The Melanin Mommy household is trying to make the most of this whole social distancing thing, with the goals of staying healthy, happy, and sane. That’s an active task with Junior, my 18 month old. He’s super energetic, curious, affectionate, and a typical 18 month old little boy. I’ve found having a regular routine, though open and flexible, fits his needs best, and makes the day run smoothly (not perfectly). So here’s our typical daily routine while quarantined with a toddler.

7am: Wake & Cuddle
Junior wakes anywhere from 6-7am. When it’s closer to the 6am side, I’m able to breastfeed and lay him back down, giving us about an hour more of sleep. Once he’s up, I usually bring him to my bed, breastfeed and hang out until it’s time to get the day started.

7:30am: Get Dressed & Tidy Up Our Rooms
One of my biggest tips is to get up and get out of your PJs. I give Junior 2 choices of outfits to choose from, and he picks what he wants to wear. It’s usually black leggings and tanks for me. We make up our beds, wash our hands and face, brush our teeth, open the blinds, and head downstairs.

8am: Breakfast
Junior uses his Toddler Tower to stand counter height and help me prep. breakfast.

I’m sure to get in a protein, fruit, and water. I try to avoid sugary breakfasts, though I was craving cinnamon rolls this past week. I also put dishes from the dishwasher away at this time. Then I’m sure to sit and eat with Junior each day.

8-9:30am: Skill Focused Play
After tidying up the kitchen, we head back up to his room and play. During this morning play session, I’m sure to get in some sort of structured play that focuses on developing a skill, like puzzles, shaped block sorting, stringing/lacing, and first words flashcards/animal sound trivia.

9:30am: Snack Time!

10-11am: Skill Focused Outdoor Play
I feel like this is the perfect time to get outside in South Florida. The humidity and heat haven’t picked up yet, and there’s just something about the energy that I love. I like to incorporate some sort of skill focused play that is too messy for indoors at this time too, like pouring water from and into different containers, drawing with sidewalk chalk, and kicking a soccer ball back and forth.

11am-12pm (sometimes longer): Nap Time!
Junior rests really well after running around outside. I usually sweep the house and wipe down counters/door nobs, then sit and rest myself.

12:30pm: Lunch
Junior and I sit together and eat a hearty lunch. Again, he enjoys taking part in the prep. He’s found great interest in putting sandwiches together. He also enjoys eating things with multiple components (if that makes sense) like sandwiches or things wrapped in tortillas.

1-3pm: Open Play
Open play, screen-time, outside play, and snack. Junior enjoys music, dancing, playing with blocks, drawing, and just hanging out. We still breastfeed for comfort when he wants. I usually take this time to get little chores like laundry and cleaning bathrooms as needed at this time.

3-4pm: Shorter Nap
Most days, Junior gets cranky and needs another nap around this time. It’s usually a shorter one.

5-6pm: Dinner
Time to prep for dinner. I’m sure to have some component that requires measuring and mixing and give Junior that task. He loves helping and it keeps him occupied.

Again, we’re sure to sit and eat together. Throughout the day, I play background music, usually playlists like Decaf, Outernational, Afrobeats Chillout, or Study Station on my Tidal App. I also like ChilledCow, Chovies, or ChillHop stations on YouTube. These usually get turned up and Junior and I jam out while we eat. You can find the links to these here:

Decaf Playlist: https://tidal.com/playlist/ae24e029-6024-4fc4-9c83-f77487a77bc7
Outernational Playlist: https://tidal.com/playlist/9294c421-d3c6-46dd-9db5-2378220ff2d6
Afrobeats Chillout Playlist: https://tidal.com/playlist/464a36ea-3172-4138-b770-07122edcb893
Study Station Playlist: https://tidal.com/playlist/7ab5d2b6-93fb-4181-a008-a1d18e2cebfa
ChilledCow YoutTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSJ4gkVC6NrvII8umztf0Ow
Chovies YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOikxWuG4kluDgWfpHpqsGg
ChillHop YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Chillhopdotcom

6:30-7pm: Wind Down
Junior and I water the flower grow kits we’ve planted (more on that later), and wind down.

7:30: Bath Time & Bed Time Routine
We for sure keep our bedtime routine the same! It’s a must if we want a smooth evening in the Melanin Mommy household. As usual, Junior is involved each step of the way. I give him the toiletries that we use to lay out, he also puts them away in a lower drawer he has access to when we’re done.

He has his own electric toothbrush, with which I let him have a turn to brush his teeth himself, before I take over and brush them well (sometimes involving some sort of wrestling maneuver). Junior turns on the white noise machine, closes his bedroom door, waves goodbye and kisses himself in the mirror, then gives mommy kisses. We then breastfeed, cuddle, and lay down in his big boy toddler bed to sleep.

8:30pm
While Junior sleeps, I tidy up the kitchen, wipe down counters, and load the dishwasher to wash overnight. I go through my own shower and bedtime routine before winding down to relax with social media, YouTube (I follow a lot of YouTube moms!), and my new favorite game “Dots.” A lot of DJs, like DJ D-Nice and Questlove, have been going live on Instagram and I let the sets play in the background. I’ve been out of the routine of exercising and want to get back into it during this time frame soon.

DJ D-Nice IG: https://instagram.com/dnice?igshid=x0p6nrbanmkf

DJ Questlove IG: https://instagram.com/questlove?igshid=v41lprwxnh7c

Two Dots Puzzle App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.weplaydots.twodotsandroid

Of course, the schedule doesn’t go exactly like this each day. But the days usually follow this general structure. I hope you find it helpful and gives you some ideas. I’ve found idleness leads to meltdowns on this end. Don’t get me wrong, there’s lots of rest, but also a lot of structure. You may find you don’t need as much structure, but I find it works for Junior and I.

As usual, stay health, smart, and safe. Talk to you soon!