How to Create a Successful Toddler Schedule (+ a printable)

A toddler schedule is something critical to your child’s health and wellbeing (and yours too!).

I THRIVE off of a routine—to an extreme, so setting one has never been problematic for me.

A toddler exhibiting negative behavior (like toddler hitting, for example), often coincides with an inconsistent family schedule.

Sometimes there is nothing you can do about breaking routine—and when this happens in our house, we see a lot more drama ensue.

Related: How to Curb Toddler Biting

A family vacation, holidays, or a sick family member are things that just kind of happen. Although a toddler schedule is important, being flexible is also important.

This is where my struggle lies. I want to be consistent with my toddler’s schedule.  I don’t always remember to be patient with her when things don’t go according to plan (which happens a lot!).

Creating a toddler schedule requires striking a balance. Create the family routine, but be okay with improvising the situation when necessary.
 
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IMPORTANCE OF ROUTINES FOR TODDLERS

A toddler routine schedule is useful for many reasons. We will outline the main benefits below.

BETTER BODY REGULATION

A toddler that is on a consistent daily routine is more likely to have regular bowel movements, as well as winding down when it’s getting close to bedtime.

For my child—it’s the opposite. She becomes wilder the closer to bedtime she gets, but we are still able to get her to sleep without trouble.

EASIER TIME WITH TRANSITIONS

We all know how difficult transition times can be, but I PROMISE they are worse when you don’t have an established routine for your toddler. 

Related: Toddler Hitting

If your toddler knows what to expect, they feel more secure. When they feel more secure, you’ll see fewer behavioral problems. I think the important thing to remember is there is always a ROOT to your toddler’s behavior, and bad behavior can easily stem from a lack of structure and routine.

EMPOWERS YOUR TODDLER TO BE INDEPENDENT

A toddler is still too young to make important decisions, but now is the time to let them start exploring their individuality – in a safe and controlled environment. 

Trust me—your toddler will feel SO proud when they start brushing their teeth by themselves. They crave independence, so give it to them constructively and where it makes sense.

ESTABLISHES HEALTHY HABITS

If your daily toddler schedule includes things like brushing teeth, eating a snack, and quiet time—this is great. It helps engrain healthy habits in your toddler that will stick with them. Maybe not forever, but one can hope.

HELPS YOUR TODDLER FEEL SAFE

A predictable family schedule helps your toddler feel more secure. Toddlers (and adults too) need some kind of normalcy in order to handle the things that life throws at us.

 

FOUNDATIONS OF A GOOD TODDLER ROUTINE

In order to create a toddler routine or toddler schedule, you need to sit and think about everything important that comes up in your day.

Write this stuff down.

Next, don’t forget to write how LONG things take you. This will take a few tries, because of the planning fallacy, which shows us that things usually take much longer than we assume they do. Set yourself a timer when you start breakfast, and get an idea on how long it actually takes – not how long you THINK it takes.

Related: How to Work From Home With a Toddler

Everything takes SO much longer when we are talking about toddlers (like it takes them an hour to each a sandwich), so don’t feel frustrated if things take a lot longer than you think they should. It’s universal for all of us moms.

There are a few foundational things that need to happen every day for all toddlers. Your child’s needs will vary depending on age—but the main differences are related to sleep. We will get into that later.

 

TODDLER DAILY ROUTINE

There is no such thing as an ideal toddler schedule because this is going to look different for every single family.

Whether you wake at 6 or 8 AM doesn’t really matter a lot—the same concepts to a toddler schedule apply.

What’s more important is keeping the schedule consistent. If you don’t want to (or have to) wake up at six every morning, then don’t. With that said, toddlers tend to be early risers, so you probably don’t want to make wake-up time much later than 8 or 9.

Also, kids thrive when they’re doing stuff during the day. Even if you aren’t a morning person, your toddler probably is.

Related: How to Effectively Handle Toddler Tantrums

When my first daughter was born, I was working graveyard shifts three or four times a week. I switched to a day shift after her first year of life, and thus our daily schedule changed.

Here we are going to list some example toddler day schedules. Keep in mind, this is going to differ a little for your family. For us, we currently have a one-year-old and a three-year-old, so I have to be more flexible and remember that EVERYTHING takes longer with two kids.

Take this toddler day schedule and tweak it. Or, download our free printable toddler schedule template (down below) to print and fill out at home.

1-YEAR-OLD TODDLER SCHEDULE

• 7:15 AM—wake up
• 7:30/7:45 AM—breakfast
• 9:30 AM–Snack
• 10:30—Nap for 1-2 hours
• 11:30/12:30 PM—Lunch
• 2:30 PM—Second nap (1-2 hours)
• 4:00/4:30 PM—Snack
• 5:30 PM—Dinner
• 6:45 PM—Bedtime ritual
• 7:15 PM—Bedtime

 

2-YEAR-OLD TODDLER SCHEDULE

• 7:15 AM—wake up
• 7:30/7:45 AM—breakfast
• 9:30 AM–Snack time
• 11:00 AM—eat lunch
• 12:00 PM—nap
• 3:00 PM—Snack time
• 5:30 PM—dinner
• 7:30 PM—bedtime

 

3-YEAR-OLD TODDLER SCHEDULE

• 7:15 AM—wake up
• 7:30/7:45 AM—breakfast
• 9:30–Snack time
• 11:30 AM—each lunch
• 12:30 PM—nap
• 2:30 PM—snack time
• 5:30 PM—dinner
• 7:30/8:00 PM—bedtime

TODDLER MEAL SCHEDULES

I don’t know about you, but mealtimes are definitely NOT my favorite time of day. My three-year-old is incredibly picky, and she takes HOURS to eat if I let her.

When preparing your toddler meal schedule; include breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a couple of healthy snacks (if you can) a day.

Toddlers do better when they are on a toddler meal schedule—as opposed to babies who should be fed on demand. Older kids may benefit from a big breakfast—but your toddler’s stomach isn’t very big. Small meals every two or three hours are best.

When it comes to snack time—try and avoid processed foods at least SOME of the time (I’ll admit—fruit snacks are a common thing in my house). Make sure the snacks offered are small so that they don’t fill up on them.

Some toddler meal schedules will require a small bedtime snack too. If this is the case with your littles, offer something light and low in sugar.

 

TODDLER SLEEP SCHEDULE

Deciding what works for your toddler’s sleep schedule will be highly dependent on your family. Again, the important thing is making sure they are getting enough sleep (the different age group requirements are listed above).

ONE-YEAR-OLD TODDLER SLEEP SCHEDULE CONSIDERATIONS

One-year-olds are officially toddlers—but they still follow a baby-ish schedule. Your one-year-old still needs around 14 hours of sleep a day, three hours of which should be from two daytime naps.

Between twelve and eighteen months, your little one will eventually be ready to drop their second nap.  They are usually ready when you are seeing them either “fighting” sleep, or not sleeping for as long.

Related: Best Sleep Sacks for Toddlers

When it’s time to drop that nap, do it gradually. It’s usually rough for a couple of days, but most toddlers adjust just fine.

 

TWO-YEAR-OLD TODDLER SLEEP SCHEDULE CONSIDERATIONS

Your two year old still needs around 14 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period, which is split between nighttime and one afternoon nap.

They should sleep 10-12 hours at night, and 1-3 hours during the day.

Keep an eye on their behavior. If they are grumpy during the day, try and get them to sleep a little longer. If they have trouble getting to sleep at night, end that afternoon nap earlier.

It’s all about trying to create a balance. Which is a ridiculously hard thing to do when we are talking about two-year-olds (or toddlers in general!).

Tweak the toddler routine and adjust things until you find what works for you. My three-year-old would sleep MORE than three hours if we let her, and I am sad to say this probably will not last much longer.

 

THREE-YEAR-OLD TODDLER SLEEP SCHEDULE CONSIDERATIONS

Your three-year-old needs an average of 11-13 hours of sleep within a 24 hour period—and MOST three-year-old’s still nap.

One quarter of kids stop napping by age three, and another half between the ages of three and four. The final quarter of toddlers continue to nap until they’re five or six years old (crossing my fingers that my daughter falls in this bracket!).

Your two year old should sleep 10-12 hours at night, and 1-3 hours during the day.

If your three-year-old refuses to nap, you should still enforce some quiet time every day. Have your child rest after lunch so they still have energy without being crabby later on.

 

TODDLER BEDTIME SCHEDULE

For our toddler bedtime schedule, we have worked out that both our children do well with a twelve hour sleep time at night.

When our one-year-old was still a baby, she had an earlier bedtime than her sister, but we’ve recently changed that and they both seem to do fine with the change.

When setting your bedtime, remember that although they may be IN their room for twelve hours at night, they aren’t necessarily sleeping for all of that.

That’s why it’s important to be a little flexible and allow for a little extra time in case your child needs it.

Personally, we like twelve hour nights because twelve hours is an easy thing to remember. If they wake up at seven, they should also go to bed at seven.

 

TODDLER NAP SCHEDULE

Figuring out our toddler nap schedule took constant tweaking, and you are probably going through the same thing.

If you remember the general amount of time your toddler needs to sleep in a twenty-four hour period, it should be fairly easy to calculate how much time they need for napping.

Take the number of recommended hours of sleep and set it as a baseline. Your child may need a little more or less, so keep an open mind while you navigate your toddler nap schedule.

Personally, we try and make sure our one-year-old is up at least three hours before bedtime. The three-year-old toddler is up at least four hours before bedtime.

Try it and see how it goes for your family. Stay away from naps that are within three hours of bedtime, because your child may not go back to sleep.

 

TODDLER SCHEDULE FOR STAY AT HOME MOMS

I have shared below a schedule for toddlers for stay at home moms to use—as this is the situation I am in. My kids do go to daycare a couple of times a week, but most days they stay home with me.

Related: How to Avoid SAHM burnout

I have two at home (a one- and three-year-old) so their schedules do vary a little. I played with their schedules so that they could nap at the same time. It’s worked out so far (and I TOTALLY recommend it if you can swing it!).

This is the stay at home mom daily schedule I follow with my one-year-old.

TODDLER ROUTINE CHART PRINTABLE

1-YEAR-OLD TODDLER SCHEDULE

• 7:15 AM—wake up
• 7:30/7:45 AM—breakfast, clean up, get ready for the day
• 8:30 AM—sensory activity
• 9:15 AM—small snack
• 9:30 AM—nap time (1-2 hours)
• 11:00 AM—Lunch
• 12:30 PM—Nap
• 3:15 PM—Snack/Errands/Playtime
• 5:30 PM—Dinner
• 6:30PM—Bath time, start winding down
• 7:00PM—Bedtime ritual (stories and songs)
• 7:30/8:00 PM—Bedtime

 

This is the stay at home mom daily schedule I follow for my three-year-old

3-YEAR-OLD TODDLER SCHEDULE

• 7:15 AM—wake up
• 7:30/7:45 AM—breakfast, clean up, get ready for the day
• 8:30 AM—art project
• 9:15 AM—small snack
• 9:30 AM independent play
• 10:30 Play time with mom
• 11:00 AM—Lunch
• 12:30 PM—Nap  (2-3 hours—I realize this is a little abnormal for toddlers her age!)
• 3:15 PM—Snacks/Errands/Playtime
• 5:30 PM—Dinner
• 6:30PM—Bath time, start winding down
• 7:00PM—Bedtime ritual (stories and songs)
• 7:30/8:00 PM—Bedtime

 

STAY AT HOME TODDLER SCHEDULE – DETAILED LOOK

Here is a closer look at my schedule for toddlers for stay at home moms (that was a mouthful!).

6:45 I WAKE UP

I like to be up at least a half-hour before my kids. I am NOT a morning person, so I need time to sit and have a cup of coffee in order to feel human.

Waking up early gives me a chance to get myself ready for the day in peace. It’s very grounding to give yourself this time—I definitely recommend it.

7:15 KIDS WAKE UP

My one-year-old is always up and ready for the day by the time we go to get her up. The three-year-old takes a little longer and often asks me for “space” first thing in the morning. I change my one-year-old’s diapers and help the three-year-old use the bathroom.

7:30 BREAKFAST/CLEAN UP/GET READY FOR THE DAY

I keep a weekly schedule for our meals. Variety is SUPER important if you don’t want to raise a picky child (although it might happen anyway). After we clean up breakfast, we brush teeth and get dressed for the day.

Breakfast with a one-year-old can get pretty messy, which is why we don’t change out of pajamas until after we eat.

8:30 ART PROJECT

I use Pinterest to find fun toddler activities, and we try to do something artistic or educational every day. I’ll admit—sometimes we just don’t have the time, but we try to make it a priority.

If your toddler is old enough and you feel overwhelmed by all of your other duties for the day, give them something they can do independently. My three-year-old enjoys painting, and I can leave her at the table with paint and a piece of paper while I get dishes done. For the one-year-old, we try and do a sensory activity every day (again, I find these ideas on Pinterest!)

9:15 AM SMALL SNACK

We do our morning snack once we have cleaned up from our activity. I keep a snack drawer within reach of both of my kids that contain healthy snack options for them.

For the most part, the three-year-old gets to decide what her daily snacks will be. Toddlers WANT independence, and this is one of those safe choices you can give them. Just make sure you keep the junky stuff out of reach. 

9:30 (ish) INDEPENDENT PLAY AND NAP TIME (for the one-year-old)

After snack time is over, our three-year-old is encouraged to play by herself. Independent play is really important for your toddler’s development (and maybe your sanity?) so make time for it.

The one-year-old is very clear about when she’s ready for her nap. Her thumb in her mouth is the signal she gives us that she’s ready—and we don’t hesitate when we see it.

The one-year-old naps for 1 to 2 hours (if we let her), but we will usually get her up by 11 so that she will take a good afternoon nap. See? Balancing act.

10:30 AM PLAY TIME WITH MOM

This period in the morning varies for us. If the older toddler is happily playing by herself, I will often let her continue so I can get a few more things done.

Other times, we go outside. Often we engage in pretend play, which is super beneficial at this age.

The one-year-old will be up between now and eleven. When she’s up we change diapers and prepare to transition to lunch time.

11:00 AM LUNCH

Lunch is probably the easiest meal of the day. After eating we clean up and start transitioning to the nap time ritual.

12:30 PM NAP TIME

If I’m lucky (and most days I am!) my two toddlers will nap at the same time. Before nap time we change diapers, use the bathroom, read a couple of stories, and sing a couple of songs.

We have a very specific nap/bedtime ritual that typically goes pretty smoothly.

3:15 SNACK/ERRANDS/PLAYTIME

Upon waking up, it’s time for another small snack. Because my toddlers are usually still a little sleepy, I will sometimes pick the afternoon snack.

I usually prefer to run errands once my partner is home. I get stir crazy staying indoors, and so the evening is when we usually either run errands or go to a park.

Regardless of what it is—we spend this time trying to get our toddlers ACTIVE. This REALLY helps with the sleeping at night thing. 

5:30 PM—DINNER

Dinner is usually our hardest meal of the day. The toddlers are easily distracted from eating, and often we are still trying to catch up from the rest of the day so dinner runs late sometimes.

This is the ONLY meal of the day that my partner is home for during the week. We make it a point to try and eat together at the table and talk about our day. I suggest making sure that you do something similar—make it a point to eat one meal a day with your family. Our schedules don’t always allow for this, but we still strive toward it.

6:30 PM BATHTIME/WIND DOWN

Baths are something magical for us—and almost always help our toddlers wind down. Adding this to your toddler schedule also helps you make sure that it actually gets done.

Although it’s pretty rare, we do sometimes go out after dinner. In those cases, we skip bath time and acknowledge that it may be more difficult to help our little ones wind down.

7:00 PM BEDTIME RITUAL

Bedtime is my FAVORITE time of the day (and not just because it means the kids are in bed!). It’s the most meaningful quality time I get with my kids.

We spend this time getting into jammies and reading a couple of stories. We also take this time to call grandma to say goodnight. I live an hour away from her, but it’s really important to me that she stays close with my toddlers.

After saying goodnight to grandma, we turn out the lights. We sing a couple of songs that my toddler gets to pick. After this it’s I love you’s, sweet dreams, and goodnight.

7:30 BEDTIME

Once we close that door we rarely hear from either of the toddlers again. Both of my kids have always been pretty good sleepers, and I think our toddler routine is a big factor in that.

 

TODDLER BEDTIME BATTLES

Toddlers have BIG emotions. We know that an inconsistent toddler schedule can definitely cause drama in the house, but sometimes other factors play into toddler bedtime battles.

 

Some reasons your toddler may be fighting sleep are:

YOUR TODDLER HAS AN INCONSISTENT TODDLER SCHEDULE

Your toddler’s body craves a routine. When they know what to expect, they are more mentally and physically prepared for the transition to bedtime. Figure out the ideal toddler schedule for your family, and stick to it as closely as possible.

YOUR TODDLER HAS TROUBLE IN A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT

Toddlers are easily distractible curious creatures. They want to explore a new environment, not sleep in it. Not to mention, we all sleep better in our own beds. Keep the room as dark as possible when sleeping somewhere other than home.

YOUR TODDLER IS NOT FEELING WELL

Being sick is always a distraction when you are trying to sleep. Accept that your little one is going to be an emotional mess, and give your toddler extra support and cuddles until they are feeling better.

YOUR TODDLER IS DEALING WITH STRESS/EXCITEMENT

I don’t know about you, but I always struggle with sleeping when I’m excited for the next day or haven’t had time to wind down. If you know you have a stressful day ahead, try and start the bedtime ritual earlier in order to extend it. This will give them more time to wind down.

SCREEN TIME BEFORE BED IS DISRUPTING YOUR TODDLER SCHEDULE

We know that light from electronic devices can suppress the release of melatonin, so screen time close to bedtime is NEVER a good idea. Keep the devices off for one to two hours before your toddler goes to sleep, and keep those devices out of the bedroom.

YOUR TODDLER IS OVERTIRED

Some overtired babies and toddlers, unfortunately, become MORE hyper the closer to bedtime they get. If your toddler seems hyper but emotional and clumsy—you probably have an overtired toddler on your hands. Make sure your toddler is getting the baseline amount of sleep they need per day, and adjust accordingly.

YOUR TODDLER IS NOT TIRED

If your toddler really fights bedtime and doesn’t seem overtired, they may NOT be tired. Examine your nap/sleep schedule and see if your toddler is getting more than the recommended amount of sleep they need. Also consider WHAT TIME you are waking them up.

If there is only a two hour period between them waking up from naptime and bedtime—this could be the problem. Start and end nap time earlier, or shorten the nap.

Be careful when changing up the schedule, as you DO want to make sure they are still getting the necessary sleep they need.

 

TODDLER WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Thinking about a toddler weekly schedule can seem overwhelming, but for us this was more beneficial than writing out a daily schedule.

Most of us have recurring tasks that happen on specific days of the week. If you don’t—it’s definitely worth considering! For us, we like to go grocery shopping on Sundays.

We all have specific days we like to work, clean, and go out with our family. Write out a weekly schedule once a week. Try and stay consistent with the days you choose to go out, so that you are keeping your toddler’s schedule stable.

 

HOW TO HANDLE A CHANGE IN SCHEDULE

Things DON’T go as planned. That’s part of life. Unfortunately, this can wreak havoc on your toddler’s schedule, so it’s worth preparing in advance.

EXTEND THE BEDTIME RITUAL

Regardless of WHY there is a change in your toddler’s schedule, they will almost always benefit from an extended bedtime ritual.

Related: Self Care for New Moms

If you usually read one story to wind down, start fifteen minutes earlier and make it two or three books or an extra couple of songs. Let them read to you or sing you a few songs too, if they’re predisposed to it.

CUT THEM SOME SLACK

Remember that your toddler is unable to regulate their emotions properly and they have NO IDEA what time it is, so don’t expect them to handle a change in the schedule like an adult.

Give them extra snuggles and support, and remember it’s only temporary. Strong toddler schedule habits and a clear toddler routine will have your day moving as if on rails in no time at all. Hang in there!

Related:

• Signs of a Bad Childcare Provider
• How to Instill Diversity in Your Toddler