14-Month-Old Schedule With Two Naps

The 14-month-old sample day, hour by hour

Caregivers: stay-at-home parent. The 8 activities named in the day are picked from the library for 14 months by energy and setting.

Sleep budget at 14 months

Awake windows for a 14-month-old

The longest stretch awake is 3 h 45 min (between naps), the shortest 3 h. That longest window is 15 min shorter than the longest one in the 13-month sample.

Movement minutes per caregiver at 14 months

WHO: at least 180 minutes of varied activity a day. Split by awake time the goals total 180 minutes; the outdoor stretches (Playground Copycat Watch, Nature Tote Treasure Walk and Squat-and-Collect Bucket Walk) cover 255.

Caregiver split: stay-at-home parent

One parent is home all day and covers wake-up through the late afternoon; a partner joins after work for dinner, bath and bedtime. 1 handoff at 14 months:

• 5:30 pm, Parent to Partner: the child has been awake 2 h, with 1 h 45 min to go until bedtime; dinner is at 5:15 pm, so say what was already eaten.

How 14 months differs from 13 and 15 months

The 8 activities in this 14-month day

Active picks sit in the outdoor stretches, calm ones before sleep and a self-care skill at the main meals.

• 8:00 am, parent: Playground Copycat Watch

  Active and outdoors: the core of the 8:00-9:30 am stretch. It is also in the 12-month and 13-month sample days; if the basic version is easy by 14 months, change one thing: bring a second ball and roll it gently toward another child's caregiver as an invitation to join. Watch for: moves closer to other children without being carried. Words to model: too, same, friend. Safety: Check the ground for bottle caps, cigarette butts and other small litter before your child sits down.

• 11:00 am, parent: Photo Wall Flap Hunt

  Calm, a new domain for the day (language). Tape 3-4 family photos to a wall at your child's standing height and cover each one with a large sticky note. Sit nearby and wait to see whether your child reaches for a flap on their own. When a flap comes off, name the person once in a happy voice: "Grandma!" Words to model: Who's that?, found you!, hello. Watch for: reaches for or looks at the right flap when you name a person. Safety: Collect every sticky note afterward; toddlers mouth paper, so throw away torn or soggy pieces.

• 11:45 am, parent: Pre-Loaded Spoon Hand-Off

  A mealtime skill practiced during lunch. Seat your child and scoop a small amount of thick food onto their spoon. Lay the spoon on the tray with the handle pointing toward the hand they reach with most. Wait and let them pick it up, even if they grab the bowl of the spoon. Words to model: spoon, scoop, in your mouth. Watch for: grasps the handle and brings the spoon to the mouth. Safety: Your child eats seated and supervised; no walking around with a spoon in the mouth.

• 12:15 pm, parent: Nature Tote Treasure Walk

  Active and outdoors: the core of the 12:15-1:45 pm stretch. It is also in the 13-month sample day; if the basic version is easy by 14 months, change one thing: wait for your child to show you a find before you say anything about it. Watch for: walks the whole loop carrying the bag. Words to model: leaf, pinecone, in the bag. Safety: Stay within arm's reach near roads, water and slopes.

• 1:45 pm, parent: Scarf in a Tube Pull

  Calm, so it settles the room before the 2:45 pm nap. Push a scarf into a cardboard tube, leaving one corner poking out of the end. Hold the tube up, wiggle the corner, then wait for your child to grab it. As the scarf slides out, say 'Pull... pull... out!' and let them hold it. Words to model: pull, out, in. Watch for: grasps the corner and pulls without help. Safety: Never tie scarves together into a cord or put one around a neck, and put them away after play.

• 4:00 pm, parent: Squat-and-Collect Bucket Walk

  Active and fine outside: the core of the 4:00-5:15 pm stretch. It is also in the 12-month sample day; if the basic version is easy by 14 months, change one thing: spread the balls farther apart. Watch for: carries a ball across the room without dropping it. Words to model: in, one more, all done. Safety: Keep the bucket empty: never leave a bucket with water in it where a toddler can reach.

• 5:15 pm, parent: Stir the Pretend Soup

  A mealtime skill practiced during dinner. Sit your child on the floor in a safe corner of the kitchen, away from the stove, with the cold pot and spoon. Stir slowly and say "Stir, stir, soup." Pretend to taste from the spoon, say "Hot! Blow," and blow on it. Words to model: stir, soup, hot, blow. Watch for: stirs the empty pot after your model. Safety: Use only a cold, empty pot, and keep your child well away from the stove, oven and hot drinks.

• 5:45 pm, partner: One Sock Ball per Cup

  Calm, a new domain for the day (early concepts). Roll adult socks into tight balls and set the muffin tin on the floor. Drop one sock ball into a cup and say 'One in.' Hand your child a sock ball and wait; let them choose any cup. Words to model: one, another, full. Watch for: places a sock ball in an empty cup rather than a full one. Safety: Roll socks tightly so each ball stays bigger than a toilet-paper-tube opening; skip baby socks, which can be stuffed into the mouth.

Plan the rest of 14 months