For Stay-athome-parents with just a toddler, what is a typical day/week like?

Question

I function better with a (flexible) schedule, and now that our house is nearly done remodeling, I am putting together a weekly schedule for my 2 year old son and I.
I am looking for some ideas of what to do, and how much time to allow as me time, individual play/activities, and together time.
Thanks :)

Answer 1

Teach him to play by himself. Then when you need "me" time you will be able to tell him to go play in his room or playroom or where ever and he won't have to depend on you for entertainment. Also, when you need to clean, include your child. Give him a towel or rag to "help" you clean. He'll feel needed and he'll have fun. Plus you'll be able to teach him to contribute to the family.

Answer 2

Toddlers like a bit firmer schedule than adults like. Set the nap and mealtimes (keep them within an hour everyay) and then have fun after that. I have a 4-yr-old and a 2-yr-old so I have the luxury of them playing with each other (mostly fighting but sometimes playing). When my oldest was an only, our schedule looked like this:
We would get up and have breakfast by 9:30am, then we would get dressed. Lunch was at noon and then a nap. Dinner was at 5:30 and bedtime was at 7:30. For the rest of the time, we had Library Storytime on Monday mornings and ECFE Thursday mornings, we also would go out with some friends to play on Friday mornings. The rest of our time was spent reading, playing with blocks, swmming in the little pool outside, or sledding, taking walks, baking stuff, dancing, singing, painting, coloring etc. I try to keep at least 4 brand new boxes of crayons in the cupboard in addition to the massive box of broken crayons(I usually buy a whole bunch at "back-to-school" time) to pull out on a rainy day. There are lots of fun and free computer games online (PBSkids.org, Playhouse Disney, Fisher Price) as well as some you can purchase at Walmart or Best Buy. If you keep an arsenal of crafts and toys, you can keep your schedule pretty flexible but keep the structure the little one needs. As for "you" time, I'm still trying to get a shower in this week...lol. Taking time for yourself during naptime is good, but do do the housecleaning and the bill-paying and that other stuff while your toddler is awake, it helps them understand that you have other work besides just playing with them and leaves that golden time after bedtime free for you to be grown up.

Answer 3

I'm home with my 3-year-old and if I have errands or grocery shopping to do, we do that in the mornings. We have lunch together and then she has some quiet time after lunch.

Usually in the late afternoons we work on workbooks or play games or in the summer we spend most of our afternoons outside in our yard or at the park, etc.

Also, one morning a week I try to schedule a play date with another friend who is a stay-home mom so she can have some interaction with other children.

Answer 4

My daughter is 3 and we stay home together and we do alot of activities outside, like going to park or strole around neighborhood. And sometimes go meet daddy for lunch, but nothing that is really structured. But when I need to stop to do housework, I make sure she has a job she can handle doing cause she likes to help out.

Answer 5

"My time" is usually when my daughter naps. Meanwhile, she gets storytime, art time, music time, exercise time, playtime, etc. with me. I take her outside to play with her on her playground. We also go for walks or bike riding. I plan playdates for her too. Storytime she gets daily, also exercising or playing outside. She gets art time like 4 times a week. Everything else she gets during the week, just not daily. I'm not strict with her schedule. No fun like that. We both like being spontaneous, like borrowing movies from the library about abc's or anything educational.