Setting up a schedule for a not quite 2 year old

[boogaloo]

SAHD gave me the go ahead to try to make our DS a schedule. Ideas are needed. Thanks

[mamazee]

What kind of schedule are you looking for? What need is the schedule filling? It's hard to know just what you're looking for without more info.

What I do for a toddler that age is try to plan one outing, generally somewhere free, each day and just do regular stuff around it. Your dh (that's the SAHD?) could think of some places he'd like to go with your ds, like the museum, parks, library, etc., and plan them around regular meal and nap times.

So for us, we wake up and I make breakfast, clean up kids and breakfast dishes, I do housework and she plays with toys or follows me around while I do housework and her older sister either goes to school or goes outside to play with friends or plays with the little one, I make lunch and we eat, I clean up after lunch, she naps for a while and sister plays, then we try to go someplace like the park. On the way home from the park, I pick up anything I need (like if I need groceries for dinner), and if it's the school year make sure we're back before the bus comes, otherwise we have a bit more time. I get a snack for the children, and there's a bit of time for whatever the kids need or want. Often a story or something like that. Then I get the kids occupied on something fun at the kitchen table while I work on dinner, like maybe the older one on a craft project and the younger one can scribble on paper or something, then we eat, then I clean up from dinner, and start the kids' bedtime routine. I would call my daily plan a routine instead of a schedule, and I keep it pretty flexible. Also, this assumes dh is working a ton of hours that day, as he helps out a lot when he's able to. There's also wiggle room between the various things in my schedule for reading, snuggling, checking email/facebook, etc.

[Jen-o]

I have a "schedule" on my fridge for our little family (23 months & 2 months old), and often it is forgotten for the sake of reality!
If your child still naps, I would DEFINITELY make sure any outings or playdates are in the morning and leave enough time to eat lunch before your child needs to crash out. even if you eat while out, and let the nap happen in the car.

I have made the mistake of having guests after lunch a few times since younger DS was born and it totally screwed up DD's naps and bedtimes. (even though they are not perfect, I don't need my 23 month old still up at midnight because she missed a nap and fell asleep during supper).
That's just my 2c.