Try to imagine this situation. It’s 7.15 am and school starts at 8 am not to mention that you need to be at work at 8.15 am. The kids are still not dressed, you are missing your shoes and the school lunch is still not in their bag packs. Sounds stressful right? Mornings usually are when you are in charge of not only getting yourself ready but also a little human or maybe more. So, how can some of this stress be alleviated? Teaching your child how to dress themselves! Obviously, this has to be taught at the right age which is around 5-6 years old as although we may think it is a very simple task, it does take quite a bit of cognitive and motor skills. Here, are some tips to make the process of teaching your little one to get dressed easier.
The 1st step to children getting ready on their own is actually learning to get undressed. Getting undressed is much easier than getting dressed and learning how to take off layers is important when they are in school as they may feel warm and will probably need to take off their jacket when they enter their classroom.
Soft toys and dolls can be very useful in aiding your child to learn the first steps of getting dressed/undressed. Use this form of playtime as a learning exercise. You could start by dressing the doll/soft toy while your child undresses it for the process to be repeated. Eventually, your child will learn to dress the doll, and then these skills can be transferred to themselves.
Break up the steps of getting ready. Do not expect them to put on a whole outfit by themselves. Take it in steps and help with the most difficult tasks. For example, put their shirt over their head and then let them pull it all the way down. That way you helped with the hardest part but they also aided in accomplishing the task.
Mirrors are also very useful for this task. By seeing themself in the mirror, they will be able to get a better overview.
Make sure to teach them the front and back of clothes and do not buy them over-complicated clothes, that need a degree to be put on. Showing them that the zipper on trousers goes in front and that the label on clothing indicates the back, will help avoid incidents where your child is wearing their pants back to front (this will definitely happen at some point).
The last point is compliments and patience. When they do get it right (they will do not panic), compliment them and let them know that they are doing a good job. Be patient! That is why enough time should be dedicated in the morning for dressing up. Weekends are also great practice time so do try to let your child get dressed alone when you have enough time to wait!
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