Teaching Kids to Dress Themselves
If you haven't yet experienced a glass-shattering "Me do it!" ... just wait. Most younger kids become extremely independent creatures at a certain point and insist on doing everything on their own—whether they've mastered the necessary skills or not.
If you've consciously purchased child-friendly clothing for your kid, he shouldn't have such a difficult time trying to dress himself, but he'll still need a lot of practice. Your job? Be his cheerleader. Encourage him to try to dress himself, praise him, and be ready to help him if he becomes overly frustrated. Don't try to do everything for him before he has a chance to try it out on his own. Once he manages to strap the Velcro on his shoes, he'll be beaming with pride.
Of course, not every child will seize the opportunity to dress himself. Some would rather simply stand there and let you do all the work! You may have to think of creative ways to encourage cooperation, like partially removing a garment and letting him finish taking it off, or giving him some costumes to play with. If he doesn't want to put on any clothes at all, place his clothes in the dryer for five minutes on a cold day. The warm, snuggly feeling may convince him to try dressing himself!
Imagine this: your child insists on wearing his winter boots during the summer. Would a smart momma choose this battle? No way! It's likely that your child's sudden love for boots stems from the fact that it's easier to step into them than fuss with the straps and buckles on his sandals.
If he pulls the reverse maneuver—insisting on wearing flip-flops in the middle of the winter—you'll have to be creative: maybe allowing him to carry his flip-flops in his backpack while trudging through snow.
Put garments that are too small, badly stained or inappropriate for the season away so they won't even be an option for him. (Outta sight, out of mind!)
Another common rough spot for parents and children: fave outfit syndrome. Let's set the scene: your kid has one favorite outfit and only one favorite outfit. He insists on wearing it day after day. Solution? Let him wear the outfit whenever he wants, as long as it's clean. Save wear-and-tear on your washing machine by duplicating the outfit so that you don't feel the need to do laundry every single night.
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