I Need Help from Organized People with Kids.

Hi, Stacie! There are a lot of free printable charts online. One of the places I love to visit is: www.chartjungle.com. They have lots of charts that you can also customize. :) Have fun!

Hi! Have you thought about joining a mom's club? I am a member of Moms Club International, and I love it. Each chapter is divided according to zip code. There are daily activities, and most are free or very inexpensive, and a great resource for kid friendly places in the area, as well as mom friends! Good Luck!

Your daily schedule can be as easy as, wake up, have breakfast, change clothes, morning cleaning (laundry, dishes, make beds,etc...all things your child can help with) snack, morning activity (library time, art projects, nature walk...) lunch, naptime, pick up sibling from school, free play, dinner, bathtime, reading/snuggle time, bedtime.

You really don't need a schedule poster for a child this young. Just stick with an easy daily schedule that works for your family, but maybe alternate morning activities to include story hours, exercise, nature walks, etc...

i actually homeschool and live by a schedule, not that i never deaviate from it. lol. depending on how busy you are you can design your projects around where your kid might be, be it outside, or living room. hope this helps. its only my schedule, and it changes all the time, to suit their growing needs, but this is pretty much the schedule i have followed since my first one was 1.

breafast

outside 1 hour

chores - both my kids since they were 1 love to help, with things like folding laundry in the living room, wiping down a table, carrying trash cans.

barnes and nobles has a parent teacher resource center where you can get her all kinds of cool things from puzzles, blocks and books. and a book for yourself, the one i use is called teaching youndg children and it has a lot of cool activities you can do with her and set her down to do by herself.

lunch

1hour ouside,

naps.

a video when she wakes up, edicational or not. : )

free time anywhere in and out of this, to fill space.

from video time to dinner is when i just let my kids play together, but they have had alot more minimal sibling stuff since ive filled there schedules in the morn.

my 18 mon old could pick toys up well enough, with constant coaxing from me while i was cooking dinner.

1 hour ourside.

tubby,

story,

snack and

bed time.

There's a great book called Managers of Their Homes by Steven and Teri Maxwell. It is geared towards home schoolers but you don't have to be one to utilize it. It helps put scheduling in perspective, so that its a tool not a mandate. I enjoyed all the sample schedules and it came with a kit for creating your own. www.titus2.com

I had this problem with my youngest, I specified different areas of the house for his entertainment. After breakfast he watched educational shows like Sesame Street (I did not like the "fad" characters) since it comes on several times throughout the day. If this show was not available we watched shows or short movies, we had a craft area where he could color or fingerpaint. My son loves music so we had music hour where we would just listen to music then he would dance around the room.

Just utilize some of your school room organization and adjust for one, but I found if they know there is an "area" then they show more curiosity and the added benefit is he expended so much energy that nap time was a breeze.

I would try and keep the schedule lenient at that age. For example: eat breakfast, get dressed, take big sis to school, play with mom, eat a snack, help mom do chores, eat lunch, naptime, get big sis from school, snacktime, play with mom and sis, help mom make dinner, dinner time, reading, bath, bed. I wouldn't try and set specific times (except bedtime and naptime), more like a guideline I guess. And then if you get to go to a playdate, just exchange that for playtime/snacktime at home
Target has some great magnetic charts, they might be a little old for your 18 mo. old, but they have different chores (make your bed, pick up toys, be nice to siblings, etc.), I think it's a great idea and I think they are only $10-$15

i'm an organization freak and former teacher so i relate. first, i'd join a couple of mom groups so the ideas come to you via email. they'll pour in-- so nice! also, sign up for as many newsletters as possible. i get email alerts from katy visual and performing arts society about mom-n-me classes and community events, from interactive theater about upcoming plays, and gocityhouston about events around town. sit down one day and search the internet for all the fun places in your area (the libraries, shopping centers, etc) and bookmark them on your computer so you can peridically check them to see what's going on. my son and i go on one outing every morning (mornings are "his" time to learn and play with others, and afternoons are "my" time to cook, clean, etc while he watches a video and plays at home.) our weekly schedule is approx the following:
mon- pump it up or park day
tues- playgroup (through mom's group)
wed-storytime at library
thurs- field trips or visit friends
fri- playgroup outing
finally, set up a calendar (on your computer is even better.) i have a gmail account and use google's calendar, which lets you set a "reminder" up to a week ahead of time for events, and every morning it emails you your day's agenda so i never forget a thing anymore.

I stay at home with my own 21 month old and I also keep a 22 month old two days a week. Our schedule is as follows;

Wake up and walk sissy to school

come home and have breakfast

1/2 hour educational TV.

Play time with toys and Mommy

Library or park

Lunch

Story

Nap

Snack

Art/ cooking / or other sensory activities(shaving cream, sand or water play, playdough)

Clean up/ pick up toys

play with sissy or daddy while I cook dinner:)

dinner

play

bath

bed

Hope this helps

Try the teacher supply store- they have lots of good organizational kid type things. (But you probably knew that!) Check the library schedules and go to kid time at the library once a week. Have a few standing dates- Mon is Library day, Wed is play date, Fri is lunch out with friends. That way if Tues is boring and you are just doing laundry and hanging out- you always have something to look forward to. Of course, I did this with my kids and they blame me for always wanting to go and do things now....When I asked them once why they thought they had to be going places every day they replied "Well,mom, you're the one that had us out going places every day. What do you expect?" But I always found it was much easier to entertain them for an hour or so a day out of the house and then that made the rest of the day flow so much better. We ate lunch out A LOT at Chik Fil A or anyplace w/ kids and a play area- socializing for them and for me. Sometimes we would meet up w/ people we knew- other times we would meet new "friends". Sounds like maybe she just needs more interaction- she's older now and needs more than just mom. (Mother's Day Out maybe???)

Another great place for pictures schedules that help everyone stay a little more on task and help mom and kids feel like they are not just floating through the day is SchKIDules. Visit www.schKIDules.com. They have great toddler schedules you set up.

Dear Alexa,

Go to www.nogreaterjoy.org and read the article, "Hippy Mom." Also, go to www.Titus2.com. The book called "Managers of Their Homes" includes schedule ideas for children of all ages.

J.

If you are able to have your child in day care for even a few days a week this would be a start. For both of you. Mother's day out play dates with other mothers with children their ages. Plan a pic-nic in the house with friends. Get some of the books for early child hood that have writing and cutting in them along with places that they can draw etc. in them as a teacher you know they type. These will break up your days and make them exciting for her also. Good luck.