So I am having a bit of trouble finding equilibrium with my little's schedule - ie how much activity leads to an awesome night's sleep and how much leads to him becoming overtired and screaming "Outside" at 10:30 at night...

We are loose schedule people, I've never really had a die-hard schedule for him. He ate when hungry, slept when tired yada yada yada. But now I'm wondering - would he benefit from more routine? Is it too late?

Also I think that part of the problem is that we're watching too much TV because its hot and (insert sounds almost good enough excuse here...) I mean I'm not knocking TV in general, I just feel like he watches alot...

Also (and I just realized this) we're down to nursing when we get up, before nap, before bed and maybe once during the night. However I am still kind of letting him graze. He isn't really a dinner eater, he likes to eat breakfast and lunch but mostly he likes to snack. Cheese, crackers, cookies (low sugar oatmeal ones I make myself for the most part), orange juice, fruit, etc... He just never will eat more than one thing at a sitting. If we sit down to lunch and there is a half pbj and applesauce he will eat one or the other but not both. Same with dinner, where he usually ends up eating the veggies and then asking for cheese later.

So ladies, in your opinion which should I focus on first? He just went to sleep after what was a pretty traumatic evening of crying which I'd like to prevent in the future. Thanks...

:hug: No help here btu i am dreading the two with DD she already has a temper at 13mo. DS was fine until 3 - whoa what a year that was. But a schedule does help if you can do one.

Is he teething or is he done with that? 2 yr molars? Sophie is 20 months and getting her canines and she is just a bear..I'm getting almost NO sleep. She won't let me night wean her, and she is nursing constantly..

IOW, I have no good advice on schedules..they work really well for some children, and aren't really necessary for others. Follow your instinct, start with a small bedtime routine..bath, read a book. Do it at a set time and lower all the lights and really make the atmosphere very calm.

Grazing is so normal at this age..my kids do it too. I do try to sit them for a brief lunch, but don't always as they would rather run around, stop, pick up a grape, etc. Dr. Sears has some great tips for grazers..muffin tins with several kinds of finger foods, etc.

anyway..that's from my sleep deprived brain..feel free to throw it all out :D

nak...but two thiughts...

eating...sounds normal..grazimg is normal and fine. just make sure it's healthy choices.

schedule...i have found that by 1 1/2 my kids are on a pretty good schedule all their own...i think a set bedtime is good for them as well as a regular naptime.

At four my son still doesn't have a regular bed time but having a routine made a huge difference. Nine times out of ten, we finish the second story and he starts to snore.

I read somewhere that toddlers don't eat a balanced meal. They eat a balanced two days. So I always try to think what it's been the longest since he had and offer that. After a while it's kind of instinct. We are just not structured people here either.