20 Month Old Schedule + Favorite Foods
What an average day looks like
Please remember that this schedule can change on the daily. Babies are forever changing and so will your schedule! Give yourself grace and allow yourself to go with the flow and let your child lead once in a while. You’re doing great!
7am: Wake up
7-7:30am: Diaper + change out of pjs.
Morning diaper changes have been a huge struggle lately… She’ll usually wake up and run out the door or wiggle her way out of the diaper change for as long as she can. “No” has also become her favorite word.
7:30-8am: Breakfast
This usually consists of something quick and easy! Some scrambled eggs, rice, and some toast (buttered or jammed) is our typical go-to. Some days she eats the whole plate and other days she only takes a few bites. We finish it off with some kind of fruit! I’ll give her two options and she gets to choose what she wants
8-9:30am: Indoor play
It has been pretty cold in the mornings and try to keep her inside while it warms up. Activities usually consists of reading, dancing, matching games, cleaning, and playing with her stuffed animals or rubber duck assortment
9:30-11:30am: Outdoor time
This will usually consist of going to the park, library, or indoor playground!
10am: Snack
Snack time is usually outside the house during outdoor time. I usually have a bag of fresh fruit, gerber yogurt chips, fruit/veggie blend pouch, and freeze dried fruit ready on hand for her to choose from since it changes on the daily (or even minute)
12-12:30pm: Lunch
This month, Emery has been really into sandwiches like pb&j or rice and kimchi. Her preferences have a wide range and change often so it can be quite difficult for me to cook something she will enjoy. Thankfully she loves vegetables so I always have something on the side for her like carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, or green beans. Anything crunchy will do for her!
12:30-1pm: Clean up/Change into pjs/diaper change
I have been including Emery in the cleaning process lately. She will bring me her plates, bowls, water, etc. to the sink from her table, wash her hands, wipe her face, put her now extremely dirty clothes into her hamper and (attempt) to dress herself into her pjs.
1-2:30pm: Nap
Thankfully Emery is a solid sleeper (thank the heavens!) so she’ll go down for her nap on her own. Sometimes she’ll lay around for 10-15 minutes before dozing off and on a few occasions she will play in her bed for an hour and nap the last 30 minutes. At this point, she just understands it can be either quiet time or nap time! I absolutely never go in unless there is something seriously wrong and needs my attention. Because of this consistency, she understands what is expected and feels safe to just be alone.
2:30-3pm: Change out of pjs/diaper change
3pm: Snack
I typically let her choose whatever she would like for this one. She has a drawer she has constant access to that’s filled with snacks I approve of her to eat at any time of the day. Or she will ask me for something in the fridge like an apple, cheese, or mango
3:15-4:30pm: Sensory activity
We have been working on a lot of pouring and sorting/matching activities this month! I have been itching for an IKEA flisat table but because those are so hard to come by, i’ll do a makeshift activity with what I have around the house. Pouring is something she is super into right now and my sanity doesn’t really allow for anything smaller than a macaroni noodle at the moment. I will switch to water here and there with a baking tray underneath to catch all the misses
4:30-5pm: Dinner
During her sensory activity, I will prep dinner. Because she has been into crunchy textures as of late, I have made chicken katsu a lot. She's a huge rice girl so any kind of fried rice is Emery approved. Pastas can be a hit or miss. Some days she eats like she’s absolutely starving and other days she eats a few bites and wants nothing after.
5-5:30pm: Clean up
5:30-6:30pm: Quality family time
Every night, we will spend time together as a family with no technology and just enjoy each other’s company! Emery loves to read, play with her animal figurines, and lately she has been super into the alphabet. My husband and I spend this time to fully engage with her as a unit and have our undivided attention!
6:30-7pm: Bathtime/Pjs/Brush teeth
Every night we will do a water bath as a part of her bedtime routine to signal her to wind down. We will wash her hair once a week and wash her body with soap about every 3 days (unless she’s had a super dirty day). Bathtime usually takes about 15 minutes and we will throw on a clean diaper, lotion her up, pjs, sleep sack, and brush her teeth. She will turn on her white noise machine, turn off the lights, and put herself to bed! She has a floor bed with railings so she’s able to just go in on her own. After some bedtime kisses, she’s out!