Daily Schedule

As far as a schedule goes, you should have one that Charlie fits into. I would say you have to get a shower in early in the day or you waste so much time trying to squeeze it in. Then figure out your chores - cleaning, grocery store, etc. and plan when to do that so you have some fun time too. I would go out in the morning, come home for lunch and playtime there and then put my guy(s) down for a nap.

The library is a great resource for you. They have mom and me story time and you can meet some other moms there. There are also mom and me park district classes. Just be sure not to overschedule. You want to have time to be spontaneous and take a walk whenever. When the weather gets nicer, just going to the park is a great way to relax and have fun.

M.

Well, if you're looking for fun places to go, there's always story time at the library or a local bookstore, playing at the park, Jumps and Jiggles in Elk Grove, the zoo, McDonald's playplace (try to get there before 12 pm otherwise it gets CRAZY! lol) Going for walks in forest preserves...

And when it gets nicer out, you can go to the pool! :) I am all out of suggestions now! Hope those helped!

It's so great that you are so involved with your son and want to fill his day with activities! I'm sure other Moms will have some awesome outing ideas for you. But I wanted to pitch another idea: remember to give him some time to play on his own so that he does not rely on you for entertainment from you at all times. I suggest you take a shower at 9am once a week, and bring him into the bathroom with you in his exersaucer. On other days, bring him into the kitchen/family room/etc. with a few toys on the floor and go ahead and clean. Allowing him to see you move and work around the house is an excellent learning experience for him. It is important for him to learn that, when he is bored, he should find ways to entertain himself!

Love the ideas the other Mom's had. I did a couple other things too. I started both of my kids in swim lessons very early (mom and me). This is a great way to get out and get some exercise. You'll also meet other Mom's. Check out your local YMCA. I also went to the library once a week (Thursdays worked for us). Then set up a playdate once a week. A bunch of my friends would all get together on Wednesdays. That left me two days to do errands and go to a park. I know you said you aren't rigid, but if you have a schedule for the week it helps the time pass and keeps your child engaged. Good luck...I'm sure what ever you decide will be great. They just want to spend time with their family and friends anyway!! It doesn't matter what you do!

I second what others suggested about the library, playground, zoo, etc. You might also want to get your son involved in a morning playgroup so that he can socialize with other kids. My 18 month old only child really benefits from being around other children in her age group. Your neighborhood might have an existing playgroup or you can probably find one in your area on meetup.com.

One of our favorite outings is to go to Cosley Zoo in Wheaton. It's great because it's small, so it's not an all-day outing. You can go there for about 2 hours, and see everything, plus have lunch if you want. They mainly have farm animals, and it's fun to just sit by the pond and watch the ducks. There's a wonderful large grassy area where kids can just run and play, with picnic tables where you can have lunch. My girls love it (youngest is 14 months, like your guy). Best of all, it's FREE, but we usually drop a few bucks into their donation box outside the gift shop. If you've never been there, you should check out their website- it's a GREAT place for families with young children, especially in the nice weather. I also agree with the others about checking out library and park district classes. We have met some really nice other people that way. Have fun!!!