7 yr old taking forever to get dressed and undressed

[ocelot41]

My DS has just turned 7 and gets terribly easily distracted. Getting dressed and undressed can easily take him 45 mins (with copious reminders). He just bounces from bed to bed, turns somersaults, and generally throws himself about. I have tried star charts, an egg timer and (frankly) yelling. It is driving me crazy - surely a 7 year old should be able to get dressed in a reasonable amount of time? They aren't tiny any more! What else can I do? It means we start and end the day with a lot of crossness, which I don't want.

Oh and I should add, he is so unfocussed on the task at hand that he regularly puts things on backwards and then we have to start all over again . Has anyone else got DC of this age STILL behaving like that?

AIBU to expect 7 year olds to just get dressed, maybe with one or two reminders but not this constant battle?

I think you need to work out if he can't get dressed quicker, or if he is choosing not to get dressed quicker.

You say he puts clothes on backwards. Does he struggle with other motor skills e.g. using cutlery, riding a bike, coming down stairs, handwriting? Does he struggle with remembering/following instructions generally? In which case, it may be that he can't get dressed quicker due to Dyspraxia / Developmental Coordination Disorder.

If it's simply that he's choosing to go slow, I've heard others say they've had good results when they've taken their DCs to school still in their pyjamas. They pre-warned the teacher, obviously! The embarrassment for the DC meant that they never did it again!

Thanks name change. I genuinely don't know - he avoids stuff involving fine motor movements. Hated hana beads etc, has to be repeatedly reminded to use knife and fork during a meal. But his gross motor movements are great - very athletic, early to walk, ride a bike etc. But YES has trouble following instructions - I don't know if it is that he can't or doesn't want to! How do I find this out?

Hmm. Well it's probably worth you looking into it. Here's a link to the NHS list of symptoms in young children:

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Dyspraxia-(childhood)/Pages/Symptoms.aspx

Perhaps keep a jotter and list down all the things over a fortnight or so that seem a bit "off" to you and then go to the GP for a chat? In my area, dyspraxia etc is diagnosed by CAMHS so you need a referral to them to get the ball rolling. They then link into Occupational Therapists etc. It may be different in other parts of the country.

Thanks - tbh, I had been wondering about ADHD. We are having so many behavioural problems at the moment I get to bed time just weeping with tiredness

Dd is 5 and like this. She gets so distracted staring into space, puts her trousers over her head etc. It's so irritating!

She has problems with cutlery and writing too. Very poor at following instructions. Currently being assessed for ADD and social communication disorder and autism.

Hi Xmasbaby, can I ask you what made you realise that you need an assessment, rather than this being a normal childhood phase? And can you tell me some more about what your DC does with cutlery? My DS will ignore knives and forks as soon as he thinks no one is looking but he can actually use them (albeit in a somewhat ham fisted fashion)