Make your very own toddler routine cards

I'd heard about the terrible twos but until you've actually had to deal with them it's hard to understand what that really means!

Suddenly - but not all that recently actually - Artie has been refusing nappy changes and doesn't want to get dressed. This is frustrating especially when you need to leave the house or if she's in a dirty nappy. We have to do nappy changes several times a day of course too so it's several battles a day. 

Our routine, especially with the pandemic, has been very much the same most days. In order to try to avoid the resistance I get from her I thought a more visual representation of her routine that she could anticipate and interact with and even help to plan would be good. 

I compiled a sheet of images of activities we quite often do. It's by no means exhaustive but a good start. You can download your own using the links at the bottom of the page!

Next i cut all the images out, laminated them and added sticky velcro. I made several cards with different parts of the day on them - 

• Morning
• Mid-morning
• Lunchtime
• Mid-afternoon
• Evening

Then it was just a case of thinking about our routine and planning out the day using the images!

So far, so good! She seems to like looking at the board and taking things off. And i've been giving her the opportunity to add her own activities and choosing what she wants to do. It's great to build awareness about what she's doing and so she knows what's expected of her.

She especially loves the snack card!!

Feel free to download and make your own too. Please share your routines with me, i'd love to see them!