What's your schedule/routine like for your 2 year old?

[Nuttyaboutnutella]

Basically, our routine kind of went out of the window when I was heavily pregnant with dc2, plus initially when she was born. She's nearly a month old so I'm trying to get into a better routine with my 2 year old.

What's your typical day/routine with your 2 year old, especially regarding meals/naps? (We're having trouble with naps and bedtime at the moment)

Awake 6am
Cup of milk 6.30
Breakfast 7.30
Toddler group/soft play/some kind of activity 9/9.30
Snack 10.30
Lunch 11.30/11.45
Nap 1pm
Awake 2.30ish
Snack 3.30
Dinner 5pm
Milk 6.15
Bath 6.40
Story 7pm
Bed 7.15

6.30/7am wake up
7am milk
7.30am breakfast
8am get dressed/play
9/9.30 some form of activity
9.30am snack
11.45am lunch
12.30/1pm nap
2.30pm wake up
3pm snack
5pm dinner
6.15pm bath
6.40pm milk and stories
7pm bedtime

DD is 20m, but we’ve had a similar routine since DS (now 4) was 1.

Breakfast around 7.30
DS has preschool 3 mornings a week so we drop him off or my DH takes him if he can
Out to play date, class, park, library, supermarket etc around 9/9.30
Snack 10ish
Home by lunch around 12. Sometimes we take a picnic lunch or eat at soft play/friends house but usually still eat at 12.
On preschool days we pick up DS at 12.30
Nap 1-3ish for DD (DS does quiet time in his bedroom)
Snack 3ish
Afternoons we usually just play at home, in the garden, art projects, toys, tv if I’m losing the will to live. Sometimes we do play dates or go to the park.
Dinner around 5.30
Bedtime 7ish

Awake 6.30-7
Breakfast 7.30
Sometimes a small snack around 10
Lunch 12
Nap 12.30-2.30ish
Milk and snack 3.30
Dinner about 5.30
Bath
Bed at 7-7.30

Also my DS started to drop his nap around 2. I still made him do quiet time in his room and sometimes he fell asleep and then bedtime was at 6pm if he didn’t nap. It was brutal to lose the nap with a newborn too, but then bedtime was amazing as he was taking a long time to fall asleep if he napped and getting less sleep overall.

If you are having issues with naps and bedtime and he is 2 then it’s probably time to drop the nap.

hormones I know, but some days he definitely needs it! He gets super grouchy, especially when he's awake mega early. Giving him a 20 minute limit and if he doesn't nap, I'm instilling quiet time for me instead.

We do almost exactly the same as loupylou and LoveB

Some days DS will go without a nap - but he's a nightmare by 5.30pm, so he still needs it. I can see him dropping it completely soon. I'll be enforcing quiet time then as well. (If only for my sanity!)

On a weekday:
Awake 7.15am
Breakfast 7.45am (at daycare)
Snack 10am
Lunch 12.15pm
Nap 1-3pm
Snack 3.30pm
Dinner 5.30pm
Bath 6.45pm
Bed 7pm
We’re a bit more relaxed at the weekend but it usually follows a similar schedule

So our DS is 22 months.

Awake between 5.45 and 6.45 (can't get out of bed until 06.00 )
Reading and wake up play until breakfast at 7.15 - 7.45
Snack about 9.30
Then out the house for activity ( swimming, play centre, dance,)
Lunch about 11.30
Nap 12.00 until well it varies anywhere between an hour and just recently 2 hours
We are then back out
Snacks somewhere at about 2.30
Back home for 3.30 latest
Tea at 4.30
Play until 6.15 which is then teeth and pjs time
Supper at 6.30 with an hour of quiet time
Teeth and bed 7.30

6.30 am wake up normally
7.00 am breakfast then dressed etc plus school run for oldest
9.30 am to 12:00 either toddlers, swimming class or another activity plus snack time is included in these around 10.30 am.

12:30 lunch
13:30 chill out time maybe watch a little tv or do some learning things such as alphabet/ numbers etc or play time for an hour
14:30 school run (he tries to nap during this time but gets 15 mins max)
3:15 snack time both kids
3.30 kids play together for an hour or so till dinner time
5:00 dinner
6:45 snack if needed then bath, story, cuddles and bed
7:30 normally asleep by then

I don’t really let him nap for long or he won’t sleep at night.

Some children just need a nap every few days. The transition to no nap was tricky for a couple of weeks but for us it resulted in DD getting more sleep.

7am wake
8am breakfast
10am snack
12 noon lunch
1-2.30 nap
3pm snack
5.30 dinner
6pm bath
6.30 milk
7pm bed

7-8 wake up

9 breakfast

11/12-1/2 nap with milk (small snack afterward)

5 dinner

7 - bed.

If I tried to give him a standard lunch he wouldn't eat it.

Loose routine here. We’re probably examples of not-so-good practice!
A day we’re at home together usually looks something like this...

7am (ish): wake up and breakfast
8am: free play/watch TV
9.30am: get washed and ready
10-11.30am: activity e.g go to the park/shops etc
12: Lunch
1.30pm: nap (about 2 hours). Wake up and have drink and snack
4pm-5.30pm: play
6pm: dinner
6.30-7.30pm: play/TV
8pm/8.30pm: bath
9.30pm: bed

Wake up sometime between 6 and 8. Milk, a little bit of CBeebies and some stickers or reading.
8am breakfast at nursery or at my DM’s
9:30 - a class when he’s with DM, an activity at nursery
10:30am - snack
11am - trip to the park or beach with DM, a music or dance class at nursery
Noon - lunch
12:45 - 2/2:30 - nap
3pm - snack
5pm at nursery, 5:30pm with DM - dinner
5:45 hometime
6pm 30 mins of quiet play at home - we often do puzzles or duplo
6:30pm bath
7pm stories and milk
7:45pm bed