does your 4 year old hate socks and tights?

[polyjuicepotion]

My 4 year old DD displays some really difficult behaviours around dressing. She will only accept certain clothes. Trying to put socks on her is a battle: "they squeeze around the ankles!" Tights is a no-go territory, and so are jeans. No joggers either if they have cuffs around ankles, however lose, for the same "ankle-squeezing" problem. She only wears leggings, but only if they have no seams, as these drive her crazy too. She is not just being choosy, it definitely drives her crazy and results in meltdowns etc.

I am starting to worry about how she will cope with school uniform?!

It's so strange. Does anyone have similar issues and how are you approaching it?

Yes, it sounds like your child has sensory integration issues. My 10-year-old is the same and has been since birth. She has great difficulty with seams on socks, anything too tight or too loose and with certain fabrics, as these can all make her feel very distressed. At school they let her wear summer uniform all year round so that she doesn’t have to wear a shirt and tie, as they were causing daily meltdowns before going into school. My daughter also has huge issues with seams in leggings. At home, she just lives in one old baggy pair of tracksuit bottoms which I have had to re-wash 1000 times!

Your daughter may need some occupational therapy. We have had this for some time and although it hasn’t made a huge difference, it has helped a little. It may also help your daughter if you put (even dry) clothes into the tumble dryer, to soften them a bit before she puts them on.