Sometimes, even planning like that, things don't happen and that's ok too. Just the other day I decided to watch a tv show instead of an activity because it was just that kind of day and I just needed a break. It's ok to stray from the plan. The main thing with this age is just having fun and bonding. If I've been working and running around like a chicken with its head cut off for the last 2 or 3 days and I'm totally exhausted then I'm probably not having fun, and it's far better to have an unstructured day now and then than it would be to force it and create a child that grows to dislike such activities.
I do, however, pick a few things that are important to me that I never-or rarely-skip. I make them things that I think are the most important, and what I feel is important may be different than what you feel is important. My two things are reading and socialization. Pumpkin gets a bed time story at least 5 days a week, and usually 7 (if we are staying the weekend at a grandma's house we usually do skip it), we have a storytime during the day at least Monday through Friday, and I read Pumpkin any book she brings me throughout the day. By my figuring, a love of reading might be the best, lifelong gift I can give to her, so I make sure I do not deprive her of stories. Even when I read a long-ish book, at this age we are talking at most 5 minutes and usually less than 1 minute per story. I also make sure I take her out of the house and get her around other kids at least once a week. This one is big with me because I work from home. Unlike a stay at home mom, I can't go out and run errands unless I want to make up the work hours later, and unlike a work outside the home mom my child doesn't go to daycare. In short, with this lifestyle it would be all too easy for us to stay shelled up in the house, so these little activities to get around other kids are very important for both of us!
Everything else I don't get upset if we miss. My daughter works on fine and gross motor skills everyday regardless if I have an "activity." A little secret-half the time I come up with my toddler school activities by watching her ;). Then I expand on them. Like most toddlers, my daughter is very curious and she comes up with experiments on her own-I just provide the new materials-and if I don't she finds something that wasn't quite baby-proofed well enough. So you see, she will develop just fine without me forcing it, and your kids will too. But then there are those days when you just want to spend time with your toddler and feel the need for some direction. On those days, I use my bag of tricks and pull out something new-or old for that matter.
That's all there really is to it. Don't worry if you don't do everything on your list, every day. Just have fun and enjoy your toddler-the time really does fly by.
I do, however, pick a few things that are important to me that I never-or rarely-skip. I make them things that I think are the most important, and what I feel is important may be different than what you feel is important. My two things are reading and socialization. Pumpkin gets a bed time story at least 5 days a week, and usually 7 (if we are staying the weekend at a grandma's house we usually do skip it), we have a storytime during the day at least Monday through Friday, and I read Pumpkin any book she brings me throughout the day. By my figuring, a love of reading might be the best, lifelong gift I can give to her, so I make sure I do not deprive her of stories. Even when I read a long-ish book, at this age we are talking at most 5 minutes and usually less than 1 minute per story. I also make sure I take her out of the house and get her around other kids at least once a week. This one is big with me because I work from home. Unlike a stay at home mom, I can't go out and run errands unless I want to make up the work hours later, and unlike a work outside the home mom my child doesn't go to daycare. In short, with this lifestyle it would be all too easy for us to stay shelled up in the house, so these little activities to get around other kids are very important for both of us!
Everything else I don't get upset if we miss. My daughter works on fine and gross motor skills everyday regardless if I have an "activity." A little secret-half the time I come up with my toddler school activities by watching her ;). Then I expand on them. Like most toddlers, my daughter is very curious and she comes up with experiments on her own-I just provide the new materials-and if I don't she finds something that wasn't quite baby-proofed well enough. So you see, she will develop just fine without me forcing it, and your kids will too. But then there are those days when you just want to spend time with your toddler and feel the need for some direction. On those days, I use my bag of tricks and pull out something new-or old for that matter.
That's all there really is to it. Don't worry if you don't do everything on your list, every day. Just have fun and enjoy your toddler-the time really does fly by.
