Understanding the Importance of a Routine for Toddlers
A consistent routine for toddlers changes everything about raising toddlers. The toddler routine tips will not fit every families lifestyle but the goal is to understand your families needs. Here is the thing. Out children understand our routine before they can follow a two step direction.
How will a routine for toddlers change our lives? A consistent routine gives our children a chance to experience independence. The routine provides structure and security for our children to work on skills.
Routines help our children to have a clear understanding of the world around them. They also teach our children how to problem solve and plan for the future.
Starting a routine in the toddler years can reduce much of the frustration as our children grow. This gives our children to navigate and handle various emotions and expectations. Also, our children will learn they have a role and a place they fit in the household.
Tips for Creating a Simple and Effective Toddler Routine
Expect the routine to change overtime. There is no perfect plan that will last forever. Nap time changes, seasons change, and your child will become more capable every day.
Plan for the hardest days. Initially when starting a plan create it for the hardest days. To start with creating a routine with what is already happening.
Know your priorities. Free play? Nature play? Clean house? Cute outfits? Independence? Bonding time?
Name your key activities. Your key activities are the times you will have routines around. Things like nap time, meal time, leaving the house, coming home, morning, and playtime.
Involving Your Toddler in Routine Planning
Your toddler is old enough and will benefit from helping to plan the routines. They will be responsible for the routine in varying degrees so its important they feel part of the process.
Some ideas of parts of the routine they can choose
- Number of books at bedtime
- Order of routine (do we read a book then do tuck ins?)
- How many outfits they can pick from
- Independent activities for quiet times
- What chore they will be responsible for during pick up times
Adapting Routines During Busy Days
Plan ahead for the days where the routine just doesn’t work. Sometimes we aren’t home for nap time. Maybe we don’t have time between coming home and meal time for the regular routine. Thankfully our children thrive on routine but can absolutely handle deviating from it (and its probably good to do sometimes).
Know what the most important parts of the plan are. If the end of play time involves picking up toys. Your toddler will probably be okay if you skipped it once because there isn’t time. The same might not be true if you try to skip the book at bedtime.
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