If you have a child between the ages of 3-5, you know the struggle of getting your child to dress up. From resisting the process entirely, to fighting about what is and isn’t appropriate to wear to school, mornings can really be a headache!
Although independent dressing may seem like a simple task, it does require higher level gross motor skills to complete. These skills develop over time, and your child will need support throughout the process. The following skills are required in order to help your child get dressed:
- Ability to reach in all directions
- Ability to rotate the trunk and cross the midline
- Body Awareness
- Ability to bend at the waist
- Postural control
- Ability to squat and return to standing
- Ability to reach while maintaining balance (sitting and standing)
- Multi-step motor planning
- Ability to stand on one foot while the other half of the body is movin
- Ability to coordinate both sides of the body and the eyes/hands to work together
If given the opportunity to practice, children as young as 12 months are capable of “helping” you to help them get dressed. Starting at around 12 months, you should begin to see your children helping with, rather than fighting, the process of dressing up.
The chart below outlines typical development in terms of getting your child to dress up on his own. Remember that all children develop at their own pace, and you should be looking for progress over perfection.
I share all this to help you keep in mind that there is a lot of development that goes into independent dressing and undressing. Knowing your child and what they are capable of is important before you ask them to do something that they physically can’t do alone.
Today I’d like to share with you my top three tips for helping making this process a little bit easier- on both of you!
3 Ways to Help Your Child Get Dressed
I share all this to help you keep in mind that there is a lot of development that goes into independent dressing and undressing. Knowing your child and what they are capable of is important before you ask them to do something that they physically can’t do alone.
Today I’d like to share with you my top three tips to help your child get dressed. This process will make it a little bit easier- on both of you!
Dress with them.
When you need to get out of the house, everyone has to put on their gears, so you may as well do it together! Children learn best through modeling. This is a great opportunity to show them exactly how to successfully put their clothes on. It’s also a fun bonding experience!
Use visuals.
Some children really benefit from visuals, especially when it comes to more difficult tasks like dressing independently. Creating simple cards with pictures showing each step of getting dressed is an easy way to give children a visual prompt for what to do next.
Browse Pinterest for examples of cards (or to find a free download!) or draw simple pictures to create your own. Allowing your child to help create the cards is another way to involve them in the process.
Practice, practice, practice.
Having your child practice getting dressed on a non-time sensitive day is a great way to build confidence. You can even have them practice using clothes that are a few sizes too big, which will help them easily navigate the arm and leg holes more easily.
Some children may also enjoy practicing with a timer, to see if they can beat their own time. This may backfire, depending on the child’s disposition; you know your child best so don’t attempt if this sounds like something that would send them over the edge!
Product Recommendation
If your child is having trouble specifically with socks, I highly recommend EZ Socks!* These socks have little loops on them that allow your child to pull them on independently. Perfect for building confidence!
*This is an affiliate link, meaning that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Before you know it, you’ll be able to send them off to their room to get dressed alone! Now, what they choose to wear will be another story…..
I hope that you try out some of these activities at home with your child to help your child get dressed!
If you did, please share what you did in our Facebook community! It’s a fun community of parents where we celebrate successes, look for support, and share in the parenting journey!
As always, if you have concerns about your child’s development and would like to set up a free consultation to discuss your concerns, please reach out! I would love to help you determine your child’s individual needs. We are here to support you as you help your child blossom!
