Do You Need a Toddler Morning Routine? Why and How to Put One In Place

Want to establish a toddler morning routine?

As the mom of a 2 year old, who is becoming the occasional early riser, I’ve found that establishing a routine for my daughter has majorly helped to set us up for the day ahead.

I’ve always been an early riser myself and sometimes, my toddler gives me a run for my money. Whether it be a growth spurt or separation anxiety, the early risings have made our mornings more chaotic, to say the least. 

Establishing a routine has added the consistency we’ve craved. Read on to learn whether your toddler is ready for a routine and how to put one in place.

• 6:00 a.m. – Wake up and get those morning cuddles/stretches
• 6:15 a.m. – Potty time
• 6:30 a.m. – Teeth brushing 
• 6:45 a.m. – Play time and/or help with breakfast prep
• 7:00 a.m. – Breakfast
• 7:30 a.m. – Prep for the day: Hair-brushing, change clothes, apply sunscreen, and pack the backpack on school days       
• 8:00 a.m. – More play time/book reading
• 8:30 a.m. – School drop-off while doing affirmations on the way

Note: These times are variable. It’s important to flex as needed. I’d note the types of activities above more than the specific times.

Benefits of Setting a Toddler Morning Routine

A morning routine for your toddler requires effort upfront. However, as your household gets accustomed to having one, the benefits of the routine will begin to far outweigh the work you and your tot put in.

Below are 5 benefits of setting up a toddler morning routine:

1. Low stress mornings

Since we all know what to expect and when, mornings are so much less chaotic than when we were without a routine. I’ve freed up some brain space with less in-the-moment planning and my husband, little one, and I feel as if we can enjoy our mornings more. 

Also, now that my toddler knows what to expect, there’s less pushback on each step of the routine. For example, she knows teeth brushing has to happen – even if it’s not her favorite thing.

She also knows that once we’re done with that, she can move on to parts of the morning that she finds more invigorating. Fresh bowl of blueberries, anyone? 

2. Time management

Routines also teach great time management skills. Even though you as the parent are most likely the one tracking time and allotting it to each step, your little one is catching on and learning so much from you.

In no time, they’ll be leading you to what the next step is and applying valuable time allocation skills themselves. 

3. Independence and self-confidence

Your little one will learn the morning routine like the back of their cutie little hand. This is huge for their independence and self-confidence. 

They might engage with the routine differently each day, and that’s okay. For example, sometimes my daughter runs to pick out her clothes for the day and other days she has zero interest in that.

The important piece is that she has a sense of what’s next and is proud of herself for being able to contribute to the routine. I encourage it as best I can and can see her beam with joy that she’s a part of the “grown up tasks.”

To further the confidence-building aspect of routines, you can outline the routine’s steps in a colorful way and place it in a communal area so that everyone can easily refer to it. More on this later.  

4. Easier transitions 

Routines’ predictability can create stability and calm. This calm translates to easier transitions between tasks and fewer instances of toddler overwhelm throughout the morning. 

For example, my toddler has ALL of the wiggles when I’m making her hair and applying her sunscreen in the mornings. But, since implementing a routine, she knows that we’re out the door to school once I’m done with her hair and sunscreen application.

The routine hasn’t made the wiggles disappear completely, but they’ve dissipated enough for me to be able to do what I need to do. Most mornings at least, haha.

Our morning essentials include colorful scrunchies – I finally found some that don’t pull out toddler hair – and EWG-verified sunscreen:

👉 Click here for scrunchies

👉 Click here for EWG-verified sunscreen

5. Increased adaptability  

Finally, morning routines help kids become more adaptable – a skill that’s helpful right now and nearly indispensable once they are adults. 

You might think that with a routine in place, kids come to know and expect rigidity. However, though it’s dependent on each individual child, most can get with the idea of routines and flexibility.

If one step goes awry or has to be skipped for whatever reason, the other steps are still known, making it easier to adapt to the change that occurred. 

Many of us can attest to how flexibility is a necessity in adulthood. Routines are just one tool to help your child build foundations in this area.

When is the Right Time to Establish Kids’ Morning Routines?

Personally, I’d wait to have a consistent morning routine until your child shows signs of readiness. Before then, you can have your own internal checklist of what needs to happen and loosely engage with your kiddos about a routine to introduce the idea.

Here are two guidelines if you’re looking for more context on when to establish a routine: 

‘I do it myself’ mode

Have ‘I do it myself’ become some of your toddler’s favorite words? That’s a great indicator that they’re ready for more consistency and process in their mornings.

And, that they will appreciate the routine and adopt it more quickly. They’ll also harness their ‘do it myself’ energy into the routine and help you to carry out the steps. 

Interest in instructions

It’s okay – and actually a really great thing – if your kids aren’t interested in instructions all of the time.

But, if they’re showing some appreciation for things you ask them to do and trying to do them, that’s a good sign that they’re ready for more structure in their mornings.

Key Factors to Consider When Shaping Your Toddler’s Morning Routine

Okay, so you’ve made it this far and you’re ready to dive into building your toddler’s routine. Starting from scratch can be overwhelming. Here are some key factors to think through as you craft your morning schedule:

Non-negotiables

What are your household’s morning non-negotiables? What has to happen before you and your child are ready for the day?

Considering your non-negotiables is an incredibly helpful starting point for your morning routine. They tell you how much wiggle room you have in the mornings. They also tell you what activities you can build around or which you can involve your children in.

Integrating joy

A morning routine doesn’t mean that you and your toddler move on autopilot through one of the most special parts of the day. Mornings are a time to reconnect, feel grateful for our loved ones, and cultivate moments of joy that linger.

You’ll still have the occasional rushed morning, but hopefully a toddler morning routine means that there’s more room to regularly slow down and find joy together.

Long-term habits

Mornings entail beloved rituals for so many of us. On an ideal day, my rituals include light meditation and breathwork, affirmations, Barre3, and my Chemex-brewed coffee (trust me, it hits different).

Would any of your existing rituals nourish your child and serve their long-term health and well-being in some way? Or is there something you’re not already doing that you’d like to start doing with your little one and instill as a habit?

As an example, when crafting my toddler’s morning routine, I knew I wanted to include elements of mindfulness. We started slow by incorporating affirmations and morning stretches with the occasional deep breathing.

As her attention and interest in these areas grow, we’ll build up. In the meantime, I’m just so happy to be able to expose her to these important foundations. 

My toddler is also VERY interested in the coffee part of my own morning routine – but that one will have to wait awhile. 😜

Interested in the Chemex way for your morning brew?

👉 Click here to buy your very own

Grown-ups’ needs

Brief but important PSA – in the midst of your child’s routine, it can be easy to forget your own needs. I know it’s hard, but find a way to take care of yourself in the mornings too. Even if it’s just your favorite cup of coffee.

If you do that, you’ll show up better.

Involve your children

Depending on your child’s age, you may want to talk with them ahead of time about your plans to implement a routine. You can discuss why you’re doing it and how it will benefit you all.

You can also ask them whether there is anything they want to make sure gets included (a morning dance to baby shark, maybe?). 

In doing this, they’ll contribute to the routine which will help them to adopt it faster and with more joy. 

Involving your kiddo may even lead to co-authorship of the entire routine. Not only is this a great bonding activity, but the routine also becomes something you both can look upon fondly since you wrote it together. 

Bonus – If the opportunity to co-author arises, turn it into an art project for your child. Work together to create a colorful, fun poster schedule that can be placed in a common area for everyone to reference. 

Don’t overdo it 

We want the best for our kids and we want them to have an amazing start to their day, everyday. So, I know it’s tempting to cram in a bunch of activities to get them going and growing. 

The thing is, that will probably lead to overwhelm for both you and your kiddo and it’s unlikely either of you will want to stick to the routine. 

The key to a toddler morning routine that is right for your family is finding a balance between the ‘must-dos’ and the ‘that’d-be-nice’ to-dos. Start with the aforementioned non-negotiables and build from there.

Top Tips for Implementing a Morning Routine for Your Kids

Alright, you have your routine or your ideas for one. How do you go about implementing what your family has come up with? Below are my 4 best tips:

Introduce the routine

Even if you co-created the routine with your little one, don’t assume they know when it will be implemented or how it will feel. 

Put the routine up with your little and explain when you plan to first implement it. You can talk about how it will be an adjustment and that’s okay.

Say what you need to say. You know your child and their needs during a transition like this.

Stay flexible

Remember – your kid is still a kid! As adults, we get so wrapped up in our schedules and sticking to them that we forget how it’s an entirely new concept for our children. 

If the routine doesn’t go according to plan the first day, the first several days, or the first month for that matter, that’s okay. Carry out the non-negotiable parts of it for the time being. The rest will fall into place with more practice.

Observation mode

Get in observation mode, especially when you first implement the routine.

How is your child reacting to what’s been set in place? Are there parts of the routine that they love, hate, or feel meh about? 

You don’t have to make changes to the routine right away but it’s worthwhile to take note of what you see. Then, you can talk your child through the tough parts and make modifications if needed.

Rewards and praise

These two are controversial but here goes:

Rewards 

There’s so much child psychology out there about the pros and cons of reward systems and, as a researcher at my core, I’ve read a lot more of it than I probably should have. 

Here’s the gist: rewards are great short-term tools to help incentivize children. Depending on what the reward is though, a long-term reliance on it could be detrimental. 

With that information, use your judgment and your gut instinct as a parent.

For our household, I’ve concluded that using a sticker book where my daughter gets to add to her collection every time she brushes her teeth is simply not the end of the world. It also adds to her joy in the sweetest of ways.

Here’s some more information on how to implement a reward program of your own.

We started our sticker book journey with the ones above. These aren’t the exact same, but still very cute:

👉Click here for best seller animal stickers

Praise

Have you seen those social media posts where the person tells you you’re a horrible parent if you praise your child? Okay, I’m exaggerating but that feels like the core message of some of them. 

I choose to ignore them. Or rather, find a balance between my praise and evoking my daughter’s own internal praise of herself. 

I do this by saying: 

“I’m proud of you.” 

“You should be so proud of yourself.”

Or something like:

“I really appreciate you helping me with breakfast. You’ve gotten really good at pouring your own oats.”

These words go a long way. When your child knows you believe in them, they’ll start believing in themselves even more.

FAQ: Kids Morning Routine

Dig into the below FAQs for a running start with your household’s morning routine.

What should toddlers do first thing in the morning? 

Stretch! Morning stretches are so good for our bodies. They cultivate gratitude and wellness. They’re something I want my toddler to do from now until forever.

Should routines differ on school mornings and weekends?

Whether intentional or not – routines will probably end up being slightly different for your kids before they head out to school versus the weekends. Embrace that difference.

For us, the weekends reflect the same routine as weekday mornings but at a slower pace and with more croissants!

Final Thoughts on Setting up a Toddler Morning Routine

Routines take time to adopt. And for young children, patience and consistency are must-haves to building a morning routine that sticks. Give yourself and your kiddo some grace as you implement the routine.

Praising your child and reminding yourself and your little one that routines can be fun will work wonders. 

Finally, remember that the routine will never be ‘perfect.’ After all, you have an unpredictable, curious little human growing alongside you!

Do the best you can and work toward the stability that you know a toddler morning routine can provide.