My life has been a little turned upside down lately, as all of ours have. For me, I went from steadily working from home to unemployed in a matter of a week. So, like many of us, I have now shifted into full-time SAHM and have reintegrated myself solely into the workings of how to balance my home chores and interests with the needs of my 18-month-old.
Like I said, this change happened quickly for me. I worked at my company for 6 years and loved my job. But, like most working moms, my biggest complaint was not having enough time with my son. So, after the tears and anxiety passed (mostly anyway) I decided to focus on what really mattered, my family. Then, my OCD personality kicked in, and the anxiety of not having a plan. So, naturally, I made a schedule for my toddler and me.
Here is what our typical day looks like.
Morning Time
We start our mornings off relaxed. It gives us some time to ease into the day. I can drink my coffee, my son gets some Cheerios, which he loves, along with his milk to hold him over until I make breakfast. A cartoon and some cuddles and then I’m ready to get started and make us something to eat. We follow this with some independent playtime, strategically spaced throughout our day so I can get cleaned up and set up for our next activity.
Now, it’s time for some fun learning activities. I typically use the Kinedu app to find interesting educational activities but will also mix it in with shape sorters, puzzles, and blocks. Making everything a game keeps them engaged and entertained. Then, we work out! I have been also taking advantage of some of this time for fitness. My son loves the Zumbini dance classes and I like to mix in some mommy & me yoga or workouts throughout the week. We round out our morning with some quiet indoor play and I sneak off at the end to get some lunch started.
Afternoon
Lunch is served! After we eat, we’re ready for arts & crafts. One of our favorite parts of the day! Sometimes this is as simple as crayons and coloring and other days we paint or do springtime crafts. Then it is time for a nice long nap (for my toddler). I take advantage of nap time and get the bulk of my days’ cleaning out of the way or use the time for writing and projects.
Then, a quick healthy snack, and we’re ready for some outdoor play! We like to spend a lot of time outside and usually go swimming, play with the water wall, or go on our slide or bike. We finish off our afternoon with some music time and a little independent play so I can start to prep dinner.
Evening
Around this time, my husband has finished working and emerges from our office to join us for a family walk around the neighborhood. He needs this more than we do but we all love getting outside and seeing some of our neighbors (from a distance) as we stroll around the block. We come in and enjoy dinner as a family followed by a little independent play so I can get the kitchen cleaned up.
We finish out the evening with a cartoon while Liam drinks his milk then begin our bedtime routine. Bath, a little family playtime, a storybook, and good night!
After almost 2 weeks, our schedule has been working really well for us. Now, do we accomplish everything on the schedule everyday? NO. But, this is a great guide for how I try to spend our day. If art is going really well, we might spend more time coloring and cut another activity short or if my toddler is not into exercising one day, we may do some extra music time.
Be flexible. This time is stressful enough for all of us to worry about the little things. Most important is to enjoy this time with your little ones and have fun!
Remember to customize your schedule here and let me know some activities you plan to include in your schedule!
