23mo DS hates clothes - help!

[TottWriter]

DS is 23 and a half months. In the last week or so he has decided that he doesn't like trousers, t-shirts or vests, and can take all three off. We've had to change to pull up nappies (despite him not being ready for pt yet) because he learned how to take the other type off too. He can take the pull ups off, but obviously it's easier to get those back on.

Our house isn't cold per say, and it's not too draughty, but he still starts to get cold after running around in his nappy for a bit (if he takes the nappy off I give him an ultimatum - put it back on or sit on the potty). He can't put clothes on yet, but resists any attempts to redress him that I or DP make - quite violently too. He ends up rolling around the floor, writhing to make in almost impossible, and pushing tops back over his head before we can get his arms through the appropriate holes. TBH, I wouldn't bother doing this apart from the fact that when I put my hand on his chest it often feels cold, and that worries me a little. He always has cold hands and feet (he hates socks and slippers, but as it's healthier for them to be barefoot I don't mind), but it's when his body feels cold that I fret, and he still resists wearing clothes. Even going out of the house is often a battle simply to get his indoor clothes on, let alone a coat over that. And the number of times I've been kicked while putting his shoes on...

I'm guessing I'm not the first person by any standard to encounter this, so I'm wondering what everyone else has done. Also, when he takes his trousers off, his nappy is usually only a few seconds behind, and I end up chasing him around the room to wedge him on the potty before he wees on the floor, sofa and front door.

To head off any misconceptions, I'm not anti-potty training, it's just that he still isn't aware of when he's weeing or even pooing really; aside from that look of concentration as he poos, there's no recognition at all. The time he weed against the front door he looked down because of the noise and almost seemed frightened. definitely shocked. He just seems to want to be nude, and it's a right PITA.

I wish my Mum were alive to advise you because I know I went through a stage of doing this...apparently I actually escaped one day and was found crawling nude down the middle of the street infront of a cadillac! Sorry I can't be more help, I was a bit young myself at the time.

i think it;s very normal. my friend's little boy hates trousers in particular and always takes them off the moment he gets into the house (anyone's house!)

some children are particularly sensitive to how things feel on them though. is he better with softer clothes? pyjamas etc?

We've tried all sorts of clothes - when he kept taking off a pair of jeans we put him in lighter trousers, and we go througha variety of types of top. Long sleeve, short sleeve, loose, tight. He takes off his pajamas just as frequently, usually starting with the bottom half (with a mumbled/shouted 'no trouser'). When we go to put a vest on first he says 'no vest', and runs off. We also get 'no jumper', 'no shirt', 'no coat' and 'no shoes', depending on what we're offering at the time. If we're lucky he'll tolerate his dressing gown for about 30 seconds before removing that, which does at least get something on most of him for a few moments.

Today though, he found his hat, and is quite happy to ram that on his head (and mostly over his eyes) then run around bumping into things. So I think it's a behavioural issue rather than a skin irritation.

My DD (just turned 2) went through a phase of this a couple of months ago.......she would strip everything off and refuse to let us dress her. Luckily she only did it at home and friends houses (I was worried she would start doing a strip-tease at toddler group!!)

Does your DS wear vests that popper between the legs? I found that DD couldn't get them off........for extra security, you can put them on backwards and the poppers are even more difficult to reach. These vests are the only thing that keeps DD's nappy on (also showing no sighns of being ready for PT)

As for getting cold, I would try not to worry that much. I think they are old enough to know if they are cold........my DD will certainly ask for a jumper or tell me that her hands are cold and demand her gloves. If he was freezing, he wouldn't be cheerfully charging about the place IMO.

Most importantly, my DD is now mostly happy to leave her clothes on (although has developed a recent obsession with tummy buttons so keeps removing her top to look at it )

That's a good point about the vests, though I haven't seen too many that would fit him. He's not a huge child, but he does have a bit of a long body, so tends to grow out of vests in length fairly quickly. That's one of the reasons we moved to non-poppered vests actually.

Today I made a bit of a game of getting dressed (after letting him see me get dressed) and that seemed to get him quite excited... but then, it could just be that he was a bit chilly.

Thanks for the reassurance about the getting cold thing. I guess I just worry because I'm really feeling the cold at the moment, and I fret that he won't realise. Overraction I know; can I blame it on pregnancy hormones?