How to get 5 year to get dressed in the morning

[jmrpinkie]

This sounds so simple but we are having such a pain getting our 5 year old out the door. He has over an hour in the morning. We want to let him help do breakfast so he does this first, bit of playing then he gets dressed. But he finds every reason to not do it or do it slowly. It takes so long. This morning I shouted at him and I just don’t want to do that. It helps nobody. Any tips?

He might physically be able to get dressed, but probably doesn't yet have the executive functioning skills to do it on his own reliably and quickly. He might also want some more emotional connection in the morning to set him up for school, and things like helping them dress can be good for that.

With ours of a similar age, as soon as he's up we help him do his teeth, have a quick rinse in the shower and then help him get dressed. Generally just handing him each item, but some mornings he wants us to do it for him, generally if he's tired. Then downstairs for breakfast. If it's something that might get him particularly grubby we put his craft apron on just to keep his uniform clean.

We used to dress after breakfast but find it is much calmer this way.

Toilet teeth face clothes then breakfast play if time

My cousins used to have a competition every morning about who could get dressed first.
A girls team and a boys team. (I know, but different times)
They dressed first thing and checked their bags and, once ready for school, sat down to breakfast.
The team that lost cleared the table.
It was an organised household.
They put on their shoes and read their reader after breakfast.

If you have too few children to form teams, you and your husband could join a team. Each of you would be helping one child get dressed.
You could also install a system of having a lunch order on a Friday for all children who have been ready for school on time every day that week.

We have to get dressed before we play, that way we explain any time being wasted not getting dressed is time they don't get to play as time doesn't stop. This has worked well with our 3 and 5 year old. And getting dressed means, clothes, teeth and shoes on. Just removes any possible delay.