Do you have a 1 year old? Do you have a daily schedule?

[kayte]

I am curious if you have a daily schedule you follow with your DC besides eating and napping? I was watching SuperNanny last night and the family schedule she created had times for activities with the one year old. It got me thinking about creating a loose frame work for the day ---like outside play, art, etc... I was curious if anyone else has a schedule for their early toddlers (my DD is 16 months). Part of me thinks it would be a good idea for DD to know what to expect but part of me thinks I might create a kiddo (like my 4 yo nephew) who melts down in the slightest change in schedule once they become accustomed to it. RIght now we walking in the morning, have a pretty consistent eating schedule and she naps like clockwork twice a day. I just fill in the day with random activities and play.

Curious what others do...

[gatorsmom]

Our schedule sounded like yours til I got pregnant recently. Regular mealtimes, regular afternoon nap time and always play outside from right after lunch til naptime at 2:30pm (even in the winter unless it was below 10 degrees or had a bad windchill). Now we play all morning outside, come in for lunch or eat lunch outside, play some more til 2pm then it's naptime for all of us- including DS#1 (he'll usually just lay next to me in our bed and watch TV while I nap in the afternoons). I don't plan a lot of crafts because I leave those activities for playtime with Mother's helpers.

I don't schedule crafttime for a couple of reasons- 1)I can't think of different enough activities to keep them interested on a daily basis 2) I like to leave that time open for errands.

I think a much tighter/planned-out schedule is possible as long as you give your children warnings like: "in five minutes we are going to start cleaning up. In two minutes we are going to start cleaning up..." I think the warnings are important- they made a huge difference in my friend's son's behavior once she started doing that.

Lisa
Mom to Gator July 2003
And Cha-Cha July 2005
and surprise! twins due 11/07!

[maestramommy]

We have a schedule for eating and sleeping, and to some extent activities. One day we have a class, another day we meet up with other moms and toddlers at the park, another day we might have a playdate. Otherwise it's pretty loose and I like it that way. During my pregnancy I had so many doctors appts it was rather stressful. I like having free days where I can schedule something in if I like, or not.

[fortato]

Monday through Friday we have a schedule...the times are pretty flexible, but we try to stick to it...

9am-10 Breakfast, bath, dress, play in his room
10am-12- outside play, inside arty stuff (He's one, so it's pretty much finger painting or something), Listen to music, or Go for a walk. (Tuesday we have Itsy Bitsy Yoga, Thursday we have playdates at the park)
12-1pm- Lunch
1-3pm- Nap
3-6- outside play, I get to visit with my neighbor while our kids play together- or we go for another walk,
I start dinner around 5, so usually I put him in a stationary entertainer, or I put him in his high chair and he eats something.


We just cut out the second nap...he would get up at 8 and then nap at 10, and then nap again at 2... it's been great since we cut it out.

[kayte]

Thanks for everyone's replies. I think I might try a list of activites --like playdough doesn't always come to mind--- and put it on the fridge. When we need to change of activity I can look at it!

Melinda-
I just saw that you have new baby named Arwyn- Congratulations! ... we have an Arwen too, we just spell it differently.