Daily routines for 2-3 year olds

[lalallola]

Hi I’m interested to see what others routines are as it just feels relentless at the minute 🫣 Just got the kids to bed and my house is a tip so need to sort that now!
7am - Wake
7.30am Breakfast
8am - 9am Somewhat independent play as I get the house/dog sorted put washing on etc
9am We all get ready if we don’t have a toddler class/group early or my daughter has nursery in which case we are out the door at 8am
9.30am Snack
10am Outing park/toddler group/soft play/play dates etc
12pm Lunch
Then most likely an afternoon outing and various guided activities puzzles, arts and crafts etc
3pm Snack
5pm Dinner but have pushed this back to 4.40pm today to try and get them to bed earlier as both a bit poorly.
6pm Bath
6.40pm Get ready for bed, bedtime stories
7pm Bedtime, lay with my daughter until she falls asleep
10-11pm 3 year old wakes up and comes downstairs with me until I go to bed as I’ll still be tidying etc.
I just feel like there’s never enough time to get everything done? And I’ve given up with housework in the day because I find it impossible to leave them together. I have a 23 month old and 3 year old. Just interested to see others routines to give me some ideas to mix it up a bit as all feels a bit relentless at the minute. 23 year old has a nap around 1pm only if they are in the car though and only for 40 mins - 1 hour.
Thanks :)

All sounded normal until the bit about them coming back downstairs in the middle of the night! Why does that happen rather than them going back to sleep?

My toddler is very fun 😅 but also full on so the only respite I have is going to my parents which I do quite often and we share the load. Our days aren't as structured as yours - I don't give snacks at specific times and we don't have a bath every night - but we generally get up around 8, have breakfast straight away, will get out the house between 9-10, either to my parents or meet a friend or go to a club or trampolining or something, lunch around 12, go out in the afternoon to the shops or the park or a soft play, home around 4ish, dinner at 5ish and then maybe some telly, playing, colouring etc, bath every other night but no set time, bedtime routine starts at 6.30 and involves a lot of books, messing about and singing for about an hour, and when she's calm and happy I leave her and she falls asleep by herself. I normally leave her room between 7.30-8. She sometimes wakes up once which involves a bit of resettling although she's still in a cotbed so can't get out to wander downstairs (dreading the toddler bed so delaying it for as long as possible!)

I mean it is relentless, I try to tidy as I go but tbh my house isn't perfect. I have a couple of hours free on a Saturday morning when DH takes her out and I can get on top of it a little then.

Is it the cleaning you're struggling with? Does your partner help? Could you afford a cleaner occasionally?

Oh and she was the same as yours re nap - would only do it in the car from about 18 months and then stopped altogether at 2.5

My daughter 3.5 now and goes to preschool most days now because she wants to, but before she went or the days she wasn't there this was our routine most days

6:30am wake up
7am Breakfast (partner does dishwasher and I feed dog and cats, then partner walks the dog)
7:30-8:30 Get DD dressed & brush teeth the she plays whilst I get ready
8:30 get snacks & bags ready, shoes out etc
9/9:30 go to toddler class/playgroup/meet a friend/go to the library/park
12:30/1 home for lunch
1/1:30 clean up lunch and do house work whilst she plays
2/2:30 walk the dog
3:30 do more housework whilst DD plays or give DD a bath & get into PJs
4:30/5 start cooking dinner, getting pets food ready
5:15pm put tv on for DD
5:45/6pm DP comes home we all sit down and eat dinner together
6:20/6:30pm DP starts clearing up dinner, I take DD upstairs for a wee and teeth brushing
6:40pm DP reads to DD whilst I give her a cuddle, then lights out at 7pm and I lay with her until she falls asleep

DD did nap until 2.5

She'd nap 11:30-12:30 then we'd eat lunch after

My son is 23 months and my daughter is 3. I’m single. And yes mainly the housework side! I love being a mum and I enjoy their company so much, I just find it impossible to get anything done when they are awake bless them haha.

Oh I wish I could afford a cleaner, I might treat myself to a dishwasher next year as washing up/cleaning the kitchen takes the best part of an hour each night 😭

Your routine looks normal, other than the 3 year old appearing downstairs in the middle of the night. Have you tried to stop that? Is she still napping at all?

I think not being able to get anything done at home isn’t a routine problem, it’s a feature of having 2 toddlers presumably with less than a 2 year age gap. Hang on until both are in school/pre school then it’ll get easier!

Turned 2 last week.

wake 6:45. Into bed with us for books.
7:15 breakfast
7:40 dressed
8:00 play at home semi-independent (duplo, play dough etc)
9:00 leave for toddler group/class/walk down the road to see the diggers/aldi
10:45 home. Snack and books
11am messy play/more duplo/musical instruments out/brio etc
11:45 lunch
12:30 nap
2/2:15 wake up, books
2:45 park/playground/bike ride/library/painting at home
4:00 snack and tv
4:30 baking/help cook dinner/play at home
5:45/6 dinner
6:30 bath or books and play
7:00 books and pyjamas
7:15/7:30 bed.

He needs a nap and needs to get outside and see people every day. We try and have friends round or go to playgroup each day.

This makes me feel better thank you! And no it’s a new thing that’s come up over the past few months. She actually didn’t nap much after a few months old 😂 So it’s definitely not that. I’ve tried 10 minute rule, cry it out etc but nothing worked she would stand at the stair gate for HOURS. So looking to tackle that in the new year.

Omg you HAVE to! That's a whole hour you'll get back! Dishwashers are a toddler mum's beat friend. There are normally used ones going for cheap on marketplace

6am Wake and plays in bedroom or if being a pain has the iPad for a bit.

6:30am-8am have breakfast, get dressed, sort bags etc.

8:10am leave for older child's school run

9-11:30am activity outside of the house and snack around 9:30am

11:30/12pm Lunch

12:30-2:30pm nap (or an hour of quiet play in their room and then half hour of TV)

3pm leave for older ones school pick-up

3:30pm play at home (or in the summer in the park)

5pm dinner

5:30-6:30pm play

6:30pm-7:30pm bath, PJ's, teeth, stories, bed.

I have a 2.5yo who has goes to preschool 4 mornings a week. I tend to use that time for errands out of the house, because it's the only time I can do appointments or things that have to be done in the day like bank,/post office etc. After that we have lunch and play at home. She naps for 1-2hrs in the afternoon Around 3-4pm we pick up older DD1 from school and they come home and play together, except one day when I take DD1 to an activity and DD2 tags along. Then we have dinner, play, and get ready for bed. They get to sleep around 9pm, which works for us. Both sleep through with no issues. I get most house tasks done after the dcs are in bed - meal prep, cleaning, admin, laundry.

I don't feel we have loads of time to fill. We can't fit in an afternoon activity due to the nap and then having to do the school run. Weekends are completely different as DH is around and DD1 isn't in school, and one day a week is spent in toddler classes instead of preschool, but it follows a similar routine, but with preschool replaced by toddler class. Not expecting DD2 to drop her nap soon, DD1 napped until she was 4 and DD2 seems similar.

I have an 19 month old and almost 3 year old

6.15-7 oldest wakes. Tv until 7

1. I read her books, then breakfast
2. Toddler wakes & her breakfast
3. Leave to playgroup/softplay(or 8ish nursery 2ce/wk)

12. Lunch 12.30. tv on for older, get toddler down to nap, then clean up lunch 1.00. tv off, crafts or baking together, then clean/tidy, encouraging 'tidy up time' help 2ish. Wake up youngest. We all mesa around upstairs - build den over their bed, they wrestle, books etc 3ish. More play downstairs colouring, stickers, puzzles and some self play, when I hopefully chill. Or maybe another playgroup, park or supermarket 5ish. cook whilst they play, occasionally tv 5.30. Eat 6ish. Play, books, puzzle, they chase each other around 6.30. Another tidy up, again encourage them to help

1. Upstairs for pj, teeth etc.

8/8.30. I'm usually downstairs, for a quick 20min tidy and sit on the sofa to chill

Mine are 16 months apart, but since youngest was 7 months she's Napped upstairs alone, so time for tidying and 1 on 1 with older child.

Since maybe 15 months I've made sure to tidy/clean/cook/laundry at short bursts through the day, with kids often 'helping'. They have a sponge & clean cupboard doors. They squeal in delight when I hoover. They both help with laundry, older pne has been good at sorting into each person's piles for a few months and can put her clothes away with 70% accuracy now

I refuse to spend much of my evening doing chores! That's my time for a bit of admin, hobby or chill