8 baby asleep and time for ourselves
I only let her watch tv-noggin-twice a week for 15 min each while I get dressed for playdates. She would watch it longer but I don’t want that this early. I would love any comments on what others do.
September 17, 2009 at 1:57 pm
I really need help creating a schedule for myself and my kids. I have a 4 year old and a 3 year old who do not go to daycare, because I choose for them not to. I rather stay home and take care of them myself. I also have a 8 month old baby. My days are becoming more and more crazy. Not only do I have kids to care of, but I also have a home to maintain as well. I need help creating a schedule to not only make my days a little more manageable, but also a schedule so I can get my 4 and 3 year old into a routine of learning and teaching them stuff. Please help me…. my sanity depends on it. Thank you so much.
April 24, 2008 at 3:10 am
I have a 13 month old girl who refuses to take naps or go to bed any more. She gets up around 8 am and if I’m lucky will take a nap from 1 pm to 2 pm. then refuses to go to bed. I try shutting off all the lights in the house except my lamp around 10 pm. read her a story and then have quite time until she starts rub her eyes. i normally have her in her bed by 11 and she crys until around one. I feed her dinner between 6 and 7 pm and a snack at 9:30 pm so i know that shes not hungry. I change her right before i put her in bed. i go in and try to calm her down about every 15 minutes until she goes to sleep. I feel like a bad mom when I let her cry. what am I doing wrong? Please help. My email is missy777@myway.com I am willing to try anything
May 2, 2008 at 9:28 am
I am a SAHM of a 2 year old boy. We have a pretty regular schedule.
8am: wake-up, change diaper, brush teeth
830: breakfast with milk (eggs, toast, pancake, oatmeal, fruit, cottage cheese…), sesame street (I know he shouldn’t, but he loves it).
930: juice (if milk and breakfast all gone), play time (while I get showered and dressed for the day), change diaper, get him dressed.
1030: outside play time, or playdate, or grocery shop, or run errands.
11am: snack with water.
12/1230: lunch with milk (PBJ, soup, left-over dinner, chicken with a veggie, rice, fruit, cheese, pasta).
1pm: change diaper, play time.
130: snack with water.
230: change diaper, brush teeth.
3-6pm: nap (I have tried to make nap time earlier, but this is when he likes to nap).
6pm: diaper change, water, small snack.
630: dinner with milk (chicken, steak, fish, any veggie, rice, pasta, potato, fruit, small desert).
730: bath time, brush teeth, PJs.
830: read 3 books.
9pm: change diaper, bed time.
September 26, 2009 at 11:23 am
This is very similiar to my schedule with my two year old (except that I am at work during the day through the week). I am trying to find answers as to how much time I should actually spend playing “in the floor” with my child. He likes to play alone of the time, but I feel bad not playing with him…he seems to be more irritable, and so do I when I try to play with him….so about an hour out of the day is what I end up spending. Of course he comes and gets me when he wants to show me something, needs help with something, has something to say, etc. (I am in the same room with him while he plays)…should I feel bad? Am I doing something wrong? Or is this normal?
May 26, 2008 at 10:38 pm
I found this site while searching for a typical daily schedule for a toddler….
I have a 17 month old, very active
, son. I work from home with a pretty strict schedule. I was wondering what a typical toddler schedule would be and to see if there was anything I could do differently that would help our situation. He is in a good eat/nap routine – I just need help with the in between times! I really don’t want him to watch TV but sometimes that is all that will occupy him so I can work for a bit or take a shower, etc. Right now our schedule is….
7am – Wake, brush teeth, dress him for day
715am – Breakfast/Milk
7:45 – 8:15am – plays/watches Elmo video while I take shower and dress for day (have to be quick!)
8:15 – 9:30am – I work on computer while he plays. I take a 15 min break to make sure I get down on his level and draw, read, etc with him.
9:30-10:00am – snack/juice while watching Sesame Street
10:00 – 11:15am – nap time (he will not go longer and sometimes wakes sooner)
11:15-12:00pm – I work on computer while he plays. I take a 15 min break to get down and play/read with him.
12:00-12:30pm Lunch/Milk
12:30-1:30pm – I work on computer while he plays. (See where I need help! I feel guilty that he has so much “alone” play time – I’m in room and talking, singing, dancing, etc with him but while at computer. Need better activities for him)
1:30-2:00pm – Watches Elmo video while I finish up work or do a few things around house – pay bills, etc.
2:00-4:30pm – Outside Playtime, park, or run errands if needed.
4:30-5:30pm – nap while I cook supper
5:30-6:00pm – playtime with Daddy
6:00-6:30pm – supper
6:30-7:30pm – playtime with mama and daddy
7:30-8:00pm – bathtime/quiet time with lotion massage and pjs
8:00pm – read 2 bedtime stories with milk and to bed.
THEN – I go back to work and get the rest of my 8 hours in!! (No husband/wife time!)
I just really need some help with fun, learning activities! I feel like he should be talking more then what he is and am afraid that it is because of our schedule!!
ANY suggestions would be appreciated! butler1027yahoo.com
June 2, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I also (happily) stumbled upon your site, after searching for a “typical toddler schedule”, as I have a 2-1/2 year old son and I am a first-time, later-in-life (I’m “40″), staying at home Mom and I am working hard to quit feeling societal pressure/guilt, everytime I give my son a cookie or (God Forbid!!) let him watch a non-educational, just-for-fun, cartoon! When did our world get so bizarre about child-rearing??!!
In response to your inquiry as to what I may be looking for, I’d love to hear from other Moms with 2-1/2 year olds (or thereabouts) with what works/doesn’t work for them with discipline techniques and just anything in general that may help make the days even happier!
Thanks for starting this site! Moms need to support each other!
June 5, 2008 at 2:46 pm
hi everyone! i have a 14 month old baby girl: her schedule is as follows:
7 am wake, have 5 oz bottle of whole milk and change diaper
7-8:30 am playtime
8:30 am breakfast, toast & avocado, scrambled eggs, yogurt, fruit and juice
9:30-12:00 pm morning nap
12:00 wake from morning nap, change diaper, dress, drink of milk and play
1:00 pm lunchtime pasta, veggies, fruit, water
1:00 – 3:00 pm outing, park, groceries, etc.
3:30 pm-5:00 pm afternoon nap
5:00 pm wake from afternoon nap, snack (cheese, crackers, fruit)
6:30 or 7:00 pm dinner time (meat, veggies, pasta or whole wheat bread), milk
7:30 pm bathtime
7:30 – 9:00 pm playtime
9:30 bedtime with bottle, dry diaper, etc.
obviously this isn’t the BEST schedule for the reason that her afternoon nap runs so late that it pushes back her bedtime. but i can’t get her off this schedule!
June 10, 2008 at 3:57 am
I found your site! WOW, thank you….
I have been prawling, sarching for a site that showed a daily scedule for toddlers at home with mommy…
While I know when to feed, dress, nap, sleep what I find is america is when to go to the park, as we never run into anyone during the week… we live were it’s very hot, the only time we see other people outside is in the am… I want my child to find other children his age to play with.. We can’t afford gymboree or other such programs and I hate keeping him inside we both get bored… we even have tried painting at home along with playing, or reading, games, puzzles but after ten to twenty minutes of any of these activities he’s done… I love my beautiful child who is spirited and active but we need a solid structured scheduled with things to do…
currently our days look like this:
wake up 6:00am
play w/ Daddy & Mommy!
breakfast 7:00 am
Dress 8:00am
Walk w/ Mommy-say bye to daddy(off to work)
home 8:45-9:30am –
prepare for outing/snacks, etc. (mommy showers- dresses 30min max) I play!
30min cuddle time with mommy & word world(tv)/ warm milk!
Story Time 10:00am-11:00am / library or book store Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday
10:00am-11:ooam Monday& Friday start wash/chores I help, we play music, sing songs and dance
11:00 EAT!
story before nap and cup of chamomile tea
12:00-2:30/3:00 Nap
3:00 Mondays pool
3:00-6:30Tuesday park and farmers market- daddy mets us there for dinner too..
3:00-4:00Wednesday park or outing/someplace special(museum or ?)
3:00 -6:30Thursday park at a shopping plaza-outdoors, with water play area and maze and daddy meets us there for a snack or dinner
3:00-5:00pm Friday pool
We eat dinner around 5:00pm with daddy everyday-weather at home or out and about…sometimes mommy packs a picnic to eat..
if mommys cooking, I usually am in my own kitchen cooking to or playing with toys…close by..
6:30pm bath
7:00pm cuddle w/ Daddy & Mommy for movie time or play together… I love to play trucks or trains or make imaginary desserts for them to eat..
8:00pm bed! I get help and loved and kisses and a story, mommy stays with me till I’m almost asleep..
Week-ends are very unscheduled/except for once a month we celebrate the sabbath and attend shul Friday night,eat a sabbath meal at friends homes and most of the morning on Saturday- we play and swim and bar-b-que, and friends come over or we go out and see movies outside or listen to music, we go out of town a lot too…
I just feel I should be doing more to get him involved with other children, I tried play groups, just never found other parents with te same family values..
I don’t know how but mommy finds time to clean the house and get things done, perhaps while I am sleeping…
ANY IDEAS!!
June 10, 2008 at 4:59 pm
I am a SAHM of a 20 month old little girl. We don’t too much have a “steady” schedule, but I guess if I had to guess, it would be something like this:
8:30ish – wake up, breakfast (waffle/breakfast bar, fruit, milk)
9-11am – playtime, I do housework
11:30ish – lunchtime (fruit/vege, cheese, crackers, juice & water, vitamin)
12-2pm – play outside, run errands, park
2:00-4pm – naptime (if we’re home, I read first)
4:30pm – dad comes home, play w/ dad
5-6:30pm – play w/ dad while I cook
7pm – dinnertime together at the table
8:00 – bathtime, pj’s, a little more playtime
9:00pm – read book, bedtime
I do let her watch tv sometimes through the day (BabyFirstTv, Noggin, Disney). It doesn’t seem to diminish her intelligence. She knows 5 colors, all abc’s, counts to 20, 5 shapes, and is overall ahead of schedule. That is to say that television (in my opinion), as long as you spend time teaching your child, should not affect your child’s development. I mean, come on, we all watched cartoons when we were little.
June 13, 2008 at 10:38 pm
I found this site after Googling toddler schedule. It is really helpful, so thanks for creating it!
I have a one year old and a two year old.
6:30 – wake up
7:30 – milk
8:30 – breakfast
9:00 – 1 year old naps for one to two hours
10:00 – snack for 2 year old
11:00 – bottle for 1 year old
12:30 – lunch
1:00 – naps for both
3:00 – bottle for 1 year old
5:30 – dinner
6:00 – bath, then Sesame Street, Dora or Mickey’s Clubhouse.
7:00 – bedtime
July 2, 2008 at 10:21 pm
I think this sit has been a little helpful, i am a SAHM of 2 girls, 3 years and 6 months old. I do not have them on a schedule much at all and I am looking for advice on the best one. My 3 year old has not napped since she was about 18 months but usually sleeps 12 hours at night (usually from 9pm til 9am ). The baby is not on an eating or sleeping schedule and i know it would be helpful because it seems like I can never get anything done around the house. CAN YOU HELP ME ???
May 18, 2009 at 10:20 pm
You say your 6 month old isn’t on a schedule. I have worked with infants in a daycare (open 630am-630pm) so we have kids pretty much their whole day and have a lot of experience with infants and their schedules. They will ease into one. Your 3 yr old may have had more of a routine and still your baby could not have one…yet! When she’s hungry, feed her. When she’s tired, let her sleep. You can slowly try to keep her awake until a certain time to try and get her to nap regularly or hold off on a bottle/feeding first 5 mins then a little more time as she gets older but don’t deprive her of what she wants. She needs to trust that you will meet her needs.
To get things done around the house, get her used to playing on the floor by herself (or put her in a crib/playpen to play if your 3 yr old is not trusted around her), and bouncy seats, swings, highchair with toys are awesome.
Hope that helps
July 9, 2008 at 1:20 am
Thanks so much for this site! I googled “toddler daily schedule ideas” – and I got them. I have a delightful 18 month old, and I work part time. I’ve been recognizing that we need to firm up a daily rhythm (I prefer the word to schedule…it’s more realistic for us) as he’s become so much more aware of his outside world. I’m trying to find ideas of what others do as I seek to put together something for us. My husband and I both work in campus ministry, so we need our son to be somewhat flexible as our schedule can change at times (thus the preference for “rhythm”!) Thanks for this site.
July 10, 2008 at 6:35 pm
I came in search of “toddler schedule” only I was looking for some ideas on a visual chart so my son can follow along in the day to see what’s next.
We have a very nice schedule for my two boys,
7:00 wake up and spend time with daddy
8:00 breakfast
9:00 independant play
11:00 lunch time
12:30 nap
3:30 snack & movie
5:00 outside play
7:00 table play (coloring, drawing, card, games)
8:40 dinner
9:00 bath
9:30 reading in bed
10:00 lights out
Thanks for your great site!
July 10, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Hi,
I am a SAHM with a 2 1/2 year old boy and a 13 month old boy. I gave up a corporate job last year after the birth of my second son at the age of 38 and feel a bit lost at home. I am trying to set up a schedule for them. My 2 1/2 year old has just been diagnosed with ADHD and his doctor suggested a firm schedule to help him through his day (and keep my sanity). Bedtime is a firm 8:30 but naps and mealtimes are a disaster, he would rather walk around snacking if I let him. Help!
July 13, 2008 at 1:35 pm
I was looking for example schedules in order to put more structure into my 17-month old daughter’s day. I spend a lot of time doing one-on-one play with her, and she is generally directing the activities. I’ve tried incorporating more “parent-directed” activities (try to set up special projects to do after her nap) in order to challenge her and *hopefully* teach something. She’s an active toddler who is happiest when busy. Trish (above) summed up what I am looking for. Here is our general routine:
6:30-7 wake up, drink milk, change diaper, spend time w/ daddy before he leaves for work
7:30 breakfast w/ mommy
after breakfast we both brush teeth, get dressed, she plays while I clean kitchen
Morning is filled w/ some sort of “on-the-go” activitiy (park, story time at library, run errands, maybe a visit to a museum or other children’s activity)
11:00 Lunch
then story time
11:30 or 12 go down for nap (lasts 1.5-2hrs); milk when waking
3:30 snack
play time (this is where I have trouble keeping her happy/busy/entertained–typically can’t go outdoors b/c of weather)
5ish usually wants another snack, often listen to music and dance around, while waiting for daddy to get home
6:30 dinner, followed by family play time
7:30 bath, books or quiet play
8:00 bedtime
July 27, 2008 at 2:08 pm
My daughter is 18 months. My husband stays home with her. Here’s their schedule:
7am – Wake, Breakfast, Play
9am – Nap
11am – Wake, Lunch, Play, Errands
3pm – Nap
5pm – Wake, Dinner, Play
7pm – Bath
7:30pm – Bedtime
We are holding on to the two naps for as long as we can
-Amber
July 28, 2008 at 11:34 am
8:30- Wake-up- Breakfast (eggs, bacon, cereal, “baby coffee”-milk-, yogurt, cheese, fruit) Mickey Mouse
9:00- dress shower/play/clean
10:25 – Walk Daddy out to say bye-bye (He is a manager for a restaurant) walk
10:30- Coloring, (to distract from fact daddy left)
11:00 Snack (goldfish, juice, and/or fruit)/Barney
11:15- cleanup, (Still distracted by Barney-Only 2 shows so mommy doesn’t go crazy)
12:00 pool/playground (if we don’t have car or errands)
1:30- Lunch (pasta, vegetable soup, yogurt, fruit/veggie, leftovers
2:00-Nap (Mommy does laundry, cleaning and any studying for online courses.)
3-4:00-Wake up then (Says hi to daddy who comes home for 2 hours) and snack of fruit and water
5:00- (Says bye to daddy, then mommy tries to distract from the fact daddy left)
6:00 (helps make dinner)
7-7:30- Dinner
7:30-8 Cleanup
8:00- bath
8:00- Get ready for bed and story-time
9-9:30-Bedtime (Mommy does homework and stuff till 10-11 till daddy get home.)
This is a recent schedule. We had problems because I use to work at night when she was a baby and she would wait up for me to come home.
Then this continued after I quit working, and she would wait for daddy then. It was very difficult for me to reset her schedule, some nights she was up till 3am, mostly due to teething. I just kept making her wakeup at 8-9am. I know TV is bad but she would only wakeup in a good mood if I put Mickey Mouse on.
I turn off the TV to the Disney channel at night and set the TV timer to 8:30. This was the only way to wake her up.
August 11, 2008 at 7:46 am
I was looking for some ideas to help move my son’s naptime. I do in home child care and have my own son (20 months), daughter (8 years) plus two little girls to watch (2 years and 4 years) and an infant (10 months). We’ve always had nap/rest time from 12-3. Always. My son naps really good at this time. Sometims he lays down closer to 11 if he’s really tired or got up earlier than usual. The other kids are pretty static in this too.
Now in about 2 weeks we have to start taking the 4 year old to preschool and won’t be back until 1. I am having so much anxiety about this! To prepare the kids for the nap change I”ve tried keeping them up until 12:15, then 12:30, then 12:45 etc… The other kids are adjusting fine. My son is a mess! He won’t nap if I miss his window. He just lays in bed. Before I just nursed him a few moments (he’s kinda self-weaning I guess), I’d lay him down with is lovey and blanket and he’d go to bed. Now he is tired earlier, won’t nap later and is a mess all day. I’ve been working on this for weeks and only have 2 weeks to go.
RIGHT NOW here is our daily routine:
7:00 he wakes up (sometimes a bit earlier if he hears all of us) Eats breakfast, gets dressed, etc..
7:45 we take his 8 year old sister to school
8:15 all the other kids arrive. Lots of play, inside and out, activities, etc…
9:30 the kids have a very small snack if needed
11:00 lunchtime
12:00 this is when we’ve always napped but now we’ll be gone 12-1 taking the 4 year old to preschool
2:30 my daughter comes home, does homework, anyone up from nap sits and colors while she does it . We all have a snack
play, play, play
6:00 dinner
baths (I alternate my kid’s bath nights)
brush teeth, read books
at 7:30 I tuck my son in
at 8:30 I tuck my daughter in (that is great because she has some alone time with us).
Now i”m so afraid – by sleeping at 1 will he not go to bed at 7:30? If he does fall asleep at 1 should I wake him up after a few hours to keep his bedtime okay or should I Just lt him go?
I guess I’m having lots of anxiety about this because until he was 15 months old I couldn’t even get him to nap, go to bed at night, etc… The last 5 months have been so much better and I’m afraid it’s all going to go downhill now!
May 18, 2009 at 10:25 pm
Have you tried putting him down for a morning nap? See if he’ll go down more like 10:15 10:30 and wake up around noon or whenever, then he can do another short nap (or even if he just lies in his crib for alone time) in the early evening (4 or 5ish) then go back down for bed same time by 730 or 8am. I’ve worked with a TON of kids and they had this schedule.
August 21, 2008 at 2:26 pm
I know this schedule might sound crazy to some, but I have been told by almost everyone that knows her or even has just met her…that Ava is the happiest baby they have ever met.
My doctor recommended that I let her come up with her own schedule and it would ultimately work around mine.
Also, she has not taken to food too well, so we are still on cheerios and puffs and about one food a day. At first it concerned me, but my doctor said that’s perfectly normal for some children to be late eaters.
Ava is 10 months old and this is her schedule…she goes to work with me…so it is very flexible and she basically eats when she wants, sleeps when she wants and plays when she wants…I really do feel this has played a huge part in her pleasant and cheerful character.
7:00-8:00 she wakes up and has an 8oz. formula bottle
10:00 she takes a nap for about an hour
11:00 she takes another 8 oz. bottle
12:30 half a jar of baby food with rice cereal…because she doesn’t like anything that is runny
3:00 another 8 oz. formula bottle
5:00 naptime for about 1.5 to 2 hours
7:00-8:30 playtime with dad…she usually is snacking on cheerios and puffs during this time period
9:00-10:00 bathtime and then to bed when she wants. (The doctor also told us not to give her a bath everyday, because young babies don’t really need it and it just dries out their skin.)
Hope this helps those moms that are worried they aren’t following a strict schedule…I might possibly have one of the happiest babies I’ve ever seen and I’m pretty positive it is because I’m not making her do something she doesn’t want to do or eat when she doesn’t want to eat.
August 28, 2008 at 1:49 am
I’m glad I found this site! I’ve been recently searching around trying to find sample toddler schedules to see if I can re-arrange my day to make it more practicle! This helps out a lot to see what other people are doing. So far, we have a basic schedule, but I wouldn’t call it strict. It goes something like this: (My daughter is 2.5 yrs)
Anywhere between 7-8am – Wake up, change diaper.
8am – Brekkie (Egg w/toast to dip, waffle, cereal, oatmeal, pancakes) with milk. She usually watches a bit of TV while she eats.
8:30am – Dress, brush hair/teeth, get ready for the day (I also get dressed during this time)
9:00am – Free play time, toys, books, music
10:00 or 10:30am – Snack (goldfish, yogurt, cereal bar, crispy mini rice cakes, raisens)
10:30am – 12pm – Run errands, park play, ‘little helper’ for mommy doing laundry or general cleaning up the house etc.
12pm – Lunch (chicken nuggets, the odd Mcd’s run, left overs, speghetti or any pasta for that matter, Rice w/ a meat and veggies, PBJ, Tuna, Variety plate which consists of lunchmeat, only the no nitrate kind, veggie sticks, cherry tomatoes, pickles, cheese slices and crackers) w/ water usually or juice
12:30pm – Clean up time, tv time
12:45pm – Nap prep time – Heat up 10oz bottle of milk, change diaper
1pm – Give her bottle, lie her in my bed, read her a story 3 times (usually the same one over and over) while she drinks, then put her in her crib for nap.
3pm – Wake up
3:30pm – Optional snack time, sometimes she isn’t hungry, but if she is, I usually will give her something simple like an apple or banana or some cottage cheese.
4pm – Play time, indoors or out, usually just in the backyard. We do some educational activities, like workbooks (or at least I try too!)
5pm – Dinner prep time. Sometimes she will help me stir or mix ingredients, depending if she is able, if not she just plays by herself in her play room while I get dinner together.
5:30pm – Daddy comes home. He freshens up, says hello to our daughter.
6:00pm – Dinner (this is the most difficult feeding time for us. She usually isn’t interested at all, unless she did not have an afternoon snack, then maybe she will eat a good portion. If not, she will only pick at what is served, if anything at all.) Some of the things I make is – Chili, Sheperd’s Pie, Chicken with rice and veggies, lots of salads!, Steak with baked potatoes and tomato salad, Speghetti along with a vast array of other pasta dishes, Burgers, yes we have the occasional KD night!!! Fish, Beef Stew, breaded turkey cutlets with fresh homefries and coleslaw and the list continues (I love to cook).
**on a side note, my daughter is pretty picky, and usually won’t eat the things I make especially at dinner time. Any suggestions?? Do any of you have any success stories? Please share! Not sure where she got it from, both my husband and I AND both sides of our families will eat almost anything and have never seen such a picky child! Not sure what I’m doing wrong (If anything at all that is). So some tips and pointers would be much appriciated!
6:30-7:00pm – Dinner clean up, Daddy Daughter time.
7:00pm’ish – Bathtime, pj’s on, brush teeth, hair.
7:30pm – Tv time (In the night garden)
8:00pm – Bottle time, read a story a few times over, cuddles, kisses, bed time.
That’s it! Thanks for reading!!
May 18, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Kids have WAY more taste buds than adults, that’s the main reason they appear to be “picky eaters.” They’re more sensitive to what we think tastes delicious so let her eat what she wants and of course offer the veggies and fruits but don’t push them (dont want it to become a control issue).
September 9, 2008 at 2:33 pm
This is in response to Vicki’s question regarding discipline and her 2 1/2 year old. I have a 32 month old daughter and she is definitely testing boundaries! My husband and I do not use physical punishment and we have found that the thing that works the best for us is “time out”. We used to give time out in Estella’s room but she has grown to where she just see’s it as play time. So we have a booster seat that sits next to our back door and when Estela does not heed ONE verbal warning she gets a three minute time out in the chair facing the back door (door is closed). Once her time is up, I will reinforce whatever rule she has broken and tell her we do NOT do that and then I tell her I love her and let her go on with her schedule. Hope this helps!
September 17, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Wow.. do u moms have a life. why wake ur kid up so early why not let them sleep. why they have to be dressed at 7 jeez i dont get the tight schedules..
October 23, 2008 at 1:31 pm
I would love my 19 month old baby to sleep in. I am a stay at home mom and I don’t wake my child in the morning. And she still gets up now a days at 6!!!
This is her normal schedule….
6-Wake up
7:30-Get her out of the crib (she plays and talks to her self from when she wakes up)
7:45-Milk
8-9-Playtime
9-9:30-Breakfast
9:30-12-Park, Swimming, Playtime etc.
12-12:30-Lunch
1-Milk
1:10-Nap
1:30-Asleep
3:30-Wake-up from nap
4-Snack
6-Diner
7-7:30-Bath
8-Milk
8-8:30-Bed
She is always tired through out the day. And I can’t get her to sleep in any longer in the mornings. And the time change is next weekend.
Does anyone else have this problem?
October 30, 2008 at 10:27 am
I have 2 kids(4months & 3 years). I work from home & also do homeschool preschool with my 3 year old 3 days a week. We have a pretty structured schedule. I do not wake my kids in the morning or at nap but they still wake up at about the same time every day.
6:30-mommy wakes up & showers & gets dressed before kids wake up
7:00-both kids wake up & have breakfast & the get dressed
8:00-Tues, Thurs, Fri-start preschool with 3 yr old–4 month old plays close by–Mon & Fri–both kids play while mommy does laundry & cleaning
9:00-play outside
10:00-3 yr old has snack & 4 month old has bottle—4 month old goes down for nap after bottle
10:30-Tues, Thurs, Fri–continue preschool–Mon-story time @ library–Wed-playgroup
12:00-lunch for 3 yr old
12:45-nap for 3 yr old–he usually sleeps between 1 1/2 to 2 hrs–mommy works during this time
1:00-4 month has bottle & then plays nearby whils mommy works
3:00-3 yr old has snack & 4 month old has bottle–4 month old goes down for another nap after bottle
3:30–3 yr old finishes any preschool activities not finished in the morning–if everything was finished then he plays
4:15–3 yr old plays outside
5:15-story time
5:30-cereal for 4 month old(she is just starting solids so she is only eating once a day–we will adjust schedule once she starts eating more food)
6:00-dinner
7:00-4 month old has bottle & then bath & story & bed–she is asleep by 7:30
7:30–3 yr old has bath & stor & is in bed by 8:00
i finish any work that i didn’t get done during naptime(i only work part time & my work load varies daily)–if no work then i finish laundry & cleaning–i am usually in bed by around midnight
November 17, 2008 at 10:21 am
I searched “toddler schedule” and came to your site looking for some sort of plan to help me relax and enjoy my day with my twins more. They are just now one year old and I find my self increasingly frantic to get things done and losing ground a little more each day. I never get it done. I used to me the “super friend” always had everything organized, knew everyone’s birthdays and sent cards for even the smallest occasion, helped with parties, and made dinners and baked goods by the dozens for sick family/ friends/ or new parents. I was the Thank You card Queen. Now I struggle to get my shower in ever day. I am very lucky in that the twins are extremely good babies/toddlers. They already have a fairly good schedule, and yes Daddy helps out a lot. But at the end of the day there are still at least a dozen things I should have done, the furniture has a nice coating of dust, my Thank you’s are piling up and I always feel as if I should have done more with the babies. Ugh. Not to mention my poor husband has to steal moments with me here and there whenever he can. There has to be a better way!
November 24, 2008 at 12:50 pm
I have a fifteen month old son and a two week old son and I am now very desperate to have a schedule for the older one.
So far, our schedule has been like this: (any suggestions are welcome!)
7-730: Wake up/Breakfast
8:30-9: Bath/Dress up
9:00-10:30: Playtime/Snack
10:30-12: Storytime/Nap
12: Lunchtime
12:30-3: Playtime/Snack
3-4:30:Milk 8oz./Storytime/Nap
4:30-6: Playtime
6: Dinnertime
6:30-7:30:Playtime
7:30-8: Bath/Change into PJs/Storytime
8:30- Milk 8oz./Bedtime
December 28, 2008 at 12:45 pm
i came upon your site after i googled daily schedule for a toddler… i have a 17 month old son, and my aunt cares for him in our home 4 days a week while i work. i would like to create a more structured, pre-school type routine for them to follow each day, one that doesn’t include tv time! i want to offer my aunt specific lesson plans/activities so that she never runs out of ideas. i know it can get monotonous…
here is his typical day:
7am wakes up
-breakfast immediately upon waking
-playtime
9:30-10:45ish naptime
11am lunch
-playtime/outside/errands
2:00 snack time
2:30-4:00ish naptime
5:30 dinner
-playtime
6:30 bath, books, rock for a bit
7:00 to bed
i need more specific ideas to fill in playtimes!
thanks!
valerie
January 15, 2009 at 1:36 pm
I work part time and have a babysitter come home from 10 to 4 for my one year old son.
8 AM Wake Up, Freshen Up
8: 30 Breakfast of Fruit and Yougurt. Sometimes a lil boiled egg.
9 Am to 10 AM Playtime Indoors or Outdoors depending on weather. I leave for work.
11:30 AM Lunch of cereal, soup and bolied veggies
12 to 2 PM Naptime
2 PM Milk and a snack
2:30 to 4:00 Playtime Indoors or Outdoors
4:00 I am home …
4:10 PM Snack of cookies or fruits or yogurt drink etc.
4:30 to 7:00 We go out to a park or an indoor facility where he can run around. We include grocery shopping or othwer chores that I need to do in this time. We sometime stop by at an eatery to pick up dinner and he eats soup or baked potato or mashed potato or chicken et. while we wait
7: 00 Mummy cooks Dinner of Veggies, Rice, Protein etc while he watches Barney.
7:30 Dinner time
8:00 to 9:30 We do the following in that order – Listen to Music (mostly classical) , bath, get a long massage (he loves this ) and read a book (we just started the book thing when he turned one).
9:30 PM Daddy gives him a bottle and rocks him (500 count) .
Nighttime is ussually fine except may be 2-3 times a week when he wakes up around midnight to eat/drink.
January 28, 2009 at 7:17 pm
I have a 9 month old..3 year old and a 4 1/2 year old and I am desperate for a schedule for them! We really dont have a routine yet and I need and want one for them! My oldest will be goin to school here in a few months so she’ll be at school but I’ll still have my other 2! Mind you now that they used to go to daycare so thats why i dont have a daily schedule for them! I want a daily schedule now that I am at home with them all the time! Please help with any suggestions!
February 18, 2009 at 11:52 pm
Great page! I also googled ‘toddler schedule’ and am finding a lot of similarities…I’m a 37 year old 1st time mom & I’m at home with my 28 m old. This is our real schedule. I could leave out the TV info but I’m not….
6 I’m up. Coffee, walk dog, shower, check e-mail.
7 wakes-up (she almost always wakes right at 7am)
7-7:30 slowly wakes up, diaper change, cuddle, dress for the day
7:30-8 breakfast (I bring her milk and food upstairs)
8-9:30 play with doll house, puppets, dress-up, read books, tea party, etc. (this is all upstairs, mostly in her room)
9:30-11:30 go downstairs (this is when I sneak in my breakfast) & either grocery, errands, baby gym, playdate, library storytime, etc. depends on the day of the week – we have set things for set days – snack in here around 10 – graham crackers & juice
11:30ish – 12:30 Lunch & usually TV (a Backyardigans)
12:30 Nap (usually takes one, 2 hrs on a good day)
2:30 – 3:30 playtime, books, coloring, blocks, walk outside if possible & TV (a Backyardigans again)
3:30 snack (I’m more strict with this snacktime bc of dinner approaching and it’s tough to get her to eat a good dinner)
4-5 she chases me around the kitchen while I cook dinner! I give her a plastic bowl and spoon and she ‘helps me’ – TV on in kitchen on news w/o sound so I at least have a clue what’s going on!
5 DADDY’S HOME – play with Daddy
5:30 Dinner
6-7 play with Daddy & Mommy (more Daddy) one quiet show. things are getting very quiet now -either a blues clues or a max & ruby
7-7:30 bath (not every night) pjs, 2 books, bed
February 23, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Hi, I stumbled on this site while looking for a schedule for my kids. We have very hectic, unorganized days, and I am a stay at home mom. My children are 32 months, 20 months, and 6 months. So you can see I REALLY need a schedule. So far all I’ve gotten from site today is the basic 7am wakeup, 9am snack, 1130 lunch (and so on) but I really need some advice and tips on a schedule (and I would love tips on games foods, ect.) for three kids at these ages since they’re different. Please email me at amberlauver@yahoo.com
March 5, 2009 at 1:55 am
My name is Lani and I am a 24 year old stay-at-home mother of two under four. I am also taught pre-school before I became a mother. I googled this page, because I was looking to change my schedual for the children as they grow. I was curious as to what other Moms were doing for thier little ones, and if I could learn from them. Here is the current schedual for my 36 month old daughter and my 23 month old son:
6:00 am: I get up before daddy and walk our dog. After Daddy leaves I work out for 20 mins., shower and dress.
8:00 am: I wake the kids: and change 1 diaper and one pull-up. They both have potty time for around 5-10 minutes or until atleast my daughter is successful.
8:15: Breakfast together: I talk to them about what we are eating or our plans for the day etc.
8:30: Wash up: and get them dressed.Potty time #2 !
9:00am: We watch Sesame Street together and I help them to interact and go over the small lessons with them.
10:00am: Snack Time
10:15am: Wash up and potty time #3!
10:30: We go for a walk with our pup together
11:00: Come home and play in the yard.
11:30: Lunch.
12:00:Wash up and you guessed it potty time!
12:15: Nap that usually lasts 20-30 mins for her and 2 hours for him.
1:00: I have time to spend with my girl. I take this time to teach her her colors, numbers, shapes etc.
She is very bright! Yup that was a shamless proud mom plug!
2:00: potty break!
2:15: Snack!
2:30: clean up and starighten up their room and the rest of the place.
3:00 Daddy’s home! They have daddy time while I take Ash (our dog) for another walk! She’s a border collie she need her walks!
3:30ish: The kids and I read and color. I go over numbers and the basics focusing mostly on my son since my daughter had 1-on-1 time earlier.
4:00: We play in the yard
4:30: Potty time again!
5:00: They eat dinner
5:30: They wash up and then have free time for play.
6:00: Daddy and I have our dinner late sometimes. It can be like a little date without the going out.
7:00: Bath,t.v or short movie, book in that order.
8:00: Bed time with a lullabye or 5.
8:30: lights are out and hopefully they are sleeping!
9:00: We adults can finally watch what we’ve teevoo’d today (just because we don’t want them addicted to tv doesn’t mean we aren’t)
The drawback is after walking Ash again and trying to calm my mind down I don’t usually go to sleep until 11pm or later. Yikes! My question is should I put them to bed earlier, and if so how do I manage doing that constructively?
March 16, 2009 at 10:14 am
I came to your web site looking for a typical day’s schedule for a 2 year old by a stay-home mom who is very interactive with her child and cooks 3 home-cooked meals a day and has to keep up with cleaning and bookkeeping, preferably an organized person who has put thought into it. I think seeing someone else’s schedule would help me get mine more realistic. My husband has wanted the baby to have and do whatever he wanted (no tears) for the most part until now. I have not had any regularity to eating and sleeping and though his has been much more, I feel like he would benefit from more of a routine. I don’t want to be abrupt about it, but I think I’ll have to start with having a set “bedtime” regardless of whether he cries so that we CAN have a schedule. I’ll look back.
April 11, 2009 at 8:53 am
I was looking for a toddler schedule with actual time on it so this site was very helpful.
Our little has a bedtime on 8:30 am that is adhered to most of time. His nap is at 1:30-4 pm (usu it is 1.5 hours). Feeding schedule is not as strict as my little one is a picky eater and refusing to eat at time so still trying to get this down. I was to take some guidelines from other postings so hopefully we can report back with more positive news soon. Thank you again for the site.
April 13, 2009 at 4:04 pm
glad i stopped by this sight. i have an 18 mon old and am currently 18 wks pregnant with twins. just looking for ideas for schedules, especially when the twins arrive. i found the comments very helpful. currently my daughter is awake 7 to 7 and take 2 naps during the day. i work full time but when the twins arrive i’ll be taking a break from work and staying home for about 2 years. my daughter’s weekend schedule is very similiar to the ones posted. i feel i’m on the right track in mothering:)
May 5, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Just wanted to get an idea of how strict (timing) the schedule of other families. I am trying to help a young mother give her 3 toddlers a routine. It was what I expected. Thanks.
May 14, 2009 at 6:23 pm
hello everyone i am a stay at home young mother of 2 children and i need help. there are no grandmas in this family. so i need HELP from other mothers. I have a very energetic 3 yr. old girl and a very brand new baby boy about 2 weeks new. My husband is a work-o-holic. so it seem to be me and only me. I need help putting my kids on a schedule. I know i want them or at least my toddler in bed by 8:00 no later. she wakes up much happier. so please if any one reads this maybe you can help me and my family. or even e-mail me a friend is always helpful also thanks so much serenamoreno55@yahoo.com
May 15, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Hi I found your “Typical Toddler Schedule” very useful guideline. My baby is now 15 months…I’ve run out ideas of what to do with her…coz I often forgot she still young!!
Her schedule normally are pretty same…
8am: wake-up, wash face & hand, Breakfast with 8oz milk and cereal
830: wash hand and face, clean teeth, change diaper, sipped of water.
9.00: bathtime & get dressed
930: play time (Toys/Stories/TV – Baby development programme).
1030: playdate, or grocery shop.
11am: snack with water.
12/1230: lunch (Porridge, Fried Rice, chicken with a veggie, rice, fruit, cheese, pasta).
1pm: change diaper, play time.
130: snack with water,change diaper, brush teeth.
2-4pm: nap .
4-5pm: diaper change, water, small snack.
5.30: dinner (chicken, steak, fish, any veggie, rice, pasta, potato, fruit, small desert).
6.30: TV Time.
730: bath time, brush teeth, PJs.
830: bed time.
2 times per week playgroup class; 1 time per week swimming lesson; twice per week playgym and 1 time per week baby brain development class. All these programme are 45mins to 1 hours. Twice per week mummy & baby’s social entertainment.
Any suggestions, are welcome!!
May 28, 2009 at 6:03 pm
In my quest to find what ‘a day in the life of a toddler’ looks like for other families, I too googled ‘typical toddler schedule’ and (happily) stumbled on this site. I have a 2 yr old son who LOVES to be outside…”dig mama dig” (he loves to dig…in the dirt, in the sand you get the point!). I work F/T out of the home and my husband works shifts; when he isn’t being the SAHP, my mom-in-law watches him – I’m home on weekends.
From reading a fair number of posts, most of us moms are in a similar boat, even though schedules might be off by an hour or two, we seem to struggle with the same dilemmas: appropriate activities, discipline, development, transitions. It’s comforting to think about the hordes of moms out there dealing with the same issues – good and bad – knowing that we’re not as alone as we feel…
Our typical schedule looks like this…
7am: wake up, change of diaper and clothes
7.30-8.30: breakfast, wash hands, brush teeth
8.30: play time and some TV
9-9.30: outside to the park, beach, digging (!), or errands
11-11.30: snack and juice box, play some more outside or in
12.30pm: lunch
1-1.30: transition to nap with stories
1.30-3: nap
3-3.30: post-nap snuggle time
3.30-5: outside for more walking and digging (!)
5.30: dinner
6-7: play time
7-8: bath, brush teeth, pj’s, stories
8pm: my favorite time! night night
Keep up the great work, moms!
June 7, 2009 at 8:30 am
i googled “sample toddler schedule” to arrive here. it’s just what i was looking for. thank you moms!
my son is 23 mos. i’ve never had a schedule by clock, only by order. I’m a single parent, child sleeps with me (so he wakes when i do), working 3 days/wk as nanny and my son comes to work with me.
Now that the 2-year-old behavior has begun (constant contrariness, loud whining, screaming, tantrums) I thought a more precise schedule by clock would benefit him. You may email responses to me at misskilgallen@gmail.com.
Thank you!
June 9, 2009 at 7:21 pm
I need some advice.
I have a two year old girl, and every day is SO hectic & random. I would love to have a set schedual ’cause i know its good for her, and me, but how?
Our day looks like this:
She wakes up around 7 every morn, but I am a LATE sleeper. Then sometimes she plays, sometimes she watches tv, sometimes i eat first thing, sometimes not. The ONLY thing that is set daily is nap time, which is anywhere between 11:45 & 2:00 pm. Then we… do whatever?
Somedays we go out side, other days all i do is clean & she follows me around and helps.
So is this bad?
How do I … where do i start?
June 19, 2009 at 1:53 pm
The terrible 2’s are upon my home!! I am a single SAHM.
Here are our issues. My son recently turned two and seems that he has made it his life’s mission to make me rip all of my hair out by the time he’s 3. He does what he wants when he wants. An example of this, yesterday he refused to take a nap after he got up at 6am we went to the park around 730am and stayed 4 hours!!!! I desperately needed a nap also so wanted to wear him out good. We came home ate took a bath (was needed) I rubbed him down with lotion diapered him up and laid him in his room. This was at 1215pm or so. He didn’t go to bed! Not at 1 or 2 or 3 but at 630pm he once again crawled out of bed opened his door wandered around (and at this point i’ve given up at putting him back in bed) he then fell asleep on the living room floor. So then he is up at 830 PM revived and ready for more! I have no idea what to do. This is only within the past 2 months or so. Up until a few months ago our schedule went like this:
8-830am wake up change diaper
830-breakfast at the latest while we talk (babble) to one another about our dreams
845am (or so)Clean up
9am Go outside on the patio play on the trike or with the wagon
930 Pick a morning activity (coloring, painting, drawing, cars so on)
1030 snack and a sippy of water and music then a diaper change
1045 Learn time-colors abc’s singing dancing
1115-lunch and a sippy of juice or soy milk
1145 quiet time we both lay down and snuggle
12-naptime
2-snack and a diaper change
215-head to the park or out for a long walk(no stroller, just his 2 feet and mine)
4-head home
4 (or so) start dinner and he gets play alone time
430 eat dinner talk or watch a movie or show. (Thomas the train or Spongebob bad but he is obsessed)
5 Chore time, He cleans his room i do everything else, just like a man jk
530 back outside to the patio or walk to the mailbox and a book
6-615 bath
645 lotion, pajamas and tea, or warm soy milk
700 cuddle for a bit and talk
715 quiet time
730 story time
745 lights out
September 7, 2009 at 2:14 pm
im a single sahm to a 21/2 year old and i also let him watch some carttons. im at my wits end on how to do a lot of things . how did you get ur son to bed so early mine wont fall alseep until anywhere between 10 and 11 pm . and his naps dont come until 4pm or 7pm on most days they use to be at 1pm-3pm. help plz
June 25, 2009 at 1:34 am
Yea I’m 16 and I have a 3 year old brother and now that it is summer I have to watch my three year old brother as well as my 10 year old bro because my mom works from 2p.m. to 11p.m. I was watching them from these times already but now I’m hanging out with them all day but yea I just googled a toddler schedule so I can keep my little brother on a schedule and I found this.
This is what my schedule looks like:
7:00 ish – 3 year old brother wakes me up for breakfast ( any cereal or oatmeal , toast,and milk
7:30 to 8 – 3 year old watches pbs kids or his wonderpets dvd while I eat breakfast
8 to 9 – we all get ready to go run errands with my mom ( clean the house, find clothes, shower)
9 to 1:30 – we run errands with my mom ( grocery shopping , paying bills, going to the mall)
1:50 ish – mom drops my brothers and I off then she goes to work
1:50 to 2:30 – eat lunch , play games , watch tv
2:30 to 3:00 – take 3 year old for a walk
3:00 to 4:00 – clean up again and then cook dinner or reheat leftovers
4:00 to 5:00 – my mom will call to check up on us then we eat dinner
5 ish to whenever we feel like it – we go outside for another 30mins ( go to neighborhood park , play in backyard)
usually 6:30 ish – clean up once again
6:30 to 6:45 – give three year old brother a bath or shower
6:45 to 7:00 – toddler dresses his self while I get the bed stuff ready
7:00 – 8 ish – we read cat in the hat and then he lays in bed while his baby music is on and the lights are dimmed
9:00 to whenever – I just watch tv , check my myspace
August 4, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Wow. You are very responsible. You are doing a great job! May God continue to bless your family!
“The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.’ ” Jeremiah 31:3, NKJV
August 4, 2009 at 5:06 pm
I am a working mom of a 1, 3, and 9 yr. old-all boys! I am trying to find a schedule that will work for working moms, that don’t usually get home until 6:30 pm. I want to be able to have a schedule that allows for supper, time together, homework (9yr), worship, and bedtime–that still allows me time to myself. Right now, my kids are ending up going to bed way to late (11pm), but I wouldn’t want them to go to bed at 7pm either, because I would never see them. I am just trying to see what works for other working moms.
August 18, 2009 at 10:25 pm
I have 26 month old and an 8 month old boys. I recently quit my job teaching to stay at home with the boys. The world of education taught me how important scheduling is for kids, so when I have the kids we stick to a pretty good routine. The boys spend a day or two a week with grandparents/great grandparents who lost the word “no” from their vocabulary when my kids were born! How do I respectfully suggest that I want the same basic schedule followed when the kids are away from me? I don’t want to seem anal, but I’m the one dealing with them on evenings that they haven’t had a nap or on a sugar high! NOT FUN! So here goes:
6:30 baby wakes up, nurse
6:45ish toddler up, diaper change
7:00 breakfast, yogurt, fruit, juice
7:30-9:30 play
9:30 snack
9:45 errands, clean, play
11:30 lunch nuggetts/grilled cheese/hot dogs (I know their horrible…) something green and fruit
12-1 play
1-3:30 nap for toddler, nurse and nap for baby and mommy
3:30-6:00 play
6:00-7:30 cook dinner, eat, clean-up
7:30 baths
8:15 rock toddler, read bible story, bed
8:30 nurse baby, bed
10 bed for me!
After looking over this it looks like all we do all day is eat and play. Oh well, they have the rest of their lives to go to school and work. The toddler can say his ABC’s, count to 20 and spell his name. Too bad every color is green still… aprilbynum@ymail.com
October 4, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Awesome schedule. I am in very much the same position as you are with a 5 month old baby boy and a 30-month old girl. The question I have for you is: How do you deal with the crankiness that starts to creep in during the late afternoon? Maybe you don’t have this problem but my daughter (toddler) always seems to start cruising for mischief around 4pm.
As for your situation with the grandparents… It is great that they get to spend time with them during the week. Both sets of ours live in opposite directions and 1000’s of miles away from our household.
You could probably tell them you are trying an experiment in child behavior. Present them with your schedule and ask them if they would be so kind as to stick to the important things like naptime/ mealtime. Tell them you are experimenting to see if this “schedule” you are suggesting to them has any positive effect at the end of the week. Then, give them a full report at the end of your experiment, thanking them profusely for all their help in sticking to the schedule and that the results were so good that you plan on continuing with the “schedule” permanently.
-Sarah
August 24, 2009 at 9:49 am
hi,
i am a stay at home mom of 3 children.
ages 5 ,2, 1.
we do not have a set schedule with the kids. they usually keep us up all night then sleep all day.
i want to get them on a schedule but dont know how if i cant get enough sleep !!
can anyone help
September 10, 2009 at 5:59 am
hi! I got here by googling toddler schedules. I am a SAHM of a 17 month old, and I feel like our days are completely inconsistent from one to the next! I am trying to get on some sort of routine and was hoping to find some ideas.
September 17, 2009 at 2:50 am
OMG, thank goodness I found this page. I have a 2.5 year old and everyone tells us he sleeps so late so I freaked out and needed to get an idea of how other people have their toddler schedules so I can reshape mine. Thank you so much this.