The best time to create strong daily routines for your child
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We’ve all heard the term “strike while the iron is hot”, right? 🔥
Starting early is, of course, your best bet with routine building for kids.
However, when it comes to the tools used to create these routines, you need to be more strategic.
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I want to note that this is just my personal opinion based off of having two little ones.
The best time to create daily routines is as soon as you are ready! For me, I started incorporating different routine elements at around 1 month old – 3-month-old. I knew I would be returning to work at 3 months and wanted to have a few things established. I was also fully aware that their schedule is still constantly changing since little ones are developing at a much faster rate when young.
You simply need to be aware of your child’s developmental stage. As much as you may want to read a bedtime story at 7:00pm, perhaps your 2-week-old is already sleeping, so you disregard that for that night. The important part is to adapt and pivot when needed AND do what works for you. That may be an unpopular opinion, but it is one I stand strongly by.
Why do I say this?
Because I have two little ones of my own, I have fully immersed myself in this ever-changing mamahood journey for a couple years now. And with both kids, setting a routine was key and necessary, especially when I returned back to work after 12 weeks of maternity leave. However, I knew that it would be changing, and I would need to change too.
Daily Routine Examples for a 1-Year-Old
Below I outline two different daily routines for my 1-year-old. Remember, components to the routine will be different (and should) based on what works for you, your job and family dynamic. No one way is the right way.
Morning Routine
7:00 AM Wake Up & Potty Time
7:15 AM Brush Teeth & Face
7:30 AM Have Breakfast (Milk) & Listen to Affirmations – My boy loves listening to Jools TV on YouTube affirmation video. Go check it out.
7:45 AM Watch 1 Favorite Show / 1 Favorite Activity
8:15 AM Take a Bath & Change
8:45 AM Child Lead Play Time – Here you can let your child lead you into whatever he wants to do. It may be walking around in circles, playing with his favorite truck or magnetic tiles.
9:15 AM Play Time
10:00 AM Snack – Pick out some of his favorite ones
10:30 AM Learning Time – I like to add some time for him to explicitly practice his letters, numbers, animals and body parts. Your child may not be sitting like an actual lesson, but you know it’s time to be extra mindful and incorporate that learning during that time. Check out my shop for some resources.
11:00 AM Walk / Outside
11:45 AM Nap Time
Evening Routine
5:30 PM Have Dinner Prepped
6:00 PM Clean up – we do this together and he has now learned the cleanup song. He is not quite CLEANING, but we are getting there.
6:15 PM Freshen Up/ Put Pajamas
6:30 PM Read Book
This is his favorite:
6:45 PM Mellow/ Listen to his favorite music
7:15 PM Turn Lights Off/ Rock/ Talk To/ Sound Machine
7:30 PM Sleep time
Comparison
It is very easy to compare yourself to other moms and what they are doing. But no one situation is the same. And so, I encourage moms to support one another rather than pass judgment on what is being done. You will need to figure out what works best for your child. My kids both love the sound machine are different in the nighttime activities.
What to know about setting routines for your kids?
- Be consistent
- It changes
- Perfection is not the key
Getting this crucial step right from the offset will give you an undeniable advantage 👏
Still feeling lost? Reach out to me 👇
Nelly
