Getting dressed-how can you help?

Dressing and undressing are important skills that take time and practice for children to learn. Starting with undressing is a good idea because it is easier and helps build their confidence before moving on to dressing. It is also a natural part of daily routines like getting ready for bed or bath time.

To help children learn to undress, use loose clothing like elasticated trousers or tops without buttons. Show them how to pull down trousers, lift a T-shirt over their head, or unzip a jacket. You can also guide their hands through the motions to help them feel what to do. Focus on one step at a time, like pulling off socks before moving to bigger items. When they’re ready to try dressing, start with easy tasks like putting on a hat or slip on shoes.

What shall i put on first?

I like these jeans

Sequencing activities for getting dressed helps children develop life skills and to understand routines. Lay their clothes out in the right order to make it simple.

Start by breaking the process into simple steps, such as putting on underwear, followed by an undershirt or t-shirt, then pants, shorts, or a skirt. After that, the child can put on socks, add a sweater or jacket if needed, and finish with shoes. Encouraging independence is important. Giving them choices between two outfits can boost their confidence and decision-making skills.

Role play here in Twirl’s Boutique makes learning to get dressed fun and easy. Children can practice with costumes like firefighter jackets or superhero capes, developing skills to put on and take off clothes in a playful way. Costumes with zippers, buttons, or Velcro help improve their hand coordination. Watching and copying other children or dressing up together teaches them through play and teamwork. Dressing becomes part of imaginative games, like pretending to be a firefighter or superhero, making it enjoyable instead of a chore. This boosts their confidence and helps them learn to dress independently.

Visual aids can also make learning easier. You will find in Twirls Boutique parent prompts showing each step of getting dressed with images for you to share with your child to guide them through the process. Children can dress dolls or stuffed animals to learn theses steps, or fun activities like paper dressing up dolls to practice putting clothing into the correct order.
These Dress Up Paper Dolls are a great way to encourage your child at home to think about their own dressing routine – simply print and cut out to get started.