Once your baby has learned to crawl he’ll be far less willing to sit or lie still while you dress him. On the other hand, he is now much more able to help you as you put on his clothes. For example, an 11 month old baby can make a fist or stretch out an arm, if you ask him to, or hold his arm still while you pull his sleeve into place. If he’s very restless you can sing a song to him or engage his attention with a toy, or involve him in the whole dressing process by naming each item of clothing as you put it on or take it off, and getting him to repeat the names after you, for example. You could also turn dressing into a peek-a-boo game: “Where’s baby’s foot? Oh, look, here it is!”
Here are some tips for dressing your baby if it’s difficult to get him to hold still:
- Stand him between your legs so that he’s immobilized while you pull up his pants.
- Sit him in his high chair so that you can put on his shoes.
- You can make a game out of putting on his shoes by placing them at the bottom of the stairs and getting him to step down into them carefully while you steady him.
