Buttoned up!

There comes a time in every toddler’s life when he needs to learn to dress himself. It can be overwhelming – for you and for him, but follow these sure-fire tips – and he’ll be ‘I do it myself-ing’ in no time.

TALK HIM THROUGH IT

Start by telling your toddler what you’re doing as you dress him. “Talk through the sequence in order – ‘first we put the underpants on, then the pants’ – and tell him why it’s important to do it in that order,” advises Cape Town based educational psychologist Anel Annandale. “Then start talking about what goes with what (socks and shoes, tops and bottoms) and what clothes we wear in summer and what clothes we wear in winter, and why we need to wear appropriate clothes for the weather.”

START WITH EASY CLOTHES

Professional organiser Saskia Wild, who’s based in Cape Town, suggests building your toddler’s confidence by starting with clothes that have elastic waists instead of buttons, Velcro instead of zips. Also go for loose-fitting clothes, which are easier to get on and off. Another good idea is to choose clothes that are easy for your toddler to identify the front and back of, like T-shirts with pictures on.

DO IT IN REVERSE FIRST

Undressing is easier than getting dressed for most toddlers, which requires more coordination, planning and body awareness, so start with undressing to build up his confidence a bit.

BREAK IT DOWN INTO STEPS

Anel points out that there are a lot of steps to getting dressed, which can be overwhelming for a tot, so rather break it down into smaller steps and use language your toddler can relate to. For example, instead of saying, “Put your shorts on,” say, “One foot through, two feet through, pull them up to your tummy.”

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

“Opening pegs, zipping and unzipping cushion covers and any other exercises that develop the fine motor skills needed to get dressed should be practised in between dressing sessions,” Anel says.

DON’T RUSH IT

Always allow adequate time in your morning schedule for your child to get dressed, Saskia advises. If your toddler needs 20 minutes to get dressed, don’t try rush that into 10 – it will just end in tears. Rather wake up 10 minutes earlier and save time by laying out clothes the night before.

BE SUPPORTIVE

“Always acknowledge that getting dressed can be tricky, but that you’ll be there to show and encourage,” says Ann Richardson, parent coach and author of Toddler Sense. “Singing a special song like ‘arms up’, ‘legs up’, and making it fun can help.” ●