Hey Friends, I can’t believe it has been 3 months since my last blog post. I apologize for neglecting my little space on the internet. A lot has transpired since I have been away. Aria is 16th months and will be 17th months in 4 days. The world is going through a major pandemic with COVID-19 and has resulted in school closures, layoffs, remote work options for others, it’s a big hot mess. Parents are finding themselves trying to balance it all. And let me tell you it’s a lot.

I have been currently working from home for over 3 weeks. This new lifestyle has caused me to really think about my daughter’s schedule. Usually at daycare she had her routine but now her routine is off. I have been researching different schedule options for toddlers as well as activities that she can do to learn, develop and grow.

I know a lot of people have said, don’t worry give yourself grace, but as a mom I can’t. Aria is in her prime development stages and it is important that she is constantly learning.

Recently I have been researching Montessori activities and I came across this company called Lovevery! They have a subscription box that allows kids to explore and learn by manipulating objects through fun activities. I kept seeing a ton of ads everywhere for this but I wanted to see if it was worth the investment. And you guys it is! Aria received the Pioneer Kit for her age group 16-18 months. The kit comes with 11 different toys and a book for parents to understand what, how and why the toys should be used. https://lovevery.com/products/the-play-kits

I put the toys out for Aria after her nap and let her start exploring. She loved each toy. My favorite toy is Simon Says Cube https://lovevery.com/products/the-play-kits. Aria is currently learning her body parts so this cube really helps teach her to mimic the actions on the cards. I noticed immediately that she would get so excited as she began to manipulate and play with the toys.

Aria is really enjoying this experience and I wanted to create a schedule that would allow us to incorporate playtime and learning in her routine.

Schedule for Aria:

8:00 am-9:00 am- Breakfast

9 am-9:30 am- We sing Simple Songs “Hello Hello” (you can find this on Spotify) and then do a quick and fun story.

9:30 am-10 am: We play with the LoveEvery Toys

10 am-11:30 am: Snack and Walk Outside

11:30 am-1 pm: Lunch and Story Time with Nap.

1pm-3pm: Nap Time

3 pm-4:30 pm: Snack & Outside or Afternoon Activity (We usually do some for of Sensory Play, ABC Memorization or practice learning new words).

4:30 pm-5:30 pm: Watch a movie (While I cook Dinner)

5:30 pm-7 pm: Dinner, Bath, Reading Time, and Bed

Currently, this schedule keeps her on track, depending on her mood. Usually, during the downtime, I will check/ send emails for work. This schedule has literally been a game changer! I definitely want to encourage all parents to take a look at Lovevery and read up on Montessori education. As I dive deeper into my understanding of this type of educational learning I find it valuable to check out podcasts, books, and blog posts, related to the topic. This helps me understand how to better incorporate more development activities into her schedule.