Getting Dressed

Getting your child to dress up offers numerous advantages for both your child and yourself. It'll be one less thing for you to worry about, especially once your child begins school and punctuality become important. It also allows your child to be responsible while still having fun with his clothing. Having said that, getting your child to dress himself is easier said than done.

You can learn how to train your children on dressing up in a good manner from this article. Let’s understand how to do it.

Why Does Your Child Need to Learn How to Get Dressed?

Learning to dress yourself provides your child confidence and independence, as well as a sense of accomplishment. And once your child can dress himself, you'll have one less thing to worry about.

Getting dressed also helps your child develop a variety of other abilities, such as:

• As she learns to attach buttons and zips, he or she develops fine motor abilities.

• As she stands on one leg to pull on a pair of jeans, she demonstrates gross motor abilities.

• He or she develops cognitive skills as she recalls which pieces of clothing to put on first and develops the patience and concentration needed to complete the process.

• They use language to describe the various sorts of clothing, colours, and sizes available.

• As they learn to dress for specific occasions and weather situations, she develops a sense of time and location.

Getting Started with Getting Dressed

Very young children frequently begin to notice clothing by removing easy-to-remove items such as socks, shoes, or hats. They try to put them on again every now and again. You can help your child develop this early knowledge by labelling the clothing he or she has removed and the body components to which they are attached.

Giving your older baby or toddler a limited choice of clothes and labelling them as you put them on him is a good way to start including him in getting dressed.

It can help to have some easy clothes on available when you decide it's time for your child to truly start mastering this skill. These might include:

• Loose and elastic-waisted pants

• Clothes that are with large or velcro buttons and button holes

• T-shirts, jumpers, and underwear having pictures frontside to help your child work out front from backside

• Clothes, which are comfortable and easy for your child to move in.

Getting Dressed: A Stepwise Breakdown

Getting dressed might be a long process. Breaking things down into smaller steps, such as putting on underwear, then a t-shirt, shorts, socks, and shoes, can assist.

Depending on your child's ability and age, you can also break down each stage of getting dressed. You may, for example, break down the processes for putting on shorts as follows:

• Face shorts the correct way.

• Hold onto the front side of the waistband.

• Push one leg at one time through the leg holes while also holding the pants.

• Pull the shorts up.

A Father Helping His Daughter on How to Wear a T-shirt

Talking your child through each step can help her understand what she needs to do. Simple words or phrases, such as 'Shirt on,' are acceptable in the early stages. As your child's vocabulary improves, you can say things like, "Push your arm through the sleeve."

Getting Dressed: Teaching the Steps Backwards

Breaking down each chore into simple stages and teaching her the last step first is a good method to teach your child how to get dressed. Teach your child the second-last step, then the third-last step, and so on once she has mastered the last step of the task.

When putting on shorts, for example, you might assist your child with facing the shorts correctly, holding the waistband, and inserting his legs through the leg openings. Then show your child how to finish the process by bringing his shorts up to his waist on his own.

Teach your child to place his or her legs through the leg holes and pull their shorts up once he or she has mastered this. You can work your way backwards through the stages until your child has mastered them all and is able to put on her own shorts.

One of the biggest benefits of this method is that typically the most rewarding aspect of a task is completing it – and your child will get to this reward sooner if he can complete the last step first.

Tips to Help Your Child Learn to Get Dressed

Your child is more likely to cooperate if you are positive and helpful. So, even if your youngster has put his pants on backwards, a lot of praise will go a long way! Here are a few suggestions to get you started.

Making Time

• Allow for a reasonable amount of time to get dressed.

• If you're always rushing out the door in the morning, consider shopping with your child the night before.

• When you're in a rush, delegate the easy jobs to your child and assist her with the more difficult ones.

• When you and your child are not in a rush or tired, practise getting dressed.

Choosing Appropriate Clothes

• Allow your younger child to pick from a few items, such as two t-shirts. Children who are older or more mature may be able to choose their own clothes.

• When you and your child are choosing clothes, talk about the weather. Ask your child if it's hot or chilly, if it's raining or if it's sunny.

• 'Dirty clothing go in the laundry basket,' for example, can help your toddler understand the difference between dirty and clean garments. When you put them back in the drawer, you can wear them again.' Simple rules can be followed, such as wearing clean underwear and socks every day.

Making it easier

• When it's time to dress your child, have him or her sit down. For some children, sitting on the floor is more comfortable than sitting in a chair or bed.

• Clothing should be kept in easy-to-reach drawers and cupboards. Clothing drawers should be labelled with an image or term that describes the clothing inside.

• Wear clothing with clear front and back hints, such as a photo on the front and a tag on the back.

• Undressing is easier to teach than dressing. Your child's confidence will be boosted by his ability to undress himself.

Teaching Children with Disability or Developmental Delay to Get Dressed

Some children with disabilities or developmental delays may struggle to dress themselves. Sensory sensitivities affect certain children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), making it difficult for them to cope with the texture of various materials on their skin.

An occupational therapist who specialises in children may be able to help you if you're having problems teaching your child with a handicap or developmental delay to dress himself. Occupational therapists can help you educate your kid to dress or recommend items that will make the process easier.

Development of Skills for Getting Dressed

Here's a brief overview of clothing skills at various ages. Keep in mind that each child is unique and develops skills at their own pace.

At one year children can usually:

• hold his/her arms out for sleeves and can put their feet up for shoes

• push their arms through the sleeves and legs through the pants

• pull their socks and shoes off.

At two years children can usually:

• take off the unfastened coats

• take off the shoes when their laces are untied

• help push down the pants

• find any armholes in t-shirts.

At 2 1/2 years children can usually:

• pull down pants with the elastic waists

• put on front-buttoned shirts, without doing up the buttons

• try to put on socks

• unbutton any large buttons.

At three years children can usually:

• put on shoes without hurry – they might put them on the different or wrong feet

• put on t-shirts with less help

• put on socks – they might have some trouble getting their heels in the correct place

• pull down the pants on their own

• unzip and zip without separating or joining zippers

• take off the t-shirts with no help

• button large front buttons.

A kid, wearing her Socks

At four years children can usually:

• take off the t-shirts without anyone’s help

• buckle belts or shoes 

• connect the jacket zippers and also zip them up

• put on their shoes with minimal help

• put on the socks in a right manner

• know the back and front sides of clothing.

At 4 1/2 years children can usually:

• thread belts through the buckles

• step into the pants and pull them up.

At five years children can usually:

• dress without anyone’s supervision or help

• put on the jumpers or t-shirts the right way every time.

Key points

A few of the key points on getting dressed up by children include:

• Dressing is a vital skill for kids to learn, but it may be difficult.

• It's easier to get dressed if you take little steps. It's possible to teach the last step first.

• Keep in mind that each child is unique and develops skills at their own pace.