Visual Timetables: Add Structure & Expansiveness To Your Days

The days are long but…. hmmm sometimes (like, during a pandemic) it just does feel like they are looooong! 

How are you during this crazy time of isolation? Being home all day with nothing to do but PLAY is the stuff of dreams…(!!) but unless you’re Pippi Longstocking, this is probably not what you usually do every day. Those of us staying home with babies and toddlers can feel adrift in a sea of feeds, nappies and nursery rhymes. Especially when our weekly activities, and social catch ups have been cancelled.

This week’s question, from a lovely mum in our Walky Talky Baby community, is about the effect of isolation on babies:

“I’m wondering about social distancing and early development. 

"I have a 6-month-old at home and all activities (swimming, library, rhyme time, mother’s group) have been cancelled. As babies learn lots from watching other babies and experiencing different environments, will a break from these activities hinder basic development?”

Here’s our answer to this great question.

These are unprecedented times and many of us who are home with young children are now feeling very isolated from family, friends and mothers’ groups. Babies enjoy interactions with others and many love experiencing structured activities like swimming and rhyme time …and so do us parents! They give rhythm and structure to our weeks and precious social opportunities for us too! We would definitely encourage participation in many of these activities during normal times… but these aren’t normal times. SO, ARE OUR BABIES MISSING OUT?

Advice to “structure your day” pops up frequently for supporting mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak. But is structure possible with young kids? If you don’t like a strict routine, can structure still be helpful? Is there a tool for supporting the rhythm of your day and creating predictability without locking you into a strict timetable of activities? 

YES, stick with us ladies, we have a solution: visual schedules! 

Visual schedules are a simple pictorial tool for mapping out your day. They’re easy to use and don’t require a degree in crafting to put together! They can be used to support language development, help babies and children know what to expect, and they are great for adults who like to have a plan too.

Visual schedules are much more flexible than a pre-written template. You can choose which pictures to include in your schedule, what order to put them in, and how much of the day to plan. We use visual schedules frequently in our sessions to help kids understand what’s coming next. And we thought that since “What is coming next?” is the number one question on everybody’s mind at the moment… you might find this FREE resource valuable too! 

Click here to subscribe to our list and download our gorgeous 16 page guide which includes:

• Our detailed response to this mum’s question
• Our thoughts on the effects of social distancing and isolation on your baby (hint: it’s not all bad!)
• How to provide structure in your day
• How to use a visual schedule…
• AND a free visual timetable printable for you to use at home with your child. 

We can't wait for you to give visual timetables a go and we'd absolutely love to see how you use them. Share what works for you — and maybe a picture too! — with us in our FREE online Community in Facebook (subscribe to our email list and we'll send you an invite to join).