I think one of the hardest parts of parenting is finding a daily schedule that works for you and your baby. Every baby is so different, so unfortunately there is not a one schedule fits all (though, wouldn’t that be nice!). My daughter Blakely is currently 15 months old and I feel like we are STILL taking it day by day.
As a first time mom and a stay at home mom, I often turned to Google and other mom blogs for guidance and would use their baby’s schedule as a template for mine.
But like I said, every baby is different. By 15 months, some babies are down to one nap a day, while some are still at two. Some may wake up at 6am and some may wake up at 8am. That’s the beauty of being a parent is you have the power to customize their schedule to work for you both!
Even though you know what your baby needs way more than any other mom’s schedule will tell you, I still find it helpful to see what other mamas are doing for their kids eating and sleeping schedules. And maybe since you’re here, you do too!
We have followed this schedule below (loosely) from when Blakely was 12 months to 15 month old! Take this as inspiration only as I am just a mama who is figuring it all out as I go!!
12-15 MONTH OLD SCHEDULE AS A STAY AT HOME MOM
7:00 A.M.
Wake Up Blakely + Change Diaper.
Immediately after I pick her up from her crib and get her out of her sleep sack, I put her on the changing table. She’s usually pretty hungry first thing in the morning so I’ll offer her 4oz of milk in her sippy cup.
7:30 A.M.
Feed Breakfast
For breakfast I usually give Blakely a fruit or two (she’s obsessed with these mandarin oranges right now), and some kind of carb and protein. This often times looks like oranges + blackberries + peanut butter toast OR strawberries + avocado + 2 banana egg muffins. I offer her both milk and water at feeding times too.
We currently have the Stokke High Chair (which is so aesthetic), but if I were to do things again I’d get this high chair that my parents have for her at their house. It is way more secure and easier to clean. Blakely has learned how to get out of the straps in the Stokke chair unless we make them pretty tight.
8:00 A.M.
15-30 Minutes of Play Before the Gym
Lately I’ve been getting ready for the gym before I wake Blakely up which has worked great. During this time, I’ll set up a toy basket for her to go through while I make myself a little something to eat before my workout… but often times this part of the day looks like her walking around the apartment with random objects in her hands (ex: a spatula or tupperware). Lol.
8:30-9:30 A.M.
Gym Daycare
Blakely lovesss the gym daycare + she gets a lot of one on one time with the sweet teacher since there’s not a lot of kids on weekday mornings. I usually do a 45 min workout while Blakely gets to play!
After the gym I give her an apple pouch for the car ride home for a snack before her first nap.
9:30/10:00 – 11:00/11:30 A.M.
First Nap of the Day
This nap can last anywhere from 11:00 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. I love a good morning nap for her because she just got to play at the gym so she’s always ready for some quiet time in her crib. We still give her a pacifier for sleeping… but we want to start weaning her off of it pretty soon.
Nap time is the best time for me to get some things done. I’ll start a load of laundry if I need, I’ll make my post gym breakfast (usually a bacon, egg, cheese + spinach breakfast sandwich), shower, and work on my blog.
12:00 P.M.
Lunch Time
Though it’s not always right at 12, I feed her lunch sometime within this hour depending on her hunger cues. We are currently LOVING these suction plates with 3 divided sections for food. Lunch usually looks like Banza pasta with pesto + peas + fruit (a go to for us), a rotisserie chicken + cheese + spinach quesadilla, or leftovers and whatever food we have on hand.
12:30-2:30 P.M.
Free Time // Outdoor Activity // Snack
During these hours I love to take Blakely to the park near us a few times a week if the weather is nice. She loves to get outside and be around other kids. If she’s tired of playing I’ll put her in the stroller and take her on a little nature walk.
I use this time block to run errands too. It’s the perfect time since Blakely is both fed and rested so she is usually in a great mood. If I’m gone for too long I’ll bring a little snack just in case (puffs or another food pouch). If I’m already home, I’ll make her a snack around 2:30 before her afternoon nap.
2:30/3:00 – 4:00 P.M.
Offer Another Nap
This nap is hit or miss lately. She used to go down easily twice a day, but now she just uses it as quiet time and rolls around in her crib until she stands up whining. We are actually about to transition her to one nap, but this schedule worked perfectly for us for the past few months.
4:30 – 6:00 P.M.
Play Time
During this hour I’ll set up some toys for Blakely to play with or take her out on the porch to play with chalk or toys. Then I’ll try to get dinner prepped and cooked so she can eat a little before 6 p.m. To be real, a lot of the time I put on Cocomelon or Sesame Street for her to watch for 30 minutes while I get dinner prepped. That might not be something you want to do for your child and that’s totally okay, but for us it works great!
5:30/6:00 P.M.
Dinner Time
If I’m still cooking and I don’t want her to watch TV, I’ll set her up in her highchair with an activity to play with. This could be putting a little water down and letting her splash and play (warning – it gets a little wet, but is fun!), or giving her items to play with like a baby bowl and spoon.
Most nights she will eat what I make for dinner in bite sized pieces. I oftentimes post our weekly meal plan in my Five Friday Favorites blog posts if you are looking for some inspo!
7:00 P.M.
Bath Time & Wind Down
This is one of the sweetest times of the day. Bath time is so fun with her because she is always in the best mood. Girl loves the water! She plays with bath toys while I do the washing. We love using the Honest Company’s products for shampoo, body wash and lotion.
I’ll let her go to the bookshelf in her room and pick out 3 books to read. She loves having the independence to pick it out herself. We’ll rock and sing lullabies and then it’s time for bed.
7:15/7:30 P.M.
Bed Time
Time for you to relax mama!!! You got through another day!
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I’d love to know what your baby’s daily schedule is in the comments below. Is it similar to Blakely’s? Do you have any mama tips or hacks!?
Stay Well,
Courtney
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