When they get older, one of the first things they want to start doing alone is dress for themselves to demonstrate its independence and autonomy. Generally, after three years, they can already undress themselves but still need help getting dressed, and at five or six years they are already able to do it all alone.
Each child has their own learning pace, so we should not rush them, but there are some things that parents can do to make their homework easier and make it more stimulating and fun. We give you seven keys to helping children dress alone.
Make things easier
Buy clothes that are easy to put on and take off, avoiding buttons as much as possible, as well as complicated ties or mechanisms, at least until you master the technique. Choose shoes without closure or with velcro closure until you learn to tie the laces as well as start with pants or skirts with elastic waist, to avoid zippers and buttons.
To practice with dolls or racks
Dressing and undressing dolls is a great training to learn. There are some teddies with ties, laces and buttons specially created so that children can practice the different mechanisms.
There are also Montessori dressing rooms that consist of wooden brackets with buttons, brooches, zippers that are used to practice the necessary skills when dressing.
Turn it into a game
Invent songs, rhymes, riddles, make him imitate you and dress at the same time as you to learn the order: first the socks, then the shirt, and so on ...
Resort to fun tricks
There are small tricks that children love and motivate when dressing. For example:
Have her wear t-shirts with drawings on the front, so you can identify her more easily
Paint each sole of the shoes with half of a figure (a face, a fruit, etc.) so that they differ from the right from the left. When you put them together, the whole figure will be formed.
If the pants have a zipper, tie a small cord to make it easier to catch.
To learn how to tie the shoelaces, you can cut a piece of cardboard (for example the lid of a shoe box), draw some shoes, put a pair of shoelaces, as we explain here.
Let the buttons start buttoning from below.
One trick my daughters loved was to leave their coat open on the floor, so they just have to kneel and put their arms over their sleeves and put the coat over their heads. And ready!
Do routines
Find a quiet time of day to start doing it, for example, to start by putting on pajamas after bathing. Associating it with a time of day will help you establish the routine better.
If you are going to do it before going to school, try to calculate the expected time so you can dress quietly and without stress.
Let him choose his clothes
Approximately, after the age of two, children already begin to develop their own tastes for certain colors or textures. They also define their own personality, and let us know what they like and what they don't. By allowing them to choose and support their choices, we show them that we consider your decisions.
You can prepare a couple of sets for him or her to choose the one he likes best or give variants on the combinations.
Have a lot of patience
Don't hurry him or stress him. Let him do things in his own time and way. Help him only if he asks you to. If you get frustrated, go with him and encourage him to try again.
Will not learn the first, you will surely be wrong more than once when the buttons are fastened or the garments will be placed inside out. Do not tease or make a fool of yourself, surely the next one will work out better.
Remember that like all learning, it is a matter of maturity that depends on each child.
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