Daily Schedule for a One-Year-Old

Baby’s Schedule:

• 7:00 – 7:30 AM – Wake up
• 8:00 AM – Breakfast. Typically this includes 7oz of whole fat cow’s milk, and a bit of whatever mom and dad are eating for breakfast that day (often eggs, avocado, peanut butter bagel, oatmeal, etc.) We will also offer a bit of water during breakfast and every other meal.
• 8:30 AM – Playtime! We will go on walks, practice crawling and walking, read books, enjoy sensory activities, etc. We might also include a small snack like teething crackers or fruit during this time.
• 10:00 AM – Nap # 1. We are getting close to dropping one of her naps and transitioning to just one nap a day. For now, she has two but this will change shortly!
• 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM – Wake up from nap #1
• 12:00 PM – Lunchtime! We stick to as many healthy foods as possible, which includes things like unsweetened applesauce, chicken, homemade purees, bananas, pork, rice, sweet potatoes, whole fat yogurt with fruit, etc. For the most part, baby eats anything we are eating.
• 12:30 – More playtime! Again we will do walks, read, and other fun activities at home. This is also when we would leave the house for errands, going to the park, taking her on jogs, etc.
• 3:00 PM – Nap #2. If she goes down, this nap may last for anywhere from 60-120 minutes. Once we drop a nap, we will likely have one big nap around noon each day. We will share that updated schedule once we have it!
• 4:30 – 5:00 PM – Wake up from nap #2
• 5:00 PM – Small bite to eat – something like Cheerios or a bit of whatever mom and dad are having for dinner. We will enjoy family time since our work-from-home day is typically wrapped up. This includes a walk, time in the playroom, hosting dinner with friends, etc.
• 6:30 PM – Bedtime routine starts – bath time, fresh diaper and lotion, reading books, 7oz of whole fat cow’s milk, dim lights, sound machine, and baby is down by 7:00 PM
• 7:00 PM – 7:00 AM – baby is getting plenty of sleep!

Tips, Tricks, & Notes

• Babies love schedules! It helps them sleep better, and improves their mood throughout the day.
• BUT – This isn’t a fool proof schedule – life happens, plans change, events last through naps, and so on. If we have a day where we’re out and she misses a nap, or maybe bedtime gets pushed back an hour, we roll with it and try to get back to the schedule as soon as we can.
• We highly recommend moms on call if you are struggling with baby’s sleep schedule – it made a world of difference for us early on.
• My breastmilk supply ran out at around 9 months. We started supplementing with formula, and eventually switched to cow’s milk. Our pediatrician recommended cutting back on milk intake around 12 months – consult with your pediatrician to make sure you are feeding baby the right amount of milk, as it may be different for you if you’re still breastfeeding.
• We are currently watching for signs that it’s time to drop one of the naps. These signs include:
  • Long morning nap, and short afternoon nap (may also fight/refuse afternoon nap)
  • Baby takes longer to fall asleep during nap time
  • If you’re out of the home in the morning, baby is stay awake, but becomes very sleepy in the afternoon.

Please let us know your thoughts and share any other tips and tricks you have for your 1-year-old’s schedule!