I need a schedule. Can anyone help?

[CharlotteandCharlie]

I hate to admit alot of this stuff but here goes.  I need help. 

I just don't know what to do with dd all day long.  I feel guilt every minute of everyday.  She is an angle and I enjoy being with her I just don't know what to do.

Our days go like this:

-Wake 7.30
-Watch news together on couch while she drinks her milk and we eat a banana
-8.30 breakfast
-After a.m. poop I get her dressed for the day
-Between 9.30 most days I try to get out for playdates or errands to be home by 11.30 for lunch
-Other days I couldn't tell you what we do cause its alot of nothing.  She will watch doodlebops for 30 mins but I try to keep tv to a minimum.  I try to play little ppl or lego on the floor with her but that lasts about 10 mins max before she's off to something else.
-I need to mention that most days I don't get myself ready, brushed or washed until after noon.  Yes, I am lazy and a blob.
-I don't clean the house ie. laundry, vacuum and so on.  What I do make sure is done is a clean kitchen and meals prepared three times a day other than that dh and I do it in the evening. 
11.30 ish lunch
-12.00 we usually snuggle on the couch while I watch the noon news or she will play independantly (i feel guilty)
-dd sleeps from 12.30 to about 2.30 (i usually nap or bathe.  I am 34 weeks pregnant and lazy as heck)
-2.30 snack on the couch while we snuggle (she is usually still a bit sleepy so I get the snuggles in)
-between 3 and 6 when dh comes home I make supper and clean the kitchen while she plays independatly.  Depending on how easy supper is I will get on the floor and play with her a bit or read a book or point out animals in her little ppl set
-6.00 supper and dh home
-7.00 dh and dd time while I clean and do dishes
-7.30 pj's and story
-7.45/8.00 ish bed

Can anyone give me a schedule to keep myself organized and stimulate her like she should be?

[*Natasha*]

Hi Charlotte,

I understand where you are coming from DD prefers to be out and about so i try and do that as much as possible. SOme things DD likes to do:

She loves drawing at the moment and we spend alot of time reading she LOVES her books.
We try and get out for a walk if it isn't to hot everyday.
We have music and dance class one morning a week and swimming and Mothers Group one afternoon a week. She also loves doing the gorcery shopping with me.
She is now at the age where she likes to help me out around the house like unstacking the dishwasher,folding washing handing out the washing.

[Erin M]

OK, first off you have NO reason to feel guilty, your days sound lovely.  We seriously need to get out of the house here every day too or things do not go well later on in the day.  My dd plays really well by herself too -- I would really just take her lead, if she needs you to read or play with her, she'll let you know.  And it will be really helpful that she is so independent when #2 arrives (it was great for us). 

As far as a schedule goes, maybe you could designate a certain amount of time each day to certain activities (as in 30 minutes of art activities a day, 30 minutes of outside time, 20 minutes of reading books) and fit the independent play in where it falls.  There's a ton of ideas on the Toddler Activity sticky at the top of the forum that you can look at. 

Really though, you sound like a wonderful mom.  Don't worry so much!

[CharlotteandCharlie]

Thank you ladies.  You've lifted a weight off my shoulders for now.  I do like structure alot in a fun way so I think I would be happy to write out something and put it on the fridge. 

ie. after breakfast/nap we craft or go outside or play silly songs and dance but it would have to be scheduled for me to follow it.  I need the discipline.

Truthfully in a few weeks when dd no. 2 comes our world will be turned upside down so I wonder if I should impliment the structure and attention so she's not so thrown off when dd no. 2 comes.