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
Baby, Toddler and Beyond 
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…
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!!!
Hi Desi, my name is susan and I also do not work. I am only 22 years old and I have one 2 year old. I also have two step kids that are 5 and 4. I take care of them and their mother has nothin to do with them. Like you I had a hard time trying to find time to do all of these things. I have found though it is better to “clean as you go”. Sure you can’t spotless everything all the time, which is hard if you are a clean freak like me. I try to clean up after everything that I do. When my daughter takes a nap I usually clean good like bleaching toys, sweeping, moping, bathrooms stuff like that. And then when she wakes up I can enjoy her instead of stressing about the house. When the other kids get home from school we do homwork, play, cook supper and get ready for bed and before you know it it’s bedtime 8:00. Then after I get the kids laid down I will do a few loads of laundry and whatever I want until about 10:00 and then I go to bed and start my day all over at 6:00 in the mornin.
I have two kids, one 20mnths n one 3yrs. I have a good schedule for them and I’m a stay at home mom.
9:00 wake up/breakfast
12:00 nap
1:00 get up/lunch
6:00 dinner
7:00 bathe
7:30 lay down
By 8:00 sleeping
Then you’ll have the night to yourself.
i too am a stay at home parent of twin 2 yr old twins so i am looking for a schedule would help alot any ideas please come forward
I have the same question! I am a stay-at-home mom and I can never get things done because I am spending time with my two kids (3 yrs, and a 5 mos) I would like to have a schedule so that it will be easier on everyone! My daughter will know what to expect and I can actually get things done without having to tell my daughter I can’t pay attention to her.
I too have felt challenged in this area, especially since I’m not a morning person but have to be with my set-up. I have two kids in school, a two-year old and a 9 month old and am a SAHM. My husband works 13 hr days so unable to help much with house or kids. My typical M-F goes something like this:
6:30am – nurse baby & change her diaper, wake up big kids to get dressed for school and eat their breakfast
7am – toddler wakes & diaper change; big kids leave for school; Me and the two little ones sit down for our breakfast: toddler gets berries, milk, raisin toast, loose cereal and scrambled eggs (baby snacks on a Mum Mum while I prepare for us); baby gets baby food fruit & cereal mixed with formula
8am – unload the dishwasher, pick up all the breakfast mess while toddler watches sesame street & baby in activity center; put away clean clothes folded from night before
9am – change baby diaper and put down for nap; toddler gets snack: dried fruit, juice, graham cracker; I have a cup of coffee, catch up on email/facebook correspondence; pay bills
10am – 10 min of stretching; get myself dressed, make my bed, gather up the household’s dirty laundry to sort/wash (do one load per day)
10:30am baby wakes and get her dressed for the day; water plants as needed (I’ll usually alternate front yard one day, backyard one day, inside another day)- this becomes the toddler’s outside playtime, splash in the kiddie pool, sidewalk chalk, waterpaints etc – baby gets fresh air in bouncer or crawls on blanket
11am – Toddler diaper change and down for nap; Bottle for baby;
11:30am – make my phone calls: appointments, family, reservations, friends etc; OR do 20 min exercise tv strength workout or yoga/pilates
Noon – figure out what I’m doing for dinner – thaw out stuff if necessary; Eat my lunch; read while eating; baby has free crawl time with toys
1pm- Iron (I can only do this when my toddler not underfoot)
2pm – toddler wakes, diaper change and dressed for day;make her bed; lunch for them: toddler gets fruit, cheese stick or yogurt or cheese quesadilla or bagel with cream cheese or pita & hummus or PB&J, lunchmeat or dino chicken nugget & juice; baby gets baby food veggie mixed with cereal and formula; do dishes
3pm – Baby diaper change & down for nap; Big kids home from school; big kids snack; get homework started; check and go through mail
4pm- Toddler snack – same as morning; Do my daily cleaning chore (I only do one thing per day: Mon – windex stuff, Tues – pledge stuff, Wed – swiffer etc) My strategy to keep the house neat is to pick up one thing each time I enter a room throughout the day. I don’t clean on the weekends so I’m freed up to spend time with the family
4:30pm – baby wakes & diaper change; take babies to park, or take babies for a walk or run errands if required
5:30pm bathe toddler and baby together, jammies
6pm Prepare family dinner
7pm Dinner for little ones: Toddler gets leftovers from our dinner of the night before, baby gets same as lunchtime with some fruit for dessert
7:30pm Husband home to have storytime with the little ones and put them to bed; I transport big kids to their afterschool activities as needed
8pm Family dinner, watch tv
9:30pm – Big kids to bed; Do dishes; fold a load of laundry; Make big kid lunches for the following day & set out their breakfast stuff
10:30pm – nurse baby, take my shower (do my nails once a week) & go to sleep
Weekends are a little looser – the big kids often have sports activities or go to the library or social events with friends that I have to transport them to and from; I try to get some cardio in on weekend while husband around to watch little ones: a bike ride or an hour on the elliptical; playdates for little ones scheduled on weekend; I save big one-off projects for the weekend like reorganizing the closets or cleaning the refrigerator; And maybe once every couple of months I’ll get together with friends or have a date with my husband on the weekend.
I worry that the little ones aren’t stimulated enough intellectually sometimes with my schedule or that they might be bored – not having enough variety in their playtime. It’s not a perfect science – hard to strike a balance.
Indeed, I was searching the web via Google, seeking advice on this very subject. I appreciate most of the suggestions I’ve found, but mostly they have been very informal, just a list of “what I do with my child during a typical day” sort of thing.
I’m looking for more of a had document, something like a large pre-school or pre-k facility might use to document the day to day happenings (even though I’m just dealing with twins). I would really like some sort of Excel or Access template that would allow me to customize it so that I could import the information into a database to spot trends and generate reports when going to the doctor.
Who knows, I might end up inventing it myself if I can’t find it out there! Thanks for the blog post!
Daddy Don.
I would love to have a copy of the Excel schedule sheet if you found or created one. Thanks! lindsaylowe at hotmail com
Please let me know if you do invent something, I would buy it!!! I am also a stay at home mom with twins and a 16 year old..I find myself struggling to fit in cleaning, paying bills, working out and having a set schedule for the twins..they seem to be getting into more things and their brains need to be occupied!!!
Thanks!
HI! I am a mother of twin 2.5 year olds and I also watch children in my home. As babies, we began sleep training using the techniques in the book “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Twins (child)” by Dr. Marc Weissbluth. They are used to routine and early bedtimes and this schedule really works for us. Bedtimes between 5:30-7:30pm is recommended by sleep specialists to stay in sync with their circadian rhythms and to eliminate bedtime battles. Recommended sleep for a 2 year old is 12.5-13.5 hours (about 12 at night; 1-2 hrs of nap)
6:30 wake up/ watch Your Baby Can Read (works!)
7:30 Breakfast
Play inside/get dressed
9:00 possible light snack/play outside
11:15 Lunch
12-1:30/2 Nap
2:30 Snack
Art/Bible Lesson/Computer/Play outside
5:15 Dinner/Bath/Brush teeth/Your Baby Can Read
7:15 In Bed
7:30 Asleep
Don,
I’m a caretaker for a 4-yr-old autistic child. I don’t know how much you know about autism, but children with autism are extremely particular about routines and schedule’s. I made a very detailed 30 minute interval schedule. I found a really good template by just googling “weekly schedule template.” Hope this helps!
-Miss Molly
Google toddler schedule template & look through the images. I found a few I liked that included schedules, diet/each mealtime, & activities. That includes a lot of necessary info for doctor (like sleep patterns,diet, & activities {milestones in motor skill & cognitive development})
Also, the Supernanny website has a variety of useful tools & tips… Good luck!
Heres the daily routine to try. with activities inbetween as example.
6 am wake up, why this early? because it’s healthier in the long run. Dress, brush teeth, hygine such as wash face ect. Be careful to address hygine as a joy. you will thank yourself years later for teaching this.
630-7am some tv, breakfast. If your a stay at home mom/dad this is a good time to teach the concepts of cooking, like stirring, mixing or just time to talk about food.
7am until 8-10am this is what I like to think of as free time, time to craft, build a fort, color, do a few work sheets for preschoolers. This is the time kids would typically be in school. Therefor like to mimic school in play. Offer a light snack during this time, juice milk and crackers, yogurt or fruit.
10-11am is a good time for the children to self play depending on age. Generally children learn then quiet down a bit to process before returning to play again. over active children are not likely to stimulated enough. 2 hours of solid playtime based on learning will make them crave less constructive play time. this is a good time to set up thing such as playdough, doll houses, blocks, leggos, balloons or bubbles to bat around or so on. This gives the parent a few minutes to organize thoughts.
12pm- ofcourse is lunch time.
1pm- after lunch is quiet time again. this is something that is done in school as well and is good practice. This is the perfect time to put in a movie, read a book or put in a story on CD. They should be quiet for atleast 1 hour, 2 hours for smaller children.
2-3pm is a good time for a walk. The sun is not too hot in the summer. In the winter I try to get the children out around 10-11am when the day is the warmest. I try to get the mail, do some light things around the yard, talk about animals, seasons, tree’s or plants. Maybe talk about peoples houses such as whoes yard this is, what colors do they have, why they have a flag ect. talking is the most important tool you will have after imagination.
4pm- The kids again should have self play. It’s essential. I also try to have playdates around this time to encourage socialization.
530- dinner time, start to finish should involve the kids. Try paper as placemats so they can draw while eating.
630-730 is bath, brush teeth, read books, pj’s, making the nightime ‘nest’ for those who do not wish to sleep alone but are old enough that they should. really its just a nest made of pillows of thick blankets but it works. The last minute sippy, potty and I put a CD in on repeat of some monotone book for babies ( they like the noise of talking ) and soothing white noise for toddlers. This causes them to wake at night less. Also night lights are not good. It can cause a disruption in sleep and therefor make them wake up during the night. If they must have a light, try a flashlight which after they sleep you can turn it off but leave it next to them so they will not panic looking for it if they do wake.
830 to 9pm at any age is time for adults. it may not work this way always but if on a routine it really should. Ofcourse this also means the house should be quiet’ish. lights should be lowered, TV turned down lower then usual and general business of the day should be done. this is a perfect time to catch up on bills, write out a to do list for the next day.
heres some things to think of, if meals times are kept the same, the rest can be changed to meet your families needs however consistancy is what kids need. Libraries offer great programs, town parks do as well usually all are hosted before noon. Smaller kids may need to naps, 1 around 10 am and another after lunch. A toddler may need one after lunch and some like mine, never took a nap after 18 months. I never allow my kids to nap after 3pm, thats only 4 hours before bedtime which can make them want to stay up and create a bad morning or worse a habbit of going to bed late. The only time I throw all this out the window is if they are super sick. then they get to do what they want and I do damage control after they have felt better.
I look up websites for teachers, I download free copies of worksheets to do at home, craft prodjects and eco friendly crafts using household things at night. I prepare them for the morning. If i plan to be out the next day I pack a lunch just incase.
For those who are not limited by mobility I suggest getting yearly passes to one place such as a Zoo. it’s amazing the things that are offered to members and kids never tire of it.
I also invested in a canoe. BEST INVESTMENT for kids EVER. it’s free everytime we use it. nasty crud filled ponds are the best and streams that piddle down to nothing. They host a variety of things for kids to look at plus access to remote places such as reeds, small islands or sandbars.
A bike, some water, packed lunch and a few snacks plus empty containers to be filled with whatever can be an adventure waiting to happen. It takes 2 hours of hard work to clean a house. if it becomes a priority then a person can find the time during the morning, the naps or at night. Picking up as you go is the best way however, then a solid clean on Sunday.
Time outs and the sun, I give timeouts with out yelling. I also have a sun for each child ( i have 3 ) and when they are bad, I warn them that I will take a ray from the run. I also give earned rays back. On friday they must have all thier rays to pick an activity, they must have 3 rays to watch Tv 2 rays to go outside and if all rays are gone, they have nothing until they earn them back. I only offer one day that they can choose something as a reward such as a movie, rollerskate park, maybe a toy or candy during the weekly shopping. I don’t offer an allowence for chores. this is something that in the future they must do for themselves, not for money. Household chores are not things to be paid for. i offer money for pulling weeds, cleaning the lawn and general helping. I keep a pile of popsicle sticks that each have a job and amount to pay. they collect sticks and get paid on friday.
These things have worked well for us atleast.
You are awesome. Thank you.
This the single best schedule/policy I’ve ever heard of. ❤
Dear lord, I’m tired just reading what you do all day. Mind you, I’m in the city and take my little dude around with me when I have errands and we do lots of playdates and drop ins. He’s up from around 7:30 until 10:30…no matter what time I try to get him to sleep…
I’m pretty sure we talk to him enough but he’s only two. I guess I’ll have to get more energetic when he turns into a pre-schooler…
I feel so slack!
This was a wonderful sample schedule. Your detail and suggestions were really helpful. I was in need of a more organized day to feel that both my child and I were having productive, full days. Thanks for sharing!!
this was soooooooo helpful thank u!!
Love this schedule, it is exactly what I have been looking for. Thank you for sharing.
P.S. really like the sun rays idea.
Thank you sooo much for responding to this blog. I have a 2 1/2 year old and a 5 month old. Your schedule was spot on what I’m looking for. I want to do so much with my son, as far as learning/fun activities, but had no idea how to start. Thank again =)
hey i really like ur idea!! pls reply to me!! i wanna talk via e mail!!! thnx
Sarah, thank you for educating yourself about how to raise your children. You were quite informative.
Thank you for your advice. There are many good pointers that i simply have overlooked. I have recently become a stay at home dad and mom returning to work, I work via laptop and finding hard to balance my work and 2yr old little girl. With the timeline you have provided and the suggestions in it, I now have found a schedule where I can work and develop my little girl and still feel good at the end of the day. Thank you very much.. Best Regards, Mike from Ontario Canada
Thanks for sharing! My husband and I have a high energy 2 year old boy. We wanted to establish a schedule so that on my days off I would be able to get a hold of him. We believe structure will help us out a lot. I revised your schedule just a tad due to his different nap schedule. Again Thank you and I will let you know how it goes. I know it has been 2 years since you posted this but hopefully you will see this response.
Thank you so much for posting the details of your schedule, My son is currently in crèche (childcare) but I’m taking some time off to spend with him and was a little bit nervous about how I was going to fill the day. You have really helped me!
I have really been struggling with keeping things in order at home. I have a 10 month old and a 4 year old. I am not working but I do go to school online so I need a schedule to follow through-out the day. I love the idea of the sun, i’m going to try that out! Thank you so much for sharing.
I am a grandma doing a search. I am taking care of my 22 month old grandson and I thought I’d check how I was doing. Looks like I still got it!
Thank you,
Grandma Anna
Thanks for sharing! At this point, is your son napping at daycare? If so, how often and for how long?
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!
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
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.
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.
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
Sarah,
thank u so much for posting. i cant explain how helpful it is to see times and activities listed. i feel less lost now. i will try this for my little one as what we do now is “unsuccessful”. thanks again so much!!!
Sarah, this was very very helpful 🙂 I’ve needed to set up a schedule for some time, and now I have two toddlers!
I really like this example it is precise and gives details on what the chlld is doing educationally.. this is what I was looking for.. I have a 2 year old and a 6 months old. Thank you
love this routine very much like my own but loving the detail on activities and times thanks, i have 2 toddlers and i need more structure on activities to stop melt downs
x x
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.
I have a 22mo old and she is up from 6:30 or 7am to 12:30. She does say I’m tired, but I stick to the routine. And she is out quick. She is up by 2:30 and doesn’t go to bed till 7:30. (So that’s about 5 hrs at a time).
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!!
Hello, Stephanie! I am also a first time mom of a boy! Here’s a list of activities that my 22 month old and I do together and individually.
1. I keep a habit of storing coloring books and jumbo crayons (easy to grip) in a bin by the couch in the living room. This alows him to invite me to join or color by himself. I like giving him the option of alone time or mommy time.
2. If you have a park nearby that doesn’t take any more than 10-20 min., try to go once a day when the weather is sunny/cool.
3. My son loves to help make breakfast and lunch. PB & J, Macaroni & chesse, mashed potatoes, steamed veggies, and pouring cereal into his bowl. It’s more fun when he has untensils safe for his age that are just his and he can get to them.
4. Alot of the time, I will blow up balloons or get a big sheet out and turn on music we both like (doesn’t always have to be kid’s time music, but the lyrics should be appropriate enough to repeat) The balloons are put on the sheet and we lift the sheet up high and try to catch them.
5. You can save paper towel rolls and glue them to the back of a big cardboard box to send racecars down and land in a sand pit or something fun.
6. Sometimes, it’s good to teach while you’re having fun. For example, imitating and repeating words are always something fun and active. You can bring his toothbrush, hairbrush, washcloth, book, mirror, and socks to an open area in your house where there’s not alot of distracting toys or t.v.
Show him each item one at a time and ask “What is this?” “How does (his name) use the (item)?” I’d use the same items for at least a week to assure consistency.
7. My son is old enough now to help me put laundry in the dryer and turn it on and seems to like it. I let him put his plastic dishes in the dishwasher but not breakables.
8. Playing chase and tag are fun. Though he may not understand totally how the game works, it’s still fun to catch and tickle him as he will do the same to you as long as you are laughing!
9. I don’t take my son for walks around the neighborhood because I know he’ll get bored and want to play and run. That’s why I’d rather take him to the park or our backyard so there are fewer boundaries.
10. Last but certainly not least, you can always just let him be for a few hours. When I have a lot to do, I will put him in his room with a baby gate on the doorway and his door open. I can hear him and see him anytime. He loves having his time to move his toys around or just sit quietly and read out loud. It’s all Jargon right now, but he gets the idea.
There’s nothing extravagant he’s expecting you to do. If it’s safe and doesn’t involve rollerblading down a hill, it will be fun whatever it is. 🙂 Every mom is unique, follow your instincts and don’t worry if your son isn’t interested in the activity. Try something else, go back to basics, and it will never fail you! 🙂
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.). 🙂
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.
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.
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
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?
my daughter is 13moths and she sleep alot in the morning. she goes to be at 830 to 9pm everynite. both her and i get up about 7308ish and i get ready for work, i put her for nap at 930 and head to work. my husband works nites so he wakes up around 11 and thats when she gets up.. but even wen i dont work she will even fall asleep on the couch about that time at 930am anyways. thats why i am on this site looking for a routine thay may fit my daughter since she is getting older.
oops.. I put the wrong email in for my last post, it is ktrokey@mac.com not ktrokkey 🙂 (Please don’t publish that!)
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
thank you that has really helped me i have tried to use this for 2 weeks and it does work but i am 17 and i have a 2 year old so if it has its nap earlier would it disturb the rest of the routine
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
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.
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.
I’m in the same boat you are. I have two kids also–3 and 1. If I’m doing work around the house I feel like I’m not spending enough time with the kids. If I’m spending time with the kids I feel I’m not doing my share of cleaning around the house! A schedule would really help me too. You’re not alone in losing your grip on sanity.
Todd
I agree. I have a 2 year old and a 4 year old. The 4 year old is in preschool 3 days a week. Same for me….when to clean, teach, play, cook. I don’t know about others but when I cook it takes longer than an hour to cook and then clean up the mess unless it is a quick and easy meal with little nutritional value.
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
hello, I just thought I would give you a web site to visit. sleepsense.net. I have a 3year old and a 7 month old. I was having problems with my 7 month old doing the same thing. Babies at that age need more sleep. Try putting your baby to bed by 7:00. I know that sound early but it sounds like your baby is over tired. They will fight it more when they are tired. It worked for my daughter. It took a couple weeks to get the schedule down, but she is doing well now. Web site was very helpful.
good luck
Tiff
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.
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?
Hi Jen,
I’m going to try to follow most of your schedule because it’s similar to what my 15 month old did before she started sleeping at 3am! Thanks for sharing with us, I’m about to print out a similar one for my husband and I to try to follow, because the baby led schedule isn’t working for us right now.
i love your schedule. i just saw it and i have the same problem with my daughter and nap time. so im going to try your schedule. i really hope it works. thanks for the idea 🙂
I’ve never read a schedule so similar to mine! My son is 22 months and like to nap late as well. Somehow, he’s still ready for bed by 9 p.m..
I did make changes, however, to this naptime. It was starting to get troublesome because it seemed like those were important hours to be awake late afternoon. He now naps from 2 or 2:30 through 4 p.m. and sometimes is ready for bed at 8:30.
I started going to the park or doing something very active right after snack around 1:00-1:15. That gave him time to get out energy from his snack and let it digest properly before laying in bed with it on his stomach. The best way to get him to nap even 30 minutes earlier is to go outside, vaccuum inside of your car, let him help. Or go outside and race up and down the driveway. Sometimes they just need to release that extra burst of energy and running will definitely do it, especially if it’s a game.
I don’t have a set schedule at the moment but Im looking for a convient one for me I have four kids and Im glad u posted this I think ima try this one it seems it will make me like a lot easier 🙂
I love this schedule and im definately gonna try it out (:
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
Sounds like my day! I am also a work from home mom. My Son use to take 2 naps a day 1 in the AM and 1 in the PM. But now he wont go down so it looks like I only have 1 window of opportunity to work. I have thought of hiring a nanny but the amount of money I get paid an hour my nanny would be making the same amount so its not worth it! I’ll keep you posted on new ways to keep up.
I think this sounds like a busy day!
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!
Hi Vicky
I have a slight feeling you might be a little hard on yourself.
I dont think there is anything wrong with being a bit relaxed about what you give your child and what he watches. I let my 21 month old have the odd cookie or even a piece of chocolate (very recent) and it is just a small one.
With regards to discipline… when my son was only 6 months old we started with the “no touch” word and he actually got it quite quickly and soon enough was responding to it. Now that he is 21 months I have started with a naughty corner. Its is in a spot where he cant get into anything and is not distracted by anything. I let him stay there for 1 minute which I time and go and get him. He has responded so well to this and bless his heart he listens. I have given a few little spankings (dont be alarmed I didnt hurt him) and these had NO effect on him and just made him cross. I am now really happy with our naughty corner and the way it works. When he comes out of it after i come and call him, he gives me a little hug and its like nothing ever happened. I hope that you have success with whatever you decide upon. I would love to hear what you try….
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!
I have this problem transitioning from our summer schedule to our school schedule. I move their bedtime 10 minutes earlier every couple of days until they are going to bed at the time I need them to. I usually allow my kids to go to bed at 9:00 in the summer. Their bedtime during the school year is 8:00. Two weeks before school starts, I begin to put them to bed at 8:50 and so on…
thankyou sheerii been reading everyones sceduals and i think your will work the best for me and mi 13 month daughter!!
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!!
you should go to meetup.com and find stay home mom groups for playdates in your area!
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. 🙂
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
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 ???
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
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.
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!
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!
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
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
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.
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!
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.
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.
My son is in daycare, also 10 months too but when he is home i basically am the same way & he is a very happy playful & cheerful character! my 3 year old daughter on the other hand i have to stick to a stricter schedule!
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!!
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).
My son is also 2.5 years old. He drinks from a sippy, sleeps great, and is very smart. He knows his ABC’s, can count to 20, (1-10 in Spanish!), knows all of his shapes and colors…he’s a great kid! But we also have had the problem with dinnertime. For the longest time, he would only pick at whatever we made him. He liked chicken, but not a whole lot else. What really made a difference was buying a bottle of Flinstones vitamins. He takes 1/2 of one a day right after breakfast, and boy does he eat soooo much better now! I also felt much better finding out that this age is known for picky eating, and that he wasn’t going to starve!! I definitely recommend a vitamin..for a long time I thought he was too young for them, but Flinstones are for ages 2 and 3 as well as older children! His Daddy and I are amazed at his new-found appetite and family members are noticing his face filling out…Mommy feels much better now too! Hope this helped!!
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!
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..
I doubt anyone here actually wakes their kids that early. Those are the times they wake up on their own. That’s what mine do anyway.
I just started waking my children.. If they sleep past 8AM, I will get them both up at the same time (i have a 1 y/o and a 2 y/o) They usually wake up around 5AM, but on the occation they wake a bit later., not to often. But If i do not wake them after 8am, they will not go down for there nap until late and then i am up real late with them and end up not getting any rest, then real tired for the next day! Were still trying to work on a sleeping scedual, sence both boys can go to bed 10pm or later and still get up 5Am and sometimes in the middle of the night still, i have to get rest to or atleast try to get 6 to 8 hours of sleep…My boys DO NOT like to sleep!!!
Growing up myself, I had to be ready at 6:30am to catch the bus for elementry school. If a child was use to waking up later, I’m sure it must become a struggle to change their whole routine in order to be ready for their first time at school or daycare.
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?
Try to move his bedtime up my daughter goes to bed at 7:15 and will sleep until 7:45 or later.
If she is waking up at 6 am and is cranky during day move her nap earlier 1pm is to late. Try 1130 or 12 and then move her bedtime earlier too730 at the latest
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
to tjbmrb
I have been wanting to home school my 2 y/o, but i have no idea how to go about this, I guess i could start homeschooling with my 1 y/o also, but that would be a little more challenging i think, what do you think. I was wondering if you could give me some pointers on how and what I should do about home schooling my 2 boys… I also have been trying to find a good home job or even career, especially sence i have another baby on the way and believe that staying home atleast for the 1st year with baby is very important. Would it be to forward of me to ask what it is you do for home work? I have been looking for awhile and there are so many scams out there and I have been fooled more than once, i am tired of being scamed! Just tryin to find another honest home mommy like myself who might be able to point me in the right direction. thanks
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!
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
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
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.
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!
Did your daycare provide you with daily or weekly reports? If not, contact them for what schedule they use and try to follow it.
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
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
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?
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.
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.
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:)
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.
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
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!!
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!
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!
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?
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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. 🙂
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.
I googled ‘routine examples for toddlers’ and got to this site. I just wanted to see what other parents do with their toddlers on a typical day to get ideas.
I’m a stay at home mum to a 3.5 yo and a 21 mo currently living in Australia from the US. It takes a bit of a juggling act to take care of 2 young children and maintaining a home. I thought I’d share our routine hoping it would help someone out there. I use it as a basis for our day but I don’t stress out too much if we’re off by half an hour here or an hour there as long as we keep the flow going.
7:30 am Mum wakes up/takes a shower/gets ready for the day which includes making sandwiches for our morning trip and getting our backpack ready
8am kids usually wake up/ get them dressed/breakfast
845am we take our 2 dogs for a quick walk around the block
9am playtime at park or trip to aquarium/zoo-luckily we live 10mins drive to both
1145am mum prepares lunch while they play in the house or backyard
12noon lunch
1245pm naptime (most days) for my 21 mo and either tv time or quiet time for my 3.5 yo
3pm playtime at the park or we do some arts and crafts in the backyard if they had a big morning
5pm take dogs for another walk around the block
530pm mum prepares dinner while they play
545pm bath time
6pm dinner time
7pm brush teeth/ read a book/ bedtime
Laundry: I usually put a load in at night after the kids are down and put it up on the line in the morning if I have time before they wake up or midday.
Groceries: I make a shopping list and either go after dinner if my husband could mind the kids or break up the list to what we need in the next 2 days and go to the shop in the afternoon with the kids. Occasionally I shop online to have them delivered if I’m lazy.
House-cleaning: I found a cleaner/s (couple) who does it for $50/hr and it only takes them an hour to clean the whole place. They come by every 2 wks and the house is spotless clean. I only have to do light sweeping and tidying for the rest of the week. It’s worth it for me.
You said to leave a comment telling you what I hope to find. I am concerned that my child spends too much time watching TV, and playing on the computer, but it helps me a lot when there’s a lot of housework to accomplish. I want to be able to care for my home, and give my toddler the kind of attention she needs. I am hoping for advice on managing and balancing these things, and maybe examples of schedules that will accomplish all that.
I’m a SAHM w/ a 17 mos old boy & am 23 wks preg w/ 2nd boy. Found this site by Googling “toddler daily schedule”. I’m searching for ideas on how to better spend playtime together w/ my son. I would like to incorporate more educational/structured activities, like ones he would be getting in a daycare environment. Right now there is a lot of freetime & I have the tv on for quite a bit of the day, mostly for backround noise & for filling in… Our day currently usually looks like this:
-6am Daddy leaves for work
-7am I wake up to alarm to shower & get dressed
-8ish Son usually wakes up (on own)
-Change son’s diaper & get him dressed
-Independent play w/toys & books while I prep breakfast (tv is turned on to Disney Playhouse, PBS Kids, or Nick Jr)
-Breakfast (usually cereal, a breakfast bread, fruit, w/ milk, I always finish 1st & do dishes)
-Play together w/ toys & books (or attend a playgroup, take a “field trip”, or run errands)
-Independent play w/ toys & books while I prep lunch (if we’re home)
-Lunch (usually leftovers or eat out w/ milk, I always finish 1st & cleanup)
-Cleanup toys (tv is turned off and lights dimmed)
-Nap, for both of us (I might sacrifice all or part of my nap sometimes to get something else done like pay bills or whatever)
-Independent play w/ toys & books while I prep snack (tv is turned back on to Disney Playhouse, PBS Kids, or Nick Jr)
-Snack (usually a veggie, some type of cracker, yogurt, w/ juice, I always finish 1st & cleanup)
-Daddy gets home from work
-Play together w/ toys & books
-Dinner
-Play together w/ toys & books
-7pm Cleanup toys (tv is turned off and lights dimmed)
-Give son a bath & dressed for bed
-Read 1-2 books/stories and have milk
-8pm Put son to bed
Im a new mother and I managed to get the hang of Sch. for my 1yr old altough weve de some minor adjustments she very much abides to it.
*I change her when it is needed babys pop theirs no schedual for that it just happens
6am- Wake, Make Breakfast *toast egg and yogurt 6 oz bottle only after her meal- DORA! DVD
6:30am -Get ready for Daycare and Dress , Brush Hair and Tooth (hehe)
7:10-Off toDaycare Sing on the way
8:15am-DROP OFF
3:30pm PICK UP
4:15 Get home and Play or take an afternoon nap depending if she did at Daycare
4:35-Snack (Crackers and Water Carrots.) MILK 6oz
5:10-Go for a walk(Dep. On Weather) Or Read PRACTICE POTTY!
5:40-Prep for Dinner while she Independent plays and doa lil cleaning
6:15- Dinner Meal,Veggies,Friut,Milk
6:40-Bath time aternating days. or Spend Time with mOmmy
7:15-8pm-BED after Reading singing and prayer
8-? I prep for nxt day CLOTHES, Diaper bag,
Cool share!Also I liked this blog’s layout.You will surely see me around your blog quite often as I like improving my knowledge.
Hi, I also found this site searching for toddler schedules. I have a 13 month old daughter and we just recently (at about 11 months) “started” to get on a normal schedule. Her daddy just got a new job and is on an awkward schedule (from 2:30pm-11:30pm) and is very hard on mommy and baby to try to get a at home routine in place. I am still having some trouble and want a more functional and structured routine. Day to day varies.
8-10am: toddler/mommy awakes, gets dressed, drinks milk (bottle)
Tues-Fri: 10am-1230pm: mommy has to go to doctor, daddy and baby always come with me. (This is REALLY hard for me to incorporate a schedule since half the week we have to go and the other half we don’t…. any suggestions PLZ HELP!!)
Sat-Mon: 10am -12pm: breakfast/cartoons/play
12-330pm: lunch/play/help with mommy around the house
330-630pm:nap
630-8pm: dinner/clean up
8-845pm: play/get ready for bed
845pm: bath
9pm: get ready for bed/read/bottle… then usually asleep by 10pm then daddy arrives from work at 1130pm and I give him dinner and we usually get to bed around 12-1am.
I would really like to get a better routine in place because my daughter is also getting frustrated having different times for things everyday. I would also like for her to be up a little earlier around 7-8am and have a mid morning/afternoon nap instead of such a late nap and for so long because she goes to sleep too late and I want her in bed around 8-9pm. Please anyone help, we are both at our wits end and have no idea where to start. You may email me at Ktina13009@aol.com for any suggestions. Also if anyone has any idea on activities – educational/fun/creative please send them we also are very bored during the day. Thanks so much for any help! – Kristinia & Aubree Mae
Hello all! I have a small childcare service in my home. The ages of my kids ranges from 10 months to 2 1/2 years. They all have the same daily schedule with the exception of my 2 yr old. Everybody is here by 8:00 am.
8:00-8:30 =Say good morning, breakfast time
8:30-9:00 =clean up, change diapers, quick story
9:00-11:00=babies naptime, 2 yr olds learning time (sesame street or NPT, weekly teaching curriculum, block game)
11:00-11:30=babies wake up, change diapers, small snack, such as fruit, yogurt, or applesauce.
11:30-12:45=playtime, read books, exercise (dancing to Hip Hop Harry) outside playtime, preparation for lunch
12:45-1:30=lunch time
1:30-2:00 =clean up, change diapers, quick story if time permits
2:00-4/:30=naptime for everybody
4/:30-5:30=wake up, snack, maybe outside for a
bit
5:30-6:00 =prepare for parents pick ups
This schedule seems to work really well for everyone. Newcomers adapt to this quickly as well.
I am a mother to one 27 month old little boy with a ton of energy.
Here’s our daily schedule(mainly the weekdays)
5-Mom up/Run/Shower/Dress to Shoes
6-Mom Prep for day/Cleaning
7-DS and DH up/Potty/Brush teeth and wash up/Dress to shoes/Helps mom prepare breakfast
8-Breakfast(Oatmeal,yogurt,milk and fruit)/Set and clear table/Wash Up
8:30-Walk or visit park normally only until 10ish since our park tends to get very busy around that time and DS seems to get overwhelmed
10-AM snack(Fruit,Veg sticks,hummus,muffins , smoothies,Cheese and Crackers,Applesauce)
10:30-Sensory play(Playdough,water table containing water,fliur,rice,cornmeal,ect.,
clay,modeling wax)
11-Art Time(Sometimes we do seasonal crafts but mainly just free art where he can explore and create with different mediums)
11:30-Circle Time(We work on the calendar, weather and follow that with a story and story stretcher or another learning activity ie.color hunt,shape sorting,counting game)
11:45-Quiet time(Books,puzzles,Mr.Potato Head) with DH while mom prepares lunch
12-Lunch(Soups or leftovers with apple juice and salad)/Set and clear table/Wash Up
12:30-Storytime
1-DS nap while mom checks up some housework
3-DS up/Snack(Fruit,Veg sticks, hummus, muffins, smoothies,Cheese and Crackers, Applesauce)
3:30-Outdoor playtime.We meet with a homedaycare provider and her kids for some playtime at the local elementary school
5-Dinner Prep
5:30-Dinner/Set and clear table/Wash Up
6-Playtime with mommy(Tuesdays we go to free swim with Grandma)
7-Bathtime
7:30-3 Rocks and 3 Reads
8-Bed/Mom cleans and relaxes:)
***DH is home in the AM right up until Nap time when he heads out for work.
I have been looking for a toddler schedule as well and Google brought your site up in the results. I also am a stay-at-home mom and want to make sure that I incorporate activities from all relevant developmental categories in my daughter’s day. (I use the clean-as-you go approach and nap-times for personal activities like grooming.)
I have enjoyed looking at how I can combine some of these ideas to create my own schedule.
Cheers
Bianca mother to a 22mth old boy.
I have gotten a lot of great ideas on how to set up a schedule, but my question is how can I work in potty training into a daily schedule? My son is 22 months and we are starting to potty train but our days are so unorganized I need something plus with me in school full time and with number two due in Nov I need some help. Any suggestions or ideas feel free to email me Flirtgirl_01@hotmail.com
Hi there – I have a toddler schedule up at my blog if anyone would like to check it out. Feel free to print it out and use it if you like it http://www.mamabrain.com/toddler-schedule-example/
I would like to know what would be a good schedule for a 7 month old baby? Including sleep schedule. I mean what activities could I do with her during the day that will help her development. I’m currently an at home job, so I take care of my baby girl full time. So I would like a schedule that has her play times but with activities that a 7 month old could enjoy?
Hey, I am a mum to a 17 month old boy..I work part-time (well actually its a full time job, with great hours.. Babys dad is a musician so is often away, leaving me and baby alone a lot. I have a babysitter come in mon-fri from 7-3 while I’m working. Ever since he was new born, I’ve worked hard for him to have a lot of independence,so he is a very easy child. He can spend hours playing with his blocks or musical instruments, and he loves having jam sessions with his daddy.. He has a pretty strict schedule, which makes life so much easier for me,and for him too.. Since he was new born he’s had a strict bedtime of 7pm,and nowadays, if its 7 and he’s not in bed, he pulls me to his room and tries to climb into his cot..very cute (=. I live in a place where parents let their kids do pretty much whatever they want,decide their own schedules,from sleep times to what they eat etc, and I can see that this not only causes stress for the parents,but also for the kids. What I’ve learnt with my son is that kids actually love and thrive on having a routine. mine (thankfully, enjoys it so much that he can follow it without even having to be asked. As for behavourial problems, he is starting to test my boundaries, but he’s learnt very quickly that any misbehaviour (hitting, etc)will result in a warning that next time he does this he’ll be sent to his room for 5 minutes. He usually has a bit of a tantrum in there, but after the 5 mins are up, I bring him out and talk to him about why he can’t do that, eg hitting. I expalain and show him how to touch someone nicely (I stroke his face and get him to do the same). Then we cuddle and say sorry, and everythings fine again. I definately think that the earlier you nip things in the bud, and the earlier you get into a routine that suits you, the easier it is for both you and baby…
I use babycenter.com to answer most questions about my little girl. They have sample baby schedules for newborn through 12 months. But not for older children. When I googled toddler schedule, I was hoping to find something like what I’ve been looking at on babycenter.
When you click on an age at babycenter, you will find 7-8 sample schedules written by real parents. I use these to compare my baby’s schedule. I am usually looking for information about how much and what kinds of foods to feed her and how often/ long naps should be.
Currently, I feel like I am not feeding my 13-month old enough (especially fruits and veggies), even though I give her the same amounts suggested at babycenter. So I was looking for information on that.
Also she has not been napping well. I thought she was switching to 1 nap a day, but after trying that for a while, it still wasn’t working for us. So I was hoping to find some information about how much other children her age are napping.
I currently am a SAHM as my husband is out of town for work Monday through Friday. I two boys a 4 year old and a one year old as well as a 1 month old daughter, so as you can see a schedule is a must in my house. Here is our typical schedule.
6:30am – Bottle and diaper change for the baby
7:00am – Shower/Dress for Mommy
7:30am – Boys wake up/diaper change for one year old – brush teeth – boys get dressed for the day
8:00am – Breakfast for the three of us
8:30am – PBS for the boys/Breakfast clean up/start laundry
9:00am – Playtime with Mommy
9:30am – Bottle and diaper change for baby/Snack time for the boys
10:00am – Story time
10:15am – Naptime for one year old until 11:45am/quiet play for 4 year old/Mommy’s chore time
11:30am – Start Lunch
12:00pm – Lunch time
12:30pm – Bottle and diaper change for baby
1:00pm – walk/errands/playdate/park etc.
2:30pm – Snack time
3:00pm – Independent play for the boys/Lunch and Snack time clean up
3:30pm – Bottle and diaper change for baby
4:00pm – Coloring/Finger Painting/Dancing etc.
4:30pm – Start Dinner with help from my 4 year old – one year old has a light snack and plays in high chair
5:00pm – Dinner
5:30pm – TV time/Dinner Clean up
6:00pm – Bath time/pajamas
6:30pm – Movie Time/Bottle and Diaper Change for baby
7:00pm – Mommy quiet time
7:30pm – Light Bedtime Snack with the rest of the movie
8:00pm – Brush teeth/Story time
8:30pm – Bed time
9:00pm – quick pick up from the day
9:30pm – Bottle and diaper for baby
10:00pm – TV time for Mommy
10:30pm – Bedtime
One of the big reasons I have it in 30 minute sections is because at one and four years old attention spans are not very long and the activites need to be broken up more through out the day.
I found this when I googled schedule for toddlers. I have always been a working woman. Due to events beyond my control I have been staying home, while my kids attended day care…long story. However, I am bringing them home, and frankly, I’m intimidated! I am not a good housekeeper and not good at keeping my two 2 year olds entertained. I want to succeed at this: our daycare is fantastic, my boys are super smart and know so much-I don’t want to lose that momentum because they are home with Mommy all day!
My name is Danielle and I am married and we have a three year old. I have just recently decided to stop working and become a stay at home mom and wife. I was just looking for ideas/advice on schedules for her and different types of activities for her to do. She is very active and doesn’t listen very good can someone help me with this.
I am a SAHM to two boys, ages 13 and 32 months. I arrived at this site looking for some ideas for scheduling our day so that each of my 2 kids gets some one-on-one time and educational activities, and I get my household chores done (cleaning, meal prep, bills, etc), while still fitting some out-and-about time in.
My daughter v’s is almost 3 yrs old & i tried somany ways but no use she follows her own way…started nap time between 2 pm-4 pm that dayshe slept at 2 am …then i tried sleeping her at 12 pm – 2 pm then she slept before 11 pm…so friends her time is set after 10 she sleeps …i excuse her now … its her wish …after she grow hope i’ll follow
My little boy turned 2 in august. His sleep schedule has been insane the last week leaving me with no sleep. He has been up until 5 and 6 a.m. I have tried to cut out naps if not altogether none after 4 p.m. Any advice to recreate a more normal schedule would be wonderful I try everything I can think of. He has 3 older step brothers who go to sleep at 9p.m for school but even laying down for bed with them has not worked. With no sleep at night I am exhausted because when he sleeps later it is my time to get housework done, bills, organizing and the other every day activities necessary finished. Like i said, Im open to any ideas…..:)
Hi. I appreciate all the information you have given us all. i have a 2 month old baby and an almost 3 year old and a puppy. I am living in an apartment right now but will be moving to a house soon. I was just wondering if you could give me some tips and a typical schedule about this. I would like to have exercise in there too and making dinner. I am worried that I will not be sane if I don’t get any help. Please help me by telling me what I can do. Thanks.
Hi, my name is Star and I am a mother of 2 boys, one is 30 months(2 y/o) and one that is 15 months (1 Y/o) and one on the way EARLY april!
I’d like to trry to get them on a scedual of waking up at like 7 or 8AM, 8Am preferably, (but at thispoint i think it might be impossible, lol) and get them to bed at like 8 or 9pm, Preferably 8pm. But my boys are serious DIE HARDS and DO NOT like sleep for some reason. I also try to get them down at the same time for a nap, but that dont always work, my 1 y/o will go down around 11-1 and stay asleep for 2 hours and sometimes in lucky to get my 2 year will sometimes go down for a nap at the same time with my 1 year old Noah, but there are times, John just will not fall asleep and as soon as Noah wakes from his nap, he is gung ho and ready to play again, leaving him a reck the rest of the day, real cranky, getting into trouble, whinny, etc… then he wants to go to sleep around 5pm or so and then wakes up at 8 or 9pm nad then wants to stay awake till like 2AM or more… then I get no rest cause my 1 year who went down to bed wakes at like 5am leaving me with less than 3 hours of sleep and useless for that day… I need to figure out how to get these boys on an 8am, 1230pm 8 pm sleeping scedual!
Also, a daily routine for time spent, bathtime, reading time, play time, outside time, and leave time for me to be able to make breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, dishes, laundry, take dog for walk, bath myself etc…
So if anyone wants to share with me a scedual that would fit the things i need to get done and then still leave time for me to have me time and cleaning time and time with my boys, please let me know.. Also like a meal plan and schooling ideas and play ideas!!! Hope im not asking to much.. I am all out of sorts these days and feels like so much chaos around the house.. Help me to get back onto track!!! 🙂
Okay, I have been doing a lot of research into creating an all around schedule for my 6 month old, Helen. Up until now, I feel like I have been slacking when it comes to her developmental milestones relating to learning the language. I’ve wanted a more fulfilling day for my baby to keep the two of us sane and not bored! I think I got it.. I need to test it out for a few days to add the time in the scheduling, but if it is a good start I would love to hear your comments!! Every oppurtunity I’ll sing to her, have conversations, include narrations of surroundings and events, mimic her babbles into a closely associated word with sighting (buh, buh, ball), make her reach to grab her toys, play “Where is…?” Pause & Answer/Point, pleasures of touching, cause & effect.
WAKE UP: Breastfeed, Snuggle, Read, Diaper Change, Dress
PLAYTIME: Use Sign with her Toys, Independent play… practice hand-eye coordination, Classical music
BREAKFAST: Rice Cereal, 1st Food Fruits
VIDEO: Baby Eintein (I have the whole collection)
MORNING NAP
WAKE UP: Breastfeed Diaper Change, Dress for Outings
ACTIVE TEACHING: Colors… Basic and bold using flashcards, objects or baby books. One at a time for several days.
CAUSE & EFFECT: Building blocks… Also reinforce previous teachings.
SCHEDULED OUTING: Whether it be to the park, the store down the road, an errand in the car, or walking the dog.
S
Oops..
SNACK TIME
BEFORE NOON NAP
WAKE UP: Breastfeed, Diaper Change
ACTIVE TEACHING: Shapes
CAUSE & EFFECT: Shape Sorter Toy
SCHEDULED OUTING
LUNCH
AFTER NOON NAP
WAKE UP: Breastfeed, Read, Diaper Change, Dress for nighttime
PLAYTIME: Jumperoo, Walker
DINNER: Solids, Rice cereal
VIDEO: Movie, TV Show, or Einstein
BATHTIME
NIGHT TIME!
Eventually I’ll start to introduce Numbers and the Alphabet during Active Teachings and Cause & Effect
Hi,
I am currently a stay-at-home mom of a 16 month old and am having a hard time keeping her entertained. I am hoping to find some sort of schedule, one that perhaps a day care would follow for one and two year olds.
Thank you.
Hello, me and my fiance are both working and we have a 12 year old, a 10 year old, and two year old and our schedule is a bit different as our 2 year old is a night owl.
6:45am – wake up
7:30am – drop off at daycare
8:00am – breakfast at daycare
8:00am – drop off boys at school
9:00am – is light snack time at daycare
11:30am – is lunch time at daycare
12:00pm – 2:00pm is nap time at daycare
3:00pm – is snack time at daycare
4:00pm – pick up from daycare and boys get home from school
7:30pm – 8:00pm is supper time
9:00pm – bath and shower time for kid
9:30 – bedtime for boys (12 and 10 year old)
10:00 – 10:30 – bedtime for 2 year old
Midnight – bedtime for us
We went to a specialist who said she needed way more sleep and when we put her to bed at 7:30 or 8:00 she wakes up at 3:00am or 4:00am raring to go so the specialist came to our house to observe her for signs of tiredness etc and he was very surprised that she was still active and not cranky at 10:30 after 8.5 hours of awake time an that she woke up at 6:45 alert and cheerful so that is just her schedule so sometimes you just have to adjust your schedule as they don’t all fit into the same timeframes 🙂
Wow! Thanks to all of you who took the time to share your tot’s schedule. We have two wonderful boys (21 moths and a “just turned 4 on Sat.”) who are very loving, inquizitive, and ACTIVE! I “took some notes” from the schedules listed above and will create a schedule that will hopefully fit out family’s need. Once it’s in full swing (& proven to work for us), I’ll have to come back & post it (in hopes that someone else might find it useful).
Thanks so much! I’m a SAHM until the fall, when I return to work. I have an almost 3 year old, and a 3 1/2 month old. These suggestions have been really helpful, especially the ones listing the age(s) of the child(ren), and any specific needs. Our daughter was on a schedule before I was on maternity leave, but we’ve TOTALLY gotten off track. Thanks for the posts!
Hi, Im ALWAYS searching for ideas to help make a better schedule for my 2 children (1 years and almost 3 years)
Here is my schedule so far….
8.30 I am up and dressed(ish)
9pm Get the kids up and put them at the table whilst I prepare brekkie
930am get them dressed and let them play
NEED TO FILL THIS WITH ACTIVITIES all suggestions welcome 🙂
1130-12pm we have lunch
12.30 they both got down for a nap
2.30-3pm wake up from nap
NEED TO FILL THIS WITH ACTIVITIES all suggestions welcome 🙂
5pm dinner time
7pm bed time
Hi,
I am a SAHM to 2 twin 14 month old boys. My schedule more or less goes like this:
7:00- wake up, 8 oz bottle of whole milk, change diaper, dress for the day
8:30- playtime while I make breakfast (oatmeal, cut up fruit, choice of waffle or pancake or french toast, bagel with peanut butter)
9-9:30: playtime
9:30- 11:30- nap
11:45- snack (yogurt with mashed avocado), graham crackers
12:30- lunch (choice of bagel with hummus, egg omelette with cheese, salmon)
1- 3- free play with toys, story time, run errands or go to park
3-4:30- nap
5:30- dinnertime (choice of macaroni and cheese, meatballs, chicken, grilled cheese, pizza)
6:00- bathtime
6:30 – 8oz bottle
7- sleep
The second nap varies- sometimes they take it earlier, sometimes they skip it altogether. But I find that they get tired after about 2 – 2.5 hours after free play. It is such a fine line- if I miss the window and put them down later, they won’t sleep. If I put them down when they act a bit cranky, they sleep. I don’t really let them watch TV but who knows, that will probably change as they get bigger.
Thanks for posting your schedules- it really helps!!
A million Thank You’s for the schedule! I’d been waiting to adopt and was called last Wednesday to pick up my future son. I’d planned for slightly older and at 15 months my “plan” was gone. Hence the fast late night search for a schedule – tadaa!! This is a good base we are building on. I’ve added morning errands into the routine to get him used to getting a car ride to the sitter when that happens plus every morning I need to get something since the age and timing was unexpected.
Hi!! The reason I am here is ’cause our oldest is 12 years and our youngest is 14 months old, its been a while since we’ve been back down this road, so I was looking for some kind of sample schedule. I am a SAHM. Peanut wakes up at 9, and is FUSSy and screams the whole day. I feel like hes spoiled, but hes really not. He goes to bed at 8 so, he shouldnt be tired.
I try to find activities to do, but living in South Texas, it don’t make things easier when you cant go outside cause its too hot, and we are sick of stores (we try to go to the mall, he loves people) and the inside of the house. I try to find things for him to do, but he is either too clingy, bored or eats it.
Hi. I have read through most of the comments on here and they seem very helpful. I just became a stay-at-home mom to our 13-month old VERY active daughter. I have been doing my best to keep her on a schedule since taking her out of daycare full time but find it hard because she refuses to self-play, in other words when she is awake she is constantly wanting me to interact with her or pick her up. This has become a fairly new thing but like I stated before I have only been doing this about a month. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to teach her to play on her own? I love interacting with her, playing and teaching her new things, but there are some moments during my day when I need to do things around the house. Unfortunately nap time does not always allow me the time I need.
I’d really appreciate any feedback. I need to get her on a strict schedule because I feel that will benefit her the most.
Thanks!!!
What is a good night time schedule. How should i keep my child full at night without giving them a bottle as they fall asleep. Jutting looking for general schedules of others.
My 21 month old goes down for one afternoon nap at 1. She usually wakes before 3. Do I wake her beyond that time? If so at what point 30 minutes? 60?
I’m thinking if she doesn’t wake on her own that she probably needs the sleep but don’t want to disrupt her night sleep by letting her go too much beyond 2 hours.
Thanks
I have a daughter who turns two in november but still will not sleep ive gotten her on a great schedule but as soon as we moved into our mew apartment a week later her schedule was all throw off overnight id put her on her regular schedule and that night she kept coming out of bed I kept putting her back into her room but she ended up finally falling to sleep at three in the morning she was always a tough child to get to sleep but I know she can be on a schedule the problem is why cant she stay on a schedule she always wants to play regardless on how many times ive explained to her and ive put her in her bed no matter how many times I can be strict ect. She stil will not go to bed early amymore its frustrating because I am an epileptic who needs sleep in order to fucntion and help control my seizures from occuring so that both the baby and I can be safe she wont go to sleep early but wakes up early so I dont have the slightest idea on how to keep her asleep and to go to bed early please I am desperate
I know schedules can be great for a lot of families 🙂 but my kids can be random at times I have 2 & doing the same thing every day can get boring for them, have you ever tried just going with what pops into mind 🙂 or asked you toddler….. My son is 3 now so he asks me what he wants to do, if he is feeling creative and wants playdoh, or color pages we do it while my little one eats, I let him eat breakfast whenever he lets me know hes hungry which is usually between 8~10 & I give him options and we will cook and count ingredients together, while I clean up he will do pre~k games on computer or watch a movie, or play with his train set…. Its up to him I dont want to tell him what he needs to do for his fun! Time… We do have quiet time when 1 year old naps, and sometimes we make forts and pretend were camping in the woods, of course I cant always say yes to things like going to the park in the middle of winter and he plays the why game which I love explaining to him very much why things happen…… We also bought a white board for his room and we do school time for an hour together learn ABC and 123 AND arts and crafts lika day ago I taught him about christmas and showed him how to make a christmas tree and decorate it on paper…. He asked many questions, and sometimes we all go shopping…. My 1 year old is an easier day time schedule she just plays and plays and eats and eats…… She loves to dance with me and avery very much…. But try just going with the flow it can be fun let your child make decisions sometimes …. They do have amazing imaginations 😀 just a thought
This is my 20 month old baby girls schedule and it works really well for us…
7:30 wake/diaper change/go downstairs
8:00 breakfast together (we always eat together)
8:30-12:00 depending on the day – play dates, errands, walk, indoor play
12:00 lunch (again we eat together)
12:30 play with toys or watch a show
1:00-3:00 nap
3:30 snack & show
4:00 depending on the day – walk or indoor play, read books, color, build with blocks, help mom with laundry or clean house.
5:00 eat dinner (with dad home and tv off we all sit at the table together)
5:45 play with dad while mom cleans up kitchen
6:30 bath if it’s bath night (we skip nights)
7:00 diaper change, brush teeth, read books & rocking with mom
7:30 lights out
7:30-11pm mom and dad quite time
I’m very strict on nap times and bed times. Routine is key in our house. Makes for a happy toddler who sleeps solid through the night.
I was looking for what time should we get up. Learning time playing time. Nap and breakfast lunch , dinner and finally typical bed time. Right now my LO is taking late naps and won’t go to bed at night. Trying to get her on a better schedule.
How long should a 18 month baby sleep?
He will sleep 2 hours in the afternoon straight and from about 8pm to about 8am.
Is that good, to much, or not enough? He still wants to be rock at night & afternoon and if he wakes up he has to be rocked again. How can we slow down the rocking or stop it where he can sleep on his own?
I ask because i herd you shouldn’t rock them much after 15 months and they should be going to sleep on their own.
please email me: countryfolks1488@yahoo.com
Most of these replies have been a bit helpful for me…although I feel my situation is not as “normal” as others. My husband is at work from about 5:30am – 6:30pm or later, and I do not have a car. So I run out of activities for my 4-yr old and 2-yr old, it being such a long day and having limited places for us to walk to. Not to mention I struggle with balancing spending time with them and getting housework done. I also feel like I’ve been using the TV as way more of a crutch than I had ever thought I would…in fact, before kids I vowed to not even let them watch it! So I’m going to try and incorporate some of these schedules into our day and see if I can create a better environment for all of us =) Thanks to everyone!
I’m a grandma who googled toddler schedule ideas. My son and his wife have two boys, ages 15 months and 3 years old. They don’t have a schedule and it drives me crazy. I watch them Wednesday to Saturday, 8am to 5pm. When I arrive the 3 year old is wandering the house, mom is still in bed till 9 and the little one might be awake in his crib. I head for the kitchen and start to clean the dishes from the night before and clean the high chair off. Then I have the 3 year old help me make breakfast while we chat. I make them sit at the table while they eat, as I read them a book. Then it’s an educational video, while I pick up toys and clean the bathroom. Then it’s bath time, and they get dressed for the day. I get up at 5am at my home so I can do a load of laundry and have my coffee and gather snacks and food they might need. I go to bed by 8pm. I wish the young parents would not play video games instead of raising the boys, but they won’t listen. My mom who is 80 helps out as well. Just need to try to get them on a schedule.
All I can say is that children, young and old, thrive with a schedule! In my profession, I have been a daycare director, a home-based infant mental health provider and a child development program supervisor. Now, I’m honored to be “Gramma.” With that said, life for adults and children runs so much smoother when the day is predictable! But as adults, we need to remember that the schedule is for the healthy development of our kids, not for our convenience! If we stay out late, we still need to get up early. keeping your kid up late so you can sleep in is a recipe for crabby, non-napping, and fussy-eating kids! i won’t even get into the teenage years!
Every family is different, so a schedule for one may not fit another. I like the comments about a schedule that is similar to a typical school day. Toddlers may not yet be in school, but they will be sooner than you’re ready! I suggest going to sites such as Gerber, EarlyON, Early Head Start, etc. for suggestions on age-appropriate schedules for toddlers. Every child is different so he/she may not eat or sleep like the books say he/she should. Pay attention to “glazed stares,” rubbing eyes, clinging, “mean” behavior like hitting, pinching or throwing toys, poor appetite, etc. These may be signs that your child needs a more consistent and predictable schedule.
Just some suggestions:
<12 months: this is the time you learn about your child, and help him/her adapt to the new world. Pay close attention!!! He or she should be napping 2-3./day!
12-24 mo: Wake up time should be the same daily (within an hour), as should breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime. Most children in this age-range take at least one long nap (1-3 hours) or two shorter naps (1-2 hours). A typical day starts at 8 am and ends at 8 pm. What happens in-between depends on the family. Many parents work or are raising their toddler as a single parent and have others provide childcare. Your child will adapt much better if you have your providers keep him/her on your schedule…and hopefully you have a predictable schedule.
24 – 36 mo: Your child is learning that he/she has some control over his/her environment. Let them!!! Just keep them safe. Naps likely decrease, but not always. Food preferences may become pickier..just wait, it gets worse as your chlld's personality and taste buds develop! But keep them on a schedule or you may be the one having most of the tantrums!
36 mo+: Most kids these days are in daycare or preschool. Both have schedules. Except for the occasional "bad" provider or germ exchange, structured settings are stimulating, educational and social for your child.
Whatever the age, think of your child as a sponge. Open to everything given to them, good and bad. Do your best to expose them to positive life experiences and positive, nururing people! But always remember that even sponges get saturated and need to be emptied (nap/rest)!!
I am trying to find what to leave for a schedule for a soon to be Stay at home Dad to a 27 month old and a 3 month old. Any ideas? I feel as if my 2 year old is not getting enough brain stimulation and Dad has no idea what “play with the baby” means, so please be as detailed as you can with your ideas. Thank you!
hello first i like to thank all the moms who share their experinces over here who help other moms alot. my daughter is 13 months old. i have two concerns about her like what activities i do at home that she like. i man i am house wife and my husband go on job early in morning and back late at night. so me and my daughter are all time at home. i feel like she get bore. she just started walking so i really dont know what i play with her or any other activities for her. and second concern is that she wake up at midnight many times . i put her in her crib she wake up but when she sleep besides me on bed she go to sleep or mostly she keeps on moving on bed and i cant sleep because of that. i willreally appreciate othr moms help coz no one knows better than mother. thank you
I was looking to see what other mums/ careers are doing with their 3 year olds. My daughter goes to daycare tue & weds. I don’t belong to a mothers group and the other days I need more of a clue as to what’s an appropriate activity. Stimulating but enjoyable. I often find I’m trying to get something else done and leave her to her own devices playing with her dolls or pretending to be a princess (lol) with me listening out or following her around keeping an eye in her. She stopped having regular daytime naps around 14 months. I need some inspiration!
Regards,
Claudine
My daughter has no set schedule. I see how it causes her frustration not knowing what to expect from moment to moment. We tend to go with the flow and are very spontaneous with our activities. I want more organized days so she is happier and has fewer meltdowns
I want to say Thank You for this site. I have a 3 year old and having a schedule as a part of her life elimates chaos in our life. Here is our daily schedule.
6am- wake up and get ready for the day. She picks out her clothes, brushes her teeth, washes her face, I brush her hair ( way to long and curly for her to do it on her own just yet..lol). While she is doing her thing, I get dressed just the same.
6:30-7- She watches a little bit of TV.
7-8am- we cook breakfast together, eat and clean up together. I always have her help, this helps her feel involved, plus it gives us quality time together.
8-10am- This is free time, we do different stuff like play with play do, color, flash cards, do numbers and letters, write her name, and watch a little bit of an educational video.
10-11am- we spend an hour at the library. I read to her and she picks out words she knows. I let her read to me as well. She doesn’t actually know the words on the page but she tells me what she thinks it says by the pictures. I think this helps build her imagination..
12-1pm- this of course is lunch time. Same thing as breakfast, she helps prepare and clean up.
1-2pm she practices her name which is a long name, Anastasia. SHe does very well writing it for a 3year old.
2-? nap time, she loves to sleep for a couple of hours
when she wakes up, its brushing teeth and wash face time. Then tv.
5pm- super
6-7pm park, family walk
7:30- bathtime
8pm bedtime
My son is 13 months old and is my first child. I’m trying to just make sure that the schedule we have him on is somewhat similar to how other moms are taking care of theirs! Here is a pretty typical day for Ayden:
8-8:30am: wakes up, diaper change, 8oz formula bottle
9-9:30am: breakfast
12-12:30pm: nap time for 2 hours or so
2-2:30pm: lunch
6-6:30pm: dinner
7-8pm: bath time (every other day)
8-9pm: bed time
We play, go outside, read, run errands, have fun in between all of that! Does this seem normal?? Thanks everyone!
Hey your websites are quite nice. It help for my business. Thank you for sharing this.
Hi, came to this website by typing “schedule ideas for toddlers”. I will be going back to work in a week and wanted ideas on how to schedule my time with kids (2 yr old boy and 6 week old boy) after work once sitter leaves. I was looking for ideas to incorporate fun activities into this time prior to winding day down… 🙂 My husband works at flex schedule so is not always here to help. I was looking for suggestions that would work for when I am here alone and when we are both here. Lots of good ideas so far.
Any suggestions would be great – play time, exercise and dinner prep. My 2 yr does not go to be till 9p unless he wakes at 5:45 to 6 and there is no time for me to get ready in morning prior to sitter’s arrival. Any suggestions greatly appreciate for 5:30p – 9p time.
I go to school Monday threw Thursday 9:30 am to 11:30 am I want a schedule that is easy but structured for a 3 and 2 year old plus a new baby in February can anyone help me pls I really need this
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I am a stay at home mother and would like to figure a schedule out for my 3 year old daughter. Typical preschool stuff. Counting writing ABC along with developmental skills.
I have a one year old son I need a really good schedule for him that is easy and I still can fit in me time and house work
I have a 2 yr old and his hooked onto my ipad watching movies. I havnt got a routine for him or myself I find it hard to manage my house work before my husband gets home.
How can I get my son into a busy routine that will allow me to get my work done in time.
He also sleeps late which drives me nuts so plz any suggestions im very open to
Thanks
hey i am a new au pair and want a daily scheduals for 0-12 month baby , 13-24 month baby and 2-6 years toddlers plz. I dont want to sound strict ,but i want a stabail schedual to help both baby and toddler grow and develop in the right form and avoid a un balanced day. I have taken notes on some of the daily scheduals and hope it will work right . I am very organised and want the best for the child and family.
Hi,
I am a married 34yr old mother with with two toddlers ages 2 and 4; I also have a 16yr old son. My husband and I currently have only one car an I’m a stay at home mother.
We recently moved across town but kept our teenager in the same high school. My husband works 2nd shift. I get up in the morning an drive my oldest son to school about 20 min away,then around 2:30 we leave home to drop my husband off at work by 3:30 about 30min from home. I go back home until 4:30 then I drive 20 min again to pu my oldest from school/football workouts. I go run errands, go home cook, clean again, get kids n myself ready for dinner and bed(bath time included).
The problem is they refuse to go to sleep before I leave at 11:20 to pick my husband from work. So, they are up screaming in my oldest son ear that has to get up soon for school.
How do I get our children/family on a schedrule so I can work from home an have a calm household?
Sincerely,
On the end of my rope, exhausted
What is a normal toddlers wake up time? Nap time and how long it usually goes for? And a normal bedtime routine and what is the decent time they should be in bed? As well as if they have a younger sibling in the same room as them waking up during the night how that may affect their sleeping habits? Also if you could include a almost 1 year olds sleeping schedule too would be really great.
This daily schedule provides a GREAT balance for active toddlers. I have a 13-month-old baby, and have been a nanny for very energetic toddlers in the past. The most helpful thing is lots of outside time (rain or shine!), healthy food, & a balance of active play-time with some rest-time.
*WAKE UP naturally
*Healthy BREAKFAST
*STROLLER-WALK around neighborhoods or in nature
*OUTING to the park, library story-time, run errands or do a play-date (bring SNACKS/ WATER)
*NAP (this gives Mom a break to rest, do creative projects, & do chores!)
*Healthy LUNCH
*PLAY (read books, play with balls outside, sing, dance, play keyboard, bake or cook simple & healthy foods, play outside in sandbox, etc)
*Healthy DINNER
*FAMILY TIME (go to the pool, watch an appropriate TV show, or do a family walk)
*TIDY UP dishes & toys (toddler “helps”)
*BEDTIME for baby (after bath & stories)
*
Would like more information on 2 yr old daily schedule. My husband is a stay at home dad, currently unemployed so full time caring for my son. Need to have my husband follow a daily routine with my son. My son sleeps in with my husband and has a tendency to stay up late when he sees that my husband and I are still awake. Currently not attending daycare since I’m the only parent working at this time.
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Hi there! I think this is an excellent schedule. Also, I have been a stay at home for a little over a year and my daughter is two. I need to start back to work and was curious as to what work from home job you have. I find that daycare can be extremely expensive and I would like to continue having the time for my daughter that I have. I am also interested in homeschool as well so was interested in finding out how you liked homeschool and what program you used for your three year old. I would greatly appreciate your input and advice mom to mom. Thank you so much! 🙂
My kids are two active but they tend to be active doing stuff they shouldn’t be doing. How do I occupy their day? I know watching too much tv is not okay. I don’t habe any ideas to keep them doing things kids should be doing at their age. One is 1 and the other just turned 3.
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33 month old son schedue;
7am- wakes up/ I grab my shower
7:30am/ grab him from crib…dress,potty, brush teeth, get him water, unload dishwasher, throw laundry in.
8am/ free play or he watches sprout or nick jr
830am- breakfast and throw somethig in crock pot while he eats
9am- leave for an outting, grocery shopping, store, playground, or meeting up with friends. If we stay home then either he rides his bike outside, play in basement or train table.
9:30 to 10- snack time
12- lunch time
12:45/1- nap time…his naps have been getting shorter but never have him sleep past 2;30.
2:30- toddler up/snack time and we either do a craft or go outside
4pm-start dinner if not in the crock pot
4:30-early dinner
5to7pm-playtime with daddy or family time with train table, play downstairs, watch a movie,outside play or depending out weather is.
7:30- bathtime, pj’s, and brush teeth
7:45- milk and books
8pm-bed time
start all over again in the morning!