Curious what a day in the life of 1 year old twins and a 3 year old is like? Here is our schedule for 1 year old twins and older singleton. We found a schedule to help calm some of the chaos of three littles!
Schedule for One Year Old Twins
Morning
6:00 a.m. Twins wake up, change their diapers, clothing, and give them a 4oz bottle. (If your twins don’t wake this early, don’t make them get up. Ha! Ours have always been early risers!)
6:45 a.m. Feed the twins breakfast and play.
7:30/8 a.m. Get 3 year old up: get him dressed, brush teeth, and breakfast (this is at 7:15am on preschool days)
8:00 a.m. On preschool days, get everyone ready to take the 3-year-old to preschool.
8:30 a.m. (Back home if preschool day) Twins diaper change (nap would start now back when they took naps) otherwise, hang out and play.
9:30 a.m. Snack and play more
10:30 a.m. If preschool day, leave for pick up
11:00 a.m. Lunch for everyone (11:15 if a preschool day)
Afternoon
12:00 p.m. Diaper changes for twins, 4oz bottles fed in crib, and nap. Pull up and quiet time in room for 3-year-old.
3:30 p.m. or earlier: Everyone up from nap (typically earlier than this), diaper changes, snack, water for all. Then play together, read, hang out.
5:00 p.m. Dinner time for all then play before bedtime.
Evening
6:30 p.m. Bedtime: Diaper change, pajamas, story time, and 6oz bottle in crib for twins. All the same for oldest w/o bottle.
Overnight: feed them as they wake while they’re lying in their crib. Don’t change diapers unless it’s a poopy one because it wakes them up too much.
Why Routines are Important
Routines are important for kids, even babies and toddlers. When our twins were 1 year old, we already had a nap and feeding schedule, then the start of preschool for our oldest added to that routine.
Having a daily routine really helped contain some of the chaos that comes with twins plus an older singleton. I knew what was coming next, what needed to be done, and so did they. Even though they can’t fully understand the schedule, the basic routine is something that they can catch on to and it’s predictable, which helps all of us.
Unless you have some where to be, such as taking a child to preschool, you don’t have to be completely rigid about your schedule, allow yourself for some wiggle room.
My background as a school psychologist taught me that children, even babies, having a schedule is important. I didn’t know how true that was until I had kids of my own!
A Schedule Helps Others, Too
Having a schedule or routine can also help when others come to take care of your kids, such as a nanny or babysitter. I also created this Twins Babysitter Planner for just that occasion! Just buy, print, and jot down the details and you’re all set!
Wiggle Room
There will be times where naps won’t go as long as you’d like (sorry, mama, I know the feeling), or something else comes up, so always give yourself some wiggle room within your routines.
I always tried to keep meal times consistent and nap time. Other than that, I tried to not be too rigid if I didn’t need to be.
If you do need to make adjustments to nap or meal times, try to keep it within 15-30 minutes of change so you don’t throw them off too much.
I liked to interject outside time when I could, reading to them, playing games or simply getting on the floor and playing with them.
Leaving the House?
If you’re away from home, you may need to adjust your schedule somewhat. However, I’d suggest still doing your best to keep nap and bedtimes consistent to reduce chaos. You don’t want overtired kids while you’re out or while you’re trying to sleep overnight.
Remember, overtired kids don’t sleep better, they actually have more disrupted sleep.
You can try to keep visits short and hope that others will understand.
Routines Still Work Years Later
My twins are 6 years old and routines still help with our days. Granted, they sadly stopped napping years ago, but even just having meals at the same times can help.
As a mom of identical twins and a son two years older, I have gained invaluable experience in the realm, and chaos, of parenting. With a Master's Degree and Education Specialist Degree in School Psychology, I spent years as a school psychologist, helping children navigate through their educational and emotional challenges. Now as a stay at home mom and professional blogger, I combine my areas of expertise to help you in your parenting journey.