Getting my DD (21 months old) dress in the morning has become a nightmare, any advise/help please?

[Mareta]

In the last month DD has change from being good fun getting dress to suddenly being completely impossible. At the moment when we have to get dress I am telling her that it is time to get dress so I prepare her clothes and mine and we go to clean our teeth and face which she loves. Then I try to dress her and as it is impossible I get dressed myself and then I try again with no much luck. Then it is when I tell her that if she does not want to get dress it is fine but that I am going downstair to do other things which I do. Once I leave the bedroom she start shouting my name and crying. Once she has calmed down a bit I go upstair again and try to dress her. We can spend like this at least 40 minutes till at the end she realises that she needs to get dressed and she agreeses to it.

It is a very long fight of wills at the moment. I am a SAHM so the time problem is not the issue. If I need to leave the house early for any reason I always take all this fight into consideration so I am not late to whereever I need to go but what I am getting tired of is of this situation. It just to be lovely to get dress together. What has changed now?

Anyone there in a similar situation that has found a remedi to stop this? or any advice that anyone can give me to manage he situation in a different way please

[FlubbaBubba]

I sympathise.

Is there any need for her to get dressed? (I mean, does she go to nursery or something?) If not, try not to push it with her - she is mucking about with you because this is something she can have some control over. Let her stay in her PJs for the whole day if necessary - showing her it doesn't bother you (even if it drives you barmy!)

Also have you tried the whole "would you like to wear this or this?" thing - giving her a choice of two items you're happy for her to wear - in that way she gets a choice.

[puffylovett]

Yes I agree, closed choices work well as it gives her control. So, shall we put top or trousers on first?
Also bright and cheery, yay let's get dressed then we can go downstairs and have fun, let's see how fast we can get dressed, singing, try getting her to put own clothes on etc etc

[Mareta]

Thanks for comments. She does hve some control on choices but I guess not on the whole lot. She chooses her vest and socks but I may try to give her a chances of top and trousers. I guess is not completely necessary to ge dress but I wouldn't like her to destroy her pijamas when we go to the playground which we do twice a day. She is very active and loves throwing herself on the floor and everywhere

I do let her get dressed herself and she always asks help if she cannot do something so tried that and it does not seem to be the problem. We need to be somewhere early tomorrow so I may just try if you do't want to get dress is ok you stay with your pijamas he whole day [grim]

Thanks again

[Iggly]

Can you dress her in bits and pieces. So with DS (20 months) I'll sit him on my lap and do trousers, he runs off, I let him then do his top. He doesn't like lying down to be dressed anymore.

[wearymum200]

She's just practising being 2. Agree with the choices as far as possible (so she thinks she's in charge). Also distraction: sing a silly "getting dressed song" (or another favourite), or my usual bribery "let's read a story while you get dressed".
My DD (2.4) loves getting my clothes out for me and helping me get them on and then is generally very amenable!

[FSB]

we tried the closed choices route with my DD (22mo) but she often spots something else in the cupboard and flatly refused to wear anything else... she also likes trying to dress herself.

so in the past month she's been to nursery in a full blown party dress (with satin ribbons) and to the shops in a vest, two skirts, spotted tights and stripy shoes!!!!

i love this age group!!