How To Structure The Day For A Toddler

Kids and toddlers thrive off routine and its our job as parents to help our children learn how to create healthy habits. It will make our lives easier and it will benefit them in the years to come.

It may seem excessive to some to have your toddler do chores and follow a morning and night routine.

But, believe it or not kids actually do well when given tasks to complete. If you start them young with small simple tasks it will be easier to move them to more detailed tasks as they get older.

What works for your family is the right thing to do, even if that looks different from your friends and family. So don’t be too hard on yourself when you have to try a couple different things to find the best option for your child.

Here are a few tips to help you structure your toddlers day:

If you are a stay at home mom, adding an afternoon schedule might be helpful for mid day activities.
Also getting out of the house every now and then is important for both mom and kids. Maybe schedule a day of the week that you go to the library, the park or maybe an evening walk after dinner. Fresh air is good for everyone!
Having activities for your toddler to do during the day is a great way to keep them busy and your toddler learning how to play independently at times is important for their development and your mental health.

Keeping morning and night routines as consistent as possible will help your toddler know what to do next, they learn very quickly!
Let your toddler start helping with your daily chores and cooking. It might make things take a little longer than normal, but those things will still get done and it’s an excellent learning activity for your kids.
If you have a partner or friend watching your toddler some days of the week, it’s important that you share their normal routine with them so it can stay the same when they are home.

We have a mini cleaning set (broom, mop, duster) for my daughter and it is a great way for her to help me do things around the house that HAVE to be done. She will help me sweep and mop and she actually enjoys it and is learning how to do it correctly.
This may sound like common sense, but teaching your kids at a young age to throw away trash and pick up after themselves is crucial. Plus it will make your life easier in the long run!

Here are 10 printable schedules and chore charts to help structure your toddlers day

Morning and Night Routine Printable – We use these in our house and hang them on my kids bedroom walls. It helps them see exactly what they need to be doing and I have laminated mine so they can mark them off with a dry erase marker.

Morning Routine Cards – Cute morning routine cards to give your kids a simple but effective order to get their selves ready in the morning.
Reward Chart – If you want to use a reward system for your child completing tasks, this is a great editable printable. This is perfect for potty training or tasks that your child may be having a hard time completing.
Morning Routine Wheel for Toddlers – If you want to start out with something a little more fun and hands on for your toddler, this is the perfect printable. Your child can spin the wheel to the next task or you can spin it to show them what needs to be completed next.

Daily Chore Chart for Toddlers – This is a simple easy to use chore chart for toddlers and preschool aged kids. The best way to get them to start doing chores is a visual approach.
Morning Routine Cards – Super cute and colorful morning routine printable for your toddlers or kids that makes getting ready in the morning fun!
Daily Routine Checklist – This printable has morning and night routines on the same sheet – it has words and pictures. You can laminate this to make it an easy reusable checklist.

Editable Toddler Routine Charts – I like that you can edit these to use what fits best for your toddler and that it is visual so the kids can see what they need to be doing.
Bedtime Routine Charts – There is many listed on this site, so you can pick which one works best for you and your child.
Toddler Chore Chart – These chore charts are perfect for toddlers and young kids if you want them to start helping out around the house.