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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

I can't work out how to teach putting on clothes

30 replies

TheSurgeonsMate · 29/07/2012 23:00

is this covered in toddler books?

Am particularly mystified by trousers.

I feel I expect dd to contribute quite a lot in other areas, but with this she's still marooned on her changing mat.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

bisjolympics · 29/07/2012 23:01

How old?

Original poster

TheSurgeonsMate · 29/07/2012 23:04

2 years and 2 months

OP posts:

bisjolympics · 29/07/2012 23:20

Can't you just talk to them whilst dressing them and get them to try? They get it eventually. It isn't long before they get very fixed ideas on what they want to wear and dressing becomes a total pain.

notcitrus · 29/07/2012 23:26

Some kids seem to grasp it all quickly, but ds is nearly 4 and it's been one thing at a time, starting with pants, find big hole, tag at back, one foot in each hole, pull up. Trousers = same. Tops flummox but he can usually now do arms if I get it over his head. And finally learnt sandals after I refused to get out any more fictional stones every 10 yards.
But generally he just doesn't want to know - I had to insist on no pants, no breakfast to get any attempts, and now luckily I can threaten to turn the telly off if he doesn't try. Clothes need to be loose, too.
Never found books about dressing (or bum wiping!) but Mr Tumble and other TV shows have dressing sometimes.

BeehavingBaby · 29/07/2012 23:29

My sister showed me this (works with children post head injury). You basically stop a little before you are finished with each item, leaving them very little to do on the first day, then a little more to do themselves each time.

33kns · 29/07/2012 23:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

OhDoAdmitMrsDeVere · 29/07/2012 23:33

Try:
Make sure she is aware of the names of the items of clothing
Put her trousers on and pull them up nearly all the way
Let DD finish the job.
Give verbal praise 'wow, big girl, you put your trousers on! well done'

Do that for a few days and then give her a bit more to do e.g. put the trousers round her ankles and let her pull them all the way up.

You might find it easier to start with undressing.
Undo trousers and pull them down. She will probably step out of them without thinking about it.
'Wow look at you! Getting undressed like a big girl'

OhDoAdmitMrsDeVere · 29/07/2012 23:33

x posts with bee while I was trying to put it into words

ChippingInNeedsCoffee · 29/07/2012 23:36

Start with one very large bucket.

Fill it with wine patience.

Do not expect them to master the art too quickly and don't expect them to work out the fucking obvious little things

olibeansmummy · 30/07/2012 08:57

I'm not sure you need to 'teach' it as such. Ds is 3.2 and has just learnt to dress himself completely, including buttons but not starting zips. I suppose I naturally talked about what I was doing when I dressed him a d children are naturally observant. Suddenly he decided to become independent, so he did! I wanted him to learn to dress himself before school of course and he's still got over a year before he starts school so there was no rush :)

Original poster

TheSurgeonsMate · 30/07/2012 20:04

chipping so am I right in thinking you're suggesting that trousers go on while child is sitting on floor? Then, once feet clearly through, stand and pull up?

I suppose I'm confused about her falling over. Her room very small, full of sharp edges and hard floor. Should we dress in sitting room (only rug available?)

OP posts:

cate16 · 30/07/2012 20:12

Lots of interesting dressing up clothes!

RunOrRioja · 31/07/2012 22:41

You can get dressing dolls - we had a girl one from elc.

EverybodysDoeEyed · 31/07/2012 22:46

I think she's still a bit young

My dd is the same age and she tries to put on shorts and trousers but always ends up with both legs in one trouser leg! She tries socks but can only get them over her big toe. With tops and dresses I hold the head open and she puts her head through and then does her arms herself.

I don't bother if the clothes are tight!!

Goingunderfast · 31/07/2012 22:48

Not being funny but is it really a hassle to dress your child? Yes we want them to learn but why the rush i want to cuddle and play when getting dressed like this morning while dressing i put socks on my head and pants on dd head and she thought this was very funny and knew where they went!! shes 2.5 I'm in no rush for her to do it! they are only little once, enjoy it as its soon gone!!!

SeventhEverything · 31/07/2012 22:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GnocchiNineDoors · 31/07/2012 22:52

Teach them how to put coats / hoodies on by getting them to put the hood on first (even if they later take the hood down), then the arm holes are conveniently in the right places.

RobotHamster · 31/07/2012 22:52

She's only just 2fgs. Just wait a bit.

RobotHamster · 31/07/2012 22:53

... And sort her room out.

PacificDogwood · 31/07/2012 22:55

Give her time.

DS3 is 2.4, will lift his feet one at a time while holding on to my hair shoulders to aid putting trouseres on.
He lifts arms to take tops off, and will try to find armholes with his hands once a top has made it over his head.
He tries to get his feet into his Crocs himself at times with varying degrees of success.

She is very young. Really, don't fret.

Original poster

TheSurgeonsMate · 01/08/2012 09:52

Thanks for the tips. The one about moving house is especially useful. Of course, if I could get rid of the changing table, I might have useable floorspace and not have to move house...

When I googled this, I got fiendishly complicated instructions about perching child on some piece of perfectly sized and balanced furniture so that they weren't exactly sitting and not exactly standing when they were working with trousers. Glad to hear this isn't the only solution people have found!

OP posts:

ChippingInNeedsCoffee · 01/08/2012 22:04

TSM - that sounds like a bloody nightmare!! Yes, I meant get her to put her legs through the holes then stand up, difficult for an adult to do, easy for a small child :) She's a good age to start putting on her own clothes while she's interested in doing it - if you leave it too long they just end up getting lazy and 'mummy do it' about it.

Goingunderfast - do you only have the one? Anyway, there are lots of ways to have fun, it doesn't have to be while getting them dressed and being able to do it is a good skill.

Goingunderfast · 01/08/2012 23:26

No actually i have three! But still you can make getting dressed a pleasure and why not make it fun when doing every day boring stuff? They grow so fast! people are far to easy in wishing them old and independent. Don't have kids if you cant be bothered helping and enjoying them! People will see when there 17-18 ect and dont need or want help and then whos wishing back time!!! Not me i can tell you!

Original poster

TheSurgeonsMate · 02/08/2012 09:22

The title of the thread was "I can't work out how to teach putting on clothes." I'm hoping no-one else browsing it is going to be judging my decision to have children, because I surely don't feel I should have to defend that on a thread about how trousers work.

OP posts:

OhDoAdmitMrsDeVere · 02/08/2012 09:34

I think it is a perfectly valid question OP.
Nothing wrong with helping children learn new skills.
It's called parenting.

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