{Creating a Toddler Schedule}

As the end of June was rapidly approaching, I started turning my thoughts away from wrapping up the school year and towards being a stay at home mama for 8 weeks during the summer.

I don't know about you, but it is really hard for me to switch gears and move in a completely new direction. As a mama and a full time school counselor this is exactly what happens to me during my 8 week summer break. Suddenly I go from commuting for close to 2 hours each day, doing the daycare drop off/pick ups, squeezing in meals, and of course working at my job to days that somehow feel longer, move slower, and my summer client can be quite demanding. 


Last summer was a bit easier because my little guy was only 4 months old, he slept a lot! As this summer was quickly approaching I was feeling nervous about how to be at home all day with my very active 16 month old. I decided what would be helpful would be a list of activities available to us in Seattle. My list included free activities such as library story times, local parks, indoor play spaces to activities that cost like the zoo or aquarium. I also created a Pinterest Board of at home activities to engage my little guy.

As I was compiling my activity list I ran across this blog post and this post about creating a Toddler Schedule. My mind was blown! Creating a schedule for my kiddo (and really a schedule for myself) made perfect sense for me. I liked the idea of giving structure to the day as well as helping the day not feel so long. What can stress me out the most about staying at home (besides not knowing what to do with my time) is wondering if I was productive enough. Here is the daily schedule I created for our Summer:

What I like about this schedule is I set out a specific amount of time to get some household things done and then I don't stress about it again. If I am more ambitious during the day - awesome, if not - it is okay. Having a schedule has also helped me to decide the best time frame for play dates and getting together with friends. I have a good block of time in the morning and in the afternoon.

I am officially halfway through my summer, which is hard to believe. So a quick check-in on how my schedule is working. 

• I have been setting my alarm for 5:45am and try to be out of bed no later than 6am. Some days I push this off to 6:30 if I was up late the night before. I do a quick workout, shower and then enjoy some quiet time (and a cup or two of coffee). I love being ready for Elijah when he wakes up as opposed to him being my alarm clock.
• Elijah wakes up has been between 7:30am and 8:30am, usually around 8am. So the schedule is adjusted depending on his wake up time.
• Lunch has been closer to 12pm with nap time often being 1-3pm. This of course is flexible if little man is cranky.

Having a schedule and a plan has been so beneficial for me and honestly helps me to not feel overwhelmed. How do you structure your day? Or does spontaneity work best for you?