Ask:
I need a daily routine for my toddler since i have never had a routine with any of my kids and I am not the most organized person, I need help from all you wonderful here who are strong in these areas. So if you have a toddler and they are in a basic or detailed routine could you post here fro me to look at and learn from.
I think I would do better with more detail (to keep me in line)but if you just have the basic maybe I can add from there.
Thanks
Answer:
I too am pretty laxed in the routine since my SS can take care of himself (15). My morning s are done around appointments if I have any. It also doesn't help that my DH has no routine and he throws any that I start off, kwim?
I'm hoping to start a routine when Marcus starts preschool. I will keep it everyday, not just m/w/f. Looking forward to seeing what others have.
Answer:
DD is 2 and here is an overview of our flexible routine: She gets up between 7 or 8, eats breakfast and is allowe to watch TV while I tend to DS (8mths), we run any errands in the am and go to story time 1x a week. Lunch is around 12 and then she watches Dragon Tales and then takes a nap. (Dragon Tales is her calmdown time before nap and bed), after she wakes up, Daddy comes home and all routine is done! When we don't run errands, she helps me clean and we play with little brother or just us when he is napping.
(I know, she watches more than the 2hr reccomendation, but she learns alot from the shows she watches!)
We don't stick to times as much as we do to sequence.
Answer:
I know you are wanting toddler routines but she helps you establish routines and believe me things really do just fall into place. You learn to really multi task. I was born organized and a huge perfectionist. Having my beautiful girls threw me WAY off balance after the second one was born especially!!! See if there is anything helpful in her site that can help you establish routines. It worked for me that's why I'm passing it on. HTH I learned to not obsess about cleaning all the time or not clean because I was too busy trying to do other things or would get focused on certain activities and not get anything else done and freak out because it seemed like nothing at all was getting done anywhere! Now things run smoothly unless I don't stick to my routines. Then I know I need to stop and get back on track before things get out of hand!!!
Answer:
I agree with flylady.net. I have just started it this week and am already feeling better about things. I have a 4 year old and a 1 year old and one due in OCt. So I need structure. I am also recovering form Post-Pardom Depression with my second. My Dr's stress structure is the only way to survive. Flylady starts out with babysteps which are helpful to get the routine established. You will get alot of emails from her but don't worry about them they are reminders once you have pasted your first 31 days, but interesting and motivational to read.
Answer:
Ok here is mine, but I don't stick to it I am very flexible but it's a start for you! I should warn you I don't watch TV during the day the TV is kept off.
I'm up at 5 am to nurse Jenna, lay in bed until around 7am. Nurse Jenna again, get dressed, do my morning routine. Julia and Jared up anywhere from 7:30 -8:30. Feed them breakfast, yogurt, cereal, banana and milk every morning. Then I get them dressed, pottied, teeth brushed etc. By 9am we should all be ready that is my goal. Out the house for errands at this time. I always go in morning that way we are home for lunch. We go to lib. once a week not any specific day. Get back,I read to older two while I nurse Jenna. I make lunch, we eat around noon. SOMETIMES I'm lucky enough to get them down for a nap, if so this would be the time 12-2pm. Then if not too hot we go for walk and play outside for awhile. Come in, nurse Jenna again while kids play in playroom. I get out activities to do while I nurse also. During Jenna's afternoon nap I work with Julia on homeschooling stuff, right now we are working on writing. We do an art activity and try to get done before jenna wakes up. By this time it is around 4pm and i'm ready for my dh to get home! We play until 5pm. Then either my dh is home and cooking while I nurse Jenna or he is working later and i have to cook. Either way kids eat dinner around 5:30pm. Then we play more and read while I nurse. At 7pm kids get yogurt and milk, get ready for bedtime routine. Kids in bed by 8pm. I nurse jenna again around 8:30 then she goes to bed. At 9pm I'm on the board
Notice I don't have cleaning mixed in there..... I don't do that much I spend so much time trying to keep things straightened up I hardly ever actually deep clean! I do several loads of laundry throughout the weekdays. Kitchen is cleaned up at nights.
My day pretty much revolves around nursing Jenna, so I should have more flexible time when she's one!
I also didn't put in the days/times we have the kids activities but that is flexible with your schedule too.
Answer:
I'm up around 7-7:30 for my coffee. joe (5) gets up anytime between 8 and 8:30. We ususally snuggle or play a game together. He has brekfast and then goes in to wake up Kate (3) around 9-9:30. I get my shower at that time. I get Kate breakfast and Joe gets himself dressed. I get Kate dressed and they play together while I do some cleaning or laundry, maybe some meal prep for dinner. I ususually pack a lunch and we head out to run errands play dates or go swimming anywhere between 11:00 and noon. We will stay out until 3:30 and come back. They may both go for quiet time for an hour in their room and around 4:30 they play on the computer or watch some TV while I clean up more and prepare dinner. We eat at 6:00 and then they spend itme with Dad while I get a walk in m or do more laundry. Baths at 8:00 and bedtimes by 8:30 or 9:30. when Dad is in charge they watch a little more TV. I try to keep them away. It's a constant struggle. This is the Summer schedule.
Answer:
I posted a thread a couple days ago regarding this subject and I feel conflicted at times. I do have a schedule.
7am-7:30 I wake and let dogs out. DS wakes and I dress him and feed him breakfast.
8:00 exercise
8:30 DD up and fed and dressed
9 ds first nap, if not plays w/ sis: my time to get bathed and dressed
I clean and dd watches movie or plays
11 snack and/or ds wakes
12 lunch
errands, if any
2 play outside or ds 2nd nap
2:30 quiet time for dd
3 me time, if possible
3:30 pick up toys and misc. before dh gets home
5 start dinner
5:30 eat
6:30 or 7 play outside if possible, calms ds
7:30 bath and bedtime routine
8 bedtime
10 my bedtime
Ok so my conflict is I feel like I'm either loafing too much or cleaning too much w/ not enough quality time w/ kids.
What do you guys think?
Answer:
hschmid,
It does look like you aren't getting much QUALITY time with your kids. Maybe try cleaning less or cleaning while they nap or after their bedtime. That's what I do! Of course I'm never in bed by 10pm and I wish I was, but i'm normally up to 12 that late night is my only me time really.
Answer:
I am attempting a routine now that i'm going back to work.
Baby's (DD#2) up at 5:30
My shower at 6:00
Wake DD#1 at 6:45
Take DD#1 to sitter
Pick DD#2 up by 5:00
Pick DD#1 up by 5:30 (yes, they are in 2 different places)
Dinner by 6:30-7:00
DD#2 bath at 8:00
DD#1 shower at 8:15
DD#1 bed at 8:30
DD#2 bed at 10:00
Now if I could just get DH's support with this system (he has a flex schedule and doesn't think a routine is necessary) we'd be in great shape. Problem is, there's no time for anything else during the day. I would love to do more, but it always seems like even with a routine, there's never enough time to get everything down.