Routine on weekends - 2.5yo

[Tweakster]

DO you guys stick to a routine on the weekend?

DH and I struggle to because we are all so beat from the week and working life we lead.  But I do wonder if it would be better for F and might help curb some of the behavioural challenges of late.  The only really predictable thing is his nap and even that can change if we are out and about.

How much did you worry about weekend routine vs. weekly routine?  Do you think it's better for them to have less routine on weekends because he has so much during the week?

[Roseii]

Must admit we have virtually no routine at the weekend...The Weekends DH works I always see friends/family, if they come to me then great we can have some semblance of a routine, if not it's no biggie. Weekends he is off we always get out the house. I do vaguely plan in so far as leaving the house roughly to coincide with a nap so we get a car nap. However if one or both girls had a hideous night or s'thing I would alter plans to be more routine for them. Xx

[firsttimemummy]

If we are at home we stick to the routine but I like getting out and about - if we happen to be in the car Murray may sleep; meal-times are roughly the usual time.  If we have no nap Murray has an earlier night (30-69 mins early).  Life is too short to be tied to the house constantly, imo!

[Tweakster]

DO you plan activities or just go with the flow? 

[Shiv52]

Hey! 

we pretty much wing it on the weekend.  Depends on what the weather is like and what plans we have etc. 

I do though find if we don't make plans we tend to faff about and before we know it it can be lunch time and we still haven't done anything much and thats when it can all go to pot!  So having a rough plan and getting out of the house always makes things go a bit smoother on our non-routine weekends x

[firsttimemummy]

Agree with Shiv - it's best to get out the house early - the later it goes, the more likely we are to have silly behaviour etc when out.  Mornings are the best time to be out.

[RachelC]

Do you mean your general routine, like sleep and eat times, or more like the activites, ie, craft at 9:30, books at 10, outside time 10:15...?

[Tweakster]

Yeah like that Rachel.  Lately I've been telling him 'ok when we get in we're going to play Lego/Play Doh/puzzles/a game/etc.' or I give him a choice between two things and evenings SEEM to be going smoother.  On weekends we typically hang out in bed until 7 ish then wander down in PJs then eat breakfast/play/watch TV while DH and I putter either separately or simultaneously and then we talk about what we're going to do (unless we have plans but that's pretty rare) and meals get skewed because breakfast was late and lunch sometimes happens after nap and before we know it half the day is gone. 

I just wonder if it's better to have that kind of planned day with activities and meals or if weekends is about teaching them to go more with the flow?  I just wonder if it's the right age for it...  I note that most other kids have activities on weekends which do kind of force a routine and we elected not to do activities this fall for a variety of reasons but maybe that's what he's missing?

[Shiv52]

I just wonder if it's better to have that kind of planned day with activities and meals or if weekends is about teaching them to go more with the flow?  I just wonder if it's the right age for it...

I wouldn't want the commitment of classes at the weekend! 

I find we have had to start having more of a balance to our weekends so as much as i would love to stay in my jammies all day and lounge about the kids start going a bit haywire by lunch!  So we don't plan to a tee but even something like telling M 'ok after breakfast we're going to chill out and play and then at 11pm you and i will make buns then we'll have lunch.  then after R sleeps we'll go see Granny'.  So loose structure and plans seems to help M keep on track.

[katyusha]

We are the routine family. if not, E goes ballistic. She like the same cafe, the same special outing to the bakery, same food at the cafe etc. plus church time is a routine as well as naps and food. So the surprises are what activity we may do (depends if sick or rainy day or whatever) and who we may visit or have coming over, but I plan that around the naps. Also get up times and the whole breakfast and going to bed routine is the same. DH does breakfast so I can sleep in. I had a post this week asking how many classes do people do. Like Shiv I am finding committing to a class on a weekend is a bit scary. So this far we do a swim DD and mummy time on Saturday between 10-12 and if not swim then scooting to a cafe ot to playground. DD really looks forward to 'her' time so I sort of have to stick to that routine.

[lullaby]

Bedtime is the same as midweek and the routine I have around breakfast, brushing teeth, bathtime and main mealtime of the day(5pmish) is all the same as mid week. However, naptime is never the same, I work around what I am doing.Playtime with him could be anything from wellies and rain suit on the beach or visiting friends or going to the shops...or playing with his own toys while I catch up on ironing. For my little man if I keep the main things within usual routine he is happy enough.

[*Jo*]

weekends? whats that? lol our days roll into one so the weekends we just visit people and stick to the same meal times and sleep times otherwise its just whatever we are doing in the morning and afternoon. But I do tell C ahead of time what we are doing "after you are dressed and had breakfast I will feed Levi and we will go see X" and he seems to like that because then he feels like hes got something to look forward to, sometimes he even starts helping me clean up while I am feeding Levi!