As your child grows older, she’ll develop the coordination required to dress successfully. You should encourage her in her attempts at dressing or undressing, however slow or awkward – they’re a sign of growing independence and maturity. Learning to manage by herself will improve a child’s coordination and increase her confidence, so be patient with her first clumsy efforts.
Lay out your child’s clothes in such a way that she can maneuver them on easily. For instance, you could drape a cardigan on the back of a chair so that she just has to sit down and slide her arms into the sleeves. Let her do as much as she is capable of, and don’t step in to help unless it’s really necessary, though you will have to deal with most of the fastenings yourself until your child is old enough to manage them.
At 18 months she will already be trying to manage fastenings, and by two and a half she will be able to close a button in a loose buttonhole, and put on her own pants, T-shirt, and sweatshirt. By the age of four she will probably be able to dress or undress herself completely and will have enough dexterity to put her clothes away tidily. There are several things you can do to make getting dressed easier for your child.
- Teach her how to button from the bottom up.
- Sew large buttons onto a toddler’s clothes so that she can handle them easily.
- Velcro fastenings will be easy for her to manage, but don’t use them where they might chafe her skin.
- Buy pants with elastic waists to avoid zippers.
- Children find it difficult to put sweaters on the right way around, to explain to her that the label always goes at the back.
Dressing himself
By the age of three your toddler may be able to dress himself completely, though it will take him a long time. Allow him his independence, and don’t step in to help unless you’re really needed.
Room for growth
Loose-fitting clothes with adjustable fastenings are most suitable now that your child is growing fast.
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