At this age, it is important to begin preparing your child for the schedule requirements and responsibilities they will see as they begin their first year of school.
If your child does not already have healthy sleep habits at this age, it is important to get them established now.
Your child's performance at school and interaction with other children and adults will suffer significantly if they do not get the right amount of sleep at night.
Children at this age should be getting 10 – 12 hours of sleep at night.
As your child gets older, they will no longer need a nap during the day.
If you already have a consistent bedtime routine, begin getting your child onto a consistent routine throughout the rest of the day.
Begin by building a consistent morning routine, which will be particularly important when your child starts preschool and/or kindergarten.
Once your child's morning routine is in place, begin adding structure to the rest of their day.
Expand your child's responsibilities beyond just cleaning up their toys to helping out around the house.
Include activities that are suitable for a younger child such as helping to load/unload the dishwasher, clear/set the dinner table, sorting laundry and feeding the pets.
Here is a sample daily routine for your preschooler (feel free to arrange the activities to suit your family's needs):
| Time |
Activity |
 |
| 7:30 AM |
Wake Up |
| 7:45 AM |
Eat Breakfast |
| 8:15 AM |
Brush Teeth |
| 8:30 AM |
Get Dressed |
| 9:00 AM |
Go To School |
| 12:00 PM |
Eat Lunch |
| 3:00 PM |
Home From School |
| 3:30 PM |
Play Time |
| 6:00 PM |
Eat Dinner |
| 6:45 PM |
Clean Up |
| 7:00 PM |
Take Bath |
| 7:15 PM |
Get Dressed |
| 7:30 PM |
Brush Teeth |
| 7:45 PM |
Read Story |
| 8:00 PM |
Bedtime |
Click Here to Download a FREE Printable Sample
Sprout Smart has a good article on the importance of sleep for preschoolers.
Read it here.