what do you do with your 16 mo all day?

[nona]

hi moms of young toddlers,

first of all, i'm curious to know who gets up before their toddler and gets ready for the day? i NEVER do this - i get up when i hear my LO but i would make my life so much easier if i would (ie i'm day #3 no shower!). i feel "guilty" trying to get ready to go somewhere while cade has to wait on me. of course, he ends up emptying all my drawers in the meantime  .  if only i would get up, eat breakfast, have coffee in peace, and get dressed for the day......

what is your routine day to day? for instance, do you do scheduled playtime or crafts, etc? now that we are on one nap a day, we usually do something everything morning - like libray, playgroup, park, take a walk, etc around 10ish.

what is your opinion about going out every day? cade seems to go stir crazy if we don't and keeps handing me his shoes or going to the door or pointing outside,  etc. even though it was raining here today, we took a walk when it was just a light drizzle.

also, cade doesn't really play with his toys at the moment and has an incredibly short attention span. i'm sure this is normal. he does like to help w/ chores (unloading dishwasher, laundry, etc) which is adorable. any activity i try to do with him last < 5 min. this morning, we went upstairs to play in the game room (lots of toys!) and listen to music and that lasted maybe 15 min - then he wanted to go downstairs again.

do you have structured activities such as focusing on learning ABCs, numbers, animals, crafts, colors, reading time, etc? i don't really, just casually mention stuff when we are playing.

i guess i feel this mom guilt if i am not spending all my time "teaching" him something. granted, i feel guilty alot b/c i am not doing this!

here's our general routine:
7:15ish wake up
7:45ish breakfast
8:15ish get us dressed for the day
9:15ish snack
9:30/10 - morning activity: playdate, park, gymboree, etc
11:30ish - lunch
12-3 nap
3:30 snack
4ish if i'm lazy, i'll sneak in some oprah while sitting/reading to cade OR we'll take a walk, go to park, etc
5:30ish dinner

so, it's the in btwn times i'm not sure how i should best spend my time with him KWIM?

[Sarahlolly]

Hi - we do various things including but not limited to:

Independant Play
Book time
Music time
Singing and signing
TV - yes sorry but Ella loves Mr Tumble!!  She loves watching Justin sign.
Alpha Baby practice - phonics/flashcards etc
Go to the park for a waddle
Time on her bike
Climbing stairs practice
Loading the washer
Unloading the washer!
Playing with fridge magnets for ages!  (Usually while I'm cooking!!)
Classes

Everything is a game for Ella and we treat everything as such! 

Sounds like you are doing great though!

Sarah xx

[Aly Mac]

Hi Heather
I know what you mean with your post....i think the hardest is the attention span....I'm looking forward to when she is more into craft,but now I think about it, she will probably only want to do it for 5mins max!!!  This is our day:

6.30 wake & bf
7.45 bfast
9-11.30 - monday: grocery shopping; tues: swimming; friday: mothers group; the other days try to do something like go to the park or just a play downstairs
11.30 lunch
12-2 nap
2-2.30 quiet time on mummys lap - normally with some milk and maybe watch playschool depending on the time it's on
2.30/3 snack
3.30 independant play
anytime from here dh comes home so she will play with him, normally outside or at least playing on the floor
5.30 dinner
7bed...

I also don't get up before Lilly - I figure I deserve the rest.  I do get Lilly into the bathroom with me if I need to shower before we go out (otherwise I do it at nighttime).  I bring toys in, or worse thing can happen is she comes in with me.  I am trying to read with Lilly everyday before her nap, depending on if we went out.  Or I'll do it anothe time a day.  she is getting better at sitting.  I'm like you - more random stuff.  Someone else did recomend this site not long ago - keep meaning to look for ideas - its' pretty structured and aimed at homeschoolers but not a bad idea.

http://www.letteroftheweek.com/index.html

xxxxxx

ps> don't you hate the mummy guilt......

[nona]

i think we're leading parallel lives! we also grocery shop on mondays. i take him to the library and then off to the grocery store. my week gets screwed up if i can't go for some other reason. our schedule is very similar.

do you LOs really have independent play? cade doesnt'  (or won't, rather) really do this....

[Aly Mac]

Yeh Heather - L plays by herself really well.  madly from one thing to another, and not really with toys LOL< but happy to play by herself.  my mummy guilt is that I feel I should do more structured things with her...

[Sarahlolly]

Ella likes independant play alot - she has a box full of little toys and spends alot of time emptying it and filling it back up again!!  It means the floor is covered but she just loves moving from one thing to another!

Sarah x

[skatty]

I have a spirited 17 month old and we have to spend lots of our day outside whatever the weather or she goes crazy, she would spend all day in the sand pit if I let her!! We really don't do any structured playing but this is because she doesn't have the attention span for it, she loves to play independantly and is suddenly very much into playing in her room while I get stuff done, it's very Leorah proofed and I pop in every few mins especially if it goes a bit quiet!! We go to a playgroup twice a week and the other days we mainly go out walking until she sceams to get out of the pushchair which can be immediately or if fed snacks after 20 mins max  WE live in the country and I don't drive and I have mummy guilt too as I know she'd love to spend more time with other kids but the public transport is very infrequent and I always have to get home for her nap. Sometimes I just have to put the tv on as it is one way to get her to chill out a bit, she loves Teletubbies and Postman Pat, I really don't feel bad about her watching tv, I believe it can be educational and we need some variety in our day.

I usually shower at night and get up when L wakes but on playgroup days I get up early and get myself ready and have a coffee before she gets up as she still likes a leisurely breakfast even though we have to be out of the house at a certain time.

Nona I had to laugh about Cade getting his shoes, Leorah constantly brings me her boots and snowsuit even when she has just got out of bed!

[nona]

skatty, that is too funny! cade loves to be outside AND he prefers to be pushing his stroller vs riding it. i've given up trying to exercise by strolling him around. he always wants out so he can walk!

i'm impressed by all this independent play. we are def not there yet. however, i just got him this little laugh & learn vacuum that he pushed around the house for quite some time yesterday. i was shocked!  we have this perfect little play area in our living room but even if he can see me in the kitchen he has to be right by me. 

[Aly Mac]

blocks are a big hit Heather.  and containers with lids that she can put stuff in and out and the lid on and off...keeps her occupied for ages. maybe start with him playing by yourside and go from there.

[nona]

easier said than done! when he stayed w/ my parents, he was really into blocks. then i bought him some and he doesn't play with them anymore!!!  he'll be playing by me but as soon as i leave, etc he immediately gets up and wants to know what i'm doing. i think he is just very curious and doesn't want to miss out. lately, he wants to be picked up constantly - esp if i'm in the kitchen preparing something b/c he wants to see what i'm doing.  i'm sure one of these days he'll want nothing to do with me!