18 month old routine

[helpamommyout]

Hello, could I get some examples of routine for 18 month old please.

My son never seems to last until the afternoon for a nap. Especially now we're in lockdown and don't do much during the day. Luckily he goes to nursery 3 days a week so does still get stimulation & socialisation.

6-6.30- wake
7am - bottle (I would like to scrap this but he screams for it.
8am- breakfast
10am - snack then nap
12.30 - wake & lunch
Rest of afternoon- play, food shop, walk dog, go to the park etc. Lockdown stuff.
5pm- dinner
6pm - bath & bottle (usually won't have bedtime bottle)
6.30-7pm- bed (he is usually exhausted by this point as his nap was so early)

I would love for him to last until 1pm for a nap. Maybe I should change things around so we do stuff in the morning but if he's in the car or pushchair he will fall asleep anyway... 🤦🏼‍♀️

I would definitely stretch the morning out more before the nap, I think it should ideally be more central in the day so almost equal time before and after it, otherwise they get overtired before bedtime. That said, does he wake much during the night?

My daughter is 18 months and wakes anywhere from 5am-6.30am and I tend to do her nap at 11.30 ish, she usually only sleeps 1 hour and then bed at 6.30/7. I don't give a morning snack, lunch before her nap and then an afternoon snack at 2.30/3, dinner at 5.30.

My DS is 19 months. He’s in nursery so we just continued their routine when he’s at home at it seems to have stuck

7:30 Wakes and Milk in a cup
8:00 Breakfast
9:45 Snack
12:00 lunch
1-3:00 nap
4:00 Dinner
5:30 Snack
6:00 Bath
6:30 Milk
7:00 Teeth and Stories
7:30 Asleep

Thanks for the advise. He's in nursery for the next 3 days but I'm going to give it a go on Friday. Maybe try to copy nursery although the only sleeps for 45 mins there 🤦🏼‍♀️ if I give lunch at 11.30 and bed for 12. I don't want him sleeping much past 2pm or he won't go to bed for 7.

Also I forgot to ask, how do people manage if you have errands to run in the morning? If I go anywhere in the car after 9am he's fast asleep which means afternoon nap is non existent.

Thanks x

I’d try to make it an afternoon nap, to start with have it early like 11- then push by 30 mins each day until it’s 12:30/1 whichever you prefer. So the nap is after lunch every day.

My dd woke 8 ish at 18 months, would nap 12/1 until 3/4 (she loves her sleep) then in bed for 7. It made her sleep in longer.

Unusually she doesn’t wake until 9am now, but she doesn’t always nap at all (I miss the nap) if I want her to sleep I have to keep her so active.

@Breastfeedingworries wow your lucky. My DS won't wake anything past 7. Usually it's 6.30 though x