Tips for Surviving the day with a Two-Year-Old
How to Plan a Day with a Two-Year-Old?
To plan a day with a two-year-old make meal time and nap time priorities to avoid melt downs. Using meal times and nap times as an anchor, schedule your errands and chores, playtime, & quiet time. Having some structure to your day helps to prevent you and your two-year-old from getting frustrated.
My son started daycare when he was just 4 months old because I had to go back to work. When he was an infant, I knew exactly how to keep him entertained. Stationary entertainment center for a few minutes, I let him play with a few pots and pans for a few minutes while I got meals together, some floor time and maybe read a book. Lots of cuddles in between. As long as he was close to me, he was content.
As he entered into the toddler years, I still enjoyed spending time with him, but I wasn’t sure how to keep him entertained. He was very active, and I spent a lot of my day trying to accomplish tasks while trying to keep him out of trouble. It was exhausting and I spent too much time telling him what not to do. I couldn’t understand how his daycare teacher did it with SIX two-year-olds in the room. I get a summary of the activities my son does while at daycare. I decided to take notes from the experts and structure my days with my two year old in a similar way.
To Plan a Day with a Two-Year-Old: Keep them Fueled and Rested
First thing I noticed is that at daycare my son’s lunch, snacks, and naptime all happen around the same time every day. I decided to start anchoring my days with him around nap time, and bed time. A well-rested toddler is more cooperative and less cranky than a tired one.
Second thing I noticed about my son’s day care is that meals are planned in advance. Sure, the teacher has to feed six kids, but all the meals are either provided by the parents or the day care center. So she simply has to reach in to lunch bags and grab each kid’s lunch.
I plan my meals one day in advance. This way I can use what I have on hand, and add anything else I need to my grocery list. Since I am not standing frozen in front of the fridge with a cranky toddler screaming in the background, I am able to get meals on the table faster. I actually started prepping my son’s lunch and snacks in the am as if he were going to daycare. This creates a grab and go situation and helps our days run more smoothly.
At daycare my son naps right after lunch around 12:30. Gone are the days where my son will nap in a stroller while I am out and about, so I make it a point to be home by nap time. I run errands in the morning around 9am or after his nap around 3pm. I use his nap time to work on this blog, relax with a cup of coffee or work on a project around the house.
To Plan a Day with a Two-Year-Old: Let them be your Helper
If your toddler can help you without hurting themselves or damaging anything. Let Them! Around the time my son started walking, he started passing me plates, spoons, and forks out of the dishwasher. This has become part of our morning routine. When I open the dishwasher, he comes running! After he is done, he closes the dish washer smiles and claps. He is so proud to be mommy’s helper.
When we come home from the grocery store, he likes to pass me the groceries so that I can put them away. He helps me load and unload the washer and dryer. He helps me put dishes in the sink and eggshells in the trash. He truly is a great little helper and he is having fun while doing it.
When he is helping me, it truly is a win-win. I get a few of my chores for the day out of the way all the while keeping my two-year old engaged in an activity.
To Plan a Day with a Two-Year-Old: Get them Moving
Two-Year-Old’s have a ton of energy! before I started adding a little structure to our days together, he was bouncing off the walls. Literally ramming a ride on toy in to the wall! I felt like I was spending my day asking him to stop, pulling him of the stairs or keeping him from climbing on furniture.
I noticed after their morning snack in daycare they get the kids moving! Sometimes it is to the playground. Sometimes it is a nature walk where they just go outside for a few minutes and observe their surroundings. Other times they are playing jumping and hoping games. Sometimes it is as simple as walking to another room to do an arts & crafts activity.
Finding ways to channel a two-year-old’s energy is important. On a nice day, the playground is a good option to get a two-year-old moving and burning off some energy. It gives them the opportunity socialize and work on their balance and coordination. Fresh air is good for everyone in the family.
When the weather isn’t ideal for going to an outdoor playground, we sometimes go to a toddler gym or indoor playground. If I need to stay in the house, I have a few go to activities to help burn off some of that energy:
- Placing short items on the ground for him to hop over (Similar to leap frog, but for tiny legs)
- Playing children’s mudik and having a dance party
- Doing Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube. (This is actually a cool channel and I enjoy the way they turn Yoga in to a story for kids).
- Playing with a parachute ( We have a lady bug parachute that I purchased from amazon.)
- Throwing balls in to a toddler sized basketball hoop (I intentionally underinflate the balls to keep them from bouncing very far).
- Grab some Maracas and a tambourine and have a parade around the house
- Burpees! Yes Burpees. I made a goal to do 10 a day and my son started joining in, so this is a great way to burn off some of that two-year old energy
- Back the car out of the garage and let him ride his bike!
To Plan a Day with a Two-Year-Old: Plan Quiet Time
After running errands, and engaging in structured activities, I let my two-year-old have some time for independent play. He LOVES cars at the moment. He likes running them over different surfaces to see what happens. I let him have time to play independently while I get our lunch together. After lunch I read him one or two stories before I lay him down for a nap.
To Plan a Day with a Two-Year-Old: Refuel
After nap time my son gets another snack. Since I have a refreshed and re-fueled two-year old, I might tackle any errands that did not happen earlier in the day. Now is a good time for another round of activity. Go for a nature walk, have a dance party or choose any one of the previously listed activities.
To Plan a Day with a Two-Year-Old: Arts & Crafts
I noticed in daycare they do some kind of arts and crafts a few times a week. This doesn’t always have to be a pintrest perfect project, but it is fun to help them explore their creativity. Most days I just sit with my son, we identify colored crayons and start drawing on plane paper for about 15 minutes. I hope to eventually find time to get more creative with our projects, but this is fun.
How to Plan a Day with a Two Year Old: Puzzles, Books & Learning
My local library has a 30-minute reading session for toddlers once a week. This can be a fun free way to tackle the reading portion of the day and to get out of the house. Toddler Puzzles are a great way to pass the time with your toddler. I like to alternate between putting in puzzle pieces myself and letting him have a chance.
To Plan a Day with a Two-Year-Old: The Home Stretch
I allow more independent time while I get dinner together. If he gets screen time during the day, it is normally while I am making dinner. We have dinner, then my husband normally tackles bath and bed time while I clean up the kitchen and get ready for the next day.
Related Questions
What is a good bedtime for a two-year-old?
A good bedtime for a two-year-old is between 7pm and 9pm.
How much milk should a two-year-old have?
Tips for Surviving the day with a Two-Year-Old
How to Plan a Day with a Two-Year-Old?
To plan a day with a two-year-old make meal time and nap time priorities to avoid melt downs. Using meal times and nap times as an anchor, schedule your errands and chores, playtime, & quiet time. Having some structure to your day helps to prevent you and your two-year-old from getting frustrated.
My son started daycare when he was just 4 months old because I had to go back to work. When he was an infant, I knew exactly how to keep him entertained. Stationary entertainment center for a few minutes, I let him play with a few pots and pans for a few minutes while I got meals together, some floor time and maybe read a book. Lots of cuddles in between. As long as he was close to me, he was content.
As he entered into the toddler years, I still enjoyed spending time with him, but I wasn’t sure how to keep him entertained. He was very active, and I spent a lot of my day trying to accomplish tasks while trying to keep him out of trouble. It was exhausting and I spent too much time telling him what not to do. I couldn’t understand how his daycare teacher did it with SIX two-year-olds in the room. I get a summary of the activities my son does while at daycare. I decided to take notes from the experts and structure my days with my two year old in a similar way.
To Plan a Day with a Two-Year-Old: Keep them Fueled and Rested
First thing I noticed is that at daycare my son’s lunch, snacks, and naptime all happen around the same time every day. I decided to start anchoring my days with him around nap time, and bed time. A well-rested toddler is more cooperative and less cranky than a tired one.
Second thing I noticed about my son’s day care is that meals are planned in advance. Sure, the teacher has to feed six kids, but all the meals are either provided by the parents or the day care center. So she simply has to reach in to lunch bags and grab each kid’s lunch.
I plan my meals one day in advance. This way I can use what I have on hand, and add anything else I need to my grocery list. Since I am not standing frozen in front of the fridge with a cranky toddler screaming in the background, I am able to get meals on the table faster. I actually started prepping my son’s lunch and snacks in the am as if he were going to daycare. This creates a grab and go situation and helps our days run more smoothly.
At daycare my son naps right after lunch around 12:30. Gone are the days where my son will nap in a stroller while I am out and about, so I make it a point to be home by nap time. I run errands in the morning around 9am or after his nap around 3pm. I use his nap time to work on this blog, relax with a cup of coffee or work on a project around the house.
To Plan a Day with a Two-Year-Old: Let them be your Helper
If your toddler can help you without hurting themselves or damaging anything. Let Them! Around the time my son started walking, he started passing me plates, spoons, and forks out of the dishwasher. This has become part of our morning routine. When I open the dishwasher, he comes running! After he is done, he closes the dish washer smiles and claps. He is so proud to be mommy’s helper.
When we come home from the grocery store, he likes to pass me the groceries so that I can put them away. He helps me load and unload the washer and dryer. He helps me put dishes in the sink and eggshells in the trash. He truly is a great little helper and he is having fun while doing it.
When he is helping me, it truly is a win-win. I get a few of my chores for the day out of the way all the while keeping my two-year old engaged in an activity.
To Plan a Day with a Two-Year-Old: Get them Moving
Two-Year-Old’s have a ton of energy! before I started adding a little structure to our days together, he was bouncing off the walls. Literally ramming a ride on toy in to the wall! I felt like I was spending my day asking him to stop, pulling him of the stairs or keeping him from climbing on furniture.
I noticed after their morning snack in daycare they get the kids moving! Sometimes it is to the playground. Sometimes it is a nature walk where they just go outside for a few minutes and observe their surroundings. Other times they are playing jumping and hoping games. Sometimes it is as simple as walking to another room to do an arts & crafts activity.
Finding ways to channel a two-year-old’s energy is important. On a nice day, the playground is a good option to get a two-year-old moving and burning off some energy. It gives them the opportunity socialize and work on their balance and coordination. Fresh air is good for everyone in the family.
When the weather isn’t ideal for going to an outdoor playground, we sometimes go to a toddler gym or indoor playground. If I need to stay in the house, I have a few go to activities to help burn off some of that energy:
- Placing short items on the ground for him to hop over (Similar to leap frog, but for tiny legs)
- Playing children’s mudik and having a dance party
- Doing Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube. (This is actually a cool channel and I enjoy the way they turn Yoga in to a story for kids).
- Playing with a parachute ( We have a lady bug parachute that I purchased from amazon.)
- Throwing balls in to a toddler sized basketball hoop (I intentionally underinflate the balls to keep them from bouncing very far).
- Grab some Maracas and a tambourine and have a parade around the house
- Burpees! Yes Burpees. I made a goal to do 10 a day and my son started joining in, so this is a great way to burn off some of that two-year old energy
- Back the car out of the garage and let him ride his bike!
To Plan a Day with a Two-Year-Old: Plan Quiet Time
After running errands, and engaging in structured activities, I let my two-year-old have some time for independent play. He LOVES cars at the moment. He likes running them over different surfaces to see what happens. I let him have time to play independently while I get our lunch together. After lunch I read him one or two stories before I lay him down for a nap.
To Plan a Day with a Two-Year-Old: Refuel
After nap time my son gets another snack. Since I have a refreshed and re-fueled two-year old, I might tackle any errands that did not happen earlier in the day. Now is a good time for another round of activity. Go for a nature walk, have a dance party or choose any one of the previously listed activities.
To Plan a Day with a Two-Year-Old: Arts & Crafts
I noticed in daycare they do some kind of arts and crafts a few times a week. This doesn’t always have to be a pintrest perfect project, but it is fun to help them explore their creativity. Most days I just sit with my son, we identify colored crayons and start drawing on plane paper for about 15 minutes. I hope to eventually find time to get more creative with our projects, but this is fun.
How to Plan a Day with a Two Year Old: Puzzles, Books & Learning
My local library has a 30-minute reading session for toddlers once a week. This can be a fun free way to tackle the reading portion of the day and to get out of the house. Toddler Puzzles are a great way to pass the time with your toddler. I like to alternate between putting in puzzle pieces myself and letting him have a chance.
To Plan a Day with a Two-Year-Old: The Home Stretch
I allow more independent time while I get dinner together. If he gets screen time during the day, it is normally while I am making dinner. We have dinner, then my husband normally tackles bath and bed time while I clean up the kitchen and get ready for the next day.
Related Questions
What is a good bedtime for a two-year-old?
A good bedtime for a two-year-old is between 7pm and 9pm.
How much milk should a two-year-old have?
Two cups of milk per day is a good amount of milk for a two-year-old. I recently visited my pediatrician for my son’s two-year checkup and she recommended 3 servings of dairy daily.
Two cups of milk per day is a good amount of milk for a two-year-old. I recently visited my pediatrician for my son’s two-year checkup and she recommended 3 servings of dairy daily.
