Day in the Life of a Toddler

Welcome to the March 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Day in the Life
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have given us a special glimpse into their everyday.

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Babies grow very quickly in the first year, and then slow down as the second year starts. Toddlers grow at a slower rate, but are developing their personality at a rapid rate. Every day, my almost 2 year old son is doing something new or expressing himself in a new way. It is amazing, thrilling, revolutionary, yet shocking and scary at the same time. While I absolutely love how curious my toddler is, his ability to get EVERYTHING out within a 3 minute window is unbelievable. After a few days (maybe weeks) of walking behind him and cleaning up, I have resorted to trying to teach him clean up (haha) or I clean up after he goes to bed.

A Day in the Life of a Toddler

My son wakes up around 5:30-6:00 AM. He has become more cuddly lately, so I can usually get 5-20 minutes of cuddling on the couch as I wake up. When he is ready, he climbs off and asks for the sleep sack to be removed. And that's when the day really begins!

I make breakfast while he plays in the kitchen, usually eating some fruit while I cook.

After breakfast, I clean up the kitchen a bit while he plays (or makes messes). About 90% of the time, he lets me finish the dishes. Sometimes, he cannot wait and drags me by the hand to the living room to play.

While we are at home, he gets into just about everything. He makes some messes, pilfers food from the refrigerator, and "reorganizes" spice drawers.

He is at the age now where is starting to help and wants to help (the copying phase), so I involve him in chores and tasks around the house. Sometimes, he surprises me by grabbing the Swiffer and cleaning up dust balls. Though, I do not he truly knows that is doing chores. Hehe.

(note the jar of garlic powder opened and spilled on the floor and the food container pilfered from the fridge)

Mid morning, we try to go to a story time at the library or a kids bookstore to get out and have some interaction with other kids. Here he is reading one of his favorite books, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

On the way to the car, we have to step on the snow a few times!

We get home, have lunch, play around for a bit, and then he goes down for a nap between 12:30-1:00. While he naps, I spend a little bit of time doing a few tasks and chores, but mostly try to take time for myself. I work out, catch up on email and blogging or lie down on the couch and read. 

After he wakes up, I sit him down on the counter and we have a healthy snack. Then, back to play. A little bit of coloring (plus some on walls) and looking outside the bay window are usually part the routine. He likes looking for deer, squirrels and dogs being walked outside. 

Most of the days, I try to go somewhere in the afternoon also. If we go out, I focus on errands that I need to run or stores that I would like to go to. Mama needs to get out of the house also! We are usually back by 5pm, so that I can start on dinner.

If we stay at home, then it is usually because I need to spend some time prepping dinner. I try to involve him in dinner prep. He is getting better at helping pour into a mixing bowl or stir with a little help. I figure that's pretty good for a 2 year old!

Dinner is eaten in the kitchen around 6pm. We are trying to eat dinner in the dining room more often. Otherwise, I end up standing and running around the kitchen getting something that my son wants or cleaning up. Sitting at the dining room table helps me to focus on enjoying the meal that I prepared.

After dinner, my husband and my son play together in the living room while I clean up in the kitchen. I do not mind the clean up since I usually do not get distracted. Afterwards, I sit down with a glass of wine for a few minutes before the bedtime routine starts.

We target 8pm for bedtime (child in crib). Pajamas are put on, teeth are brushed, books are red, and we go upstairs to sing, pray and say goodnight.

Thank you for visiting and seeing a day in the life of an almost 2 year old toddler! From mess making to cleaning up to trying new things, I hope these bring a smile to your face!

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Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:
(This list will be updated by afternoon March 10 with all the carnival links.)

• A Day as Mama and Data Manager — Becca at The Earthling's Handbook explains what she actually does as data manager of a social science research study, as well as Mama to a baby and a fourth-grader.
• Pictures of a Day — A photo montage of a typical day in the life of Life Breath Present! You can see how she wakes up and spends her time in quiet, to Baby Boy sleeping at dinner, making natural products, and so much more!
• Escaping a Mekong cityscape for a slice of rural life — It's often necessary for Nathalie of Kampuchea Crossings to escape the heady concrete jungle that Phnom Penh is rapidly becoming, for the calmer environment of rural life.
• Community-schooling — Dionna at Code Name: Mama and her family don't *home*school, they *community* school!
• A day in the Life in La Yacata — Read how Survivor and her family at Surviving Mexico Adventures and Disasters spend their Sundays off-grid in rural central Mexico.
• Day in the Life of the Cole Family — Stoneageparent details the everyday life of her family through twelve photos taken over twelve hours
• The Days Are Just Packed — Holly at Leaves of Lavender talks about the beauty and simplicity of daily life with a toddler.
• A Day In The Life of a Heavily Pregnant Naturally Parenting Mama — At 37 weeks pregnant, Sam Vickery of Love Parenting shares her current reality as she naturally parents her four-year-old and awaits her sweet baby.

• My Life in Pictures on a Random Day — Donna at Eco-Mothering captures a random winter day in Rhode Island through a series of snapshots. What seemed boring at first made her smile in the end.
• How One Book Inspired Our Whole Day: A Day in the Life — How to plan the whole day with a toddler after reading one book together from Rachael at B is for Bookworm.
• A day in the life of an unschooling, work-at-home family — Lauren at Hobo Mama shares a picture journey through a typical day with three little homeschooling boys.
• Day in the Life of a Toddler — From mess making to cleaning up to trying new things, All Natural Katie shows the life of a toddler.
• Things I have done today (and every other day for the past seven years) — Marija Smits shares what a 'normal' day looks like in her crazy world of kids, writing, creativity and household chores!
• Just Another Wednesday — Lactating Girl at The Adventures of Lactating Girl shares a glimpse into a typical Wednesday in her family's life.
• Day in the Life — Dr Sarah at Good Enough Mum gives us glimpses of her life as a British GP and mum.
• Our days, these days — Dietary restrictions and health issues take a lot of time for Jessica Claire at Crunchy-Chewy Mama, but she still follows her passions and tries to show up for her kids.
• A (Typical) Day in Our Life — ANonyMous at Radical Ramblings describes a typical day with two kids, eight cats and two dogs.