Dressing
Teaching a child how to get dressed
Month 6 · Activity 24 · Lifeskills
Instructions
- The night before choose together an outfit for tomorrow by laying out on the floor -underwear, top, bottom, socks, shoes
- Help the child with dressing in the morning by deciding what goes on first, (underwear) second, etc.
- The next time, let the child alone choose an outfit for the next day by laying out on the floor - underwear, top, bottom, socks, shoes. In the morning, check if the clothes are put on in the correct order.
- The third time, let the child choose an outfit for the next day by laying out on the floor. In the morning, you tell the child to take the clothes into a dark closet or use a bandana to blindfold his eyes. The child gets dressed in the dark by feeling the items of clothing to figure out the item of clothing and how to put on the item
Simplify
Pulling on clothes is not an easy task. Assist a child when necessary but learning to become an independent dresser is a necessary skill.
Extend
Once the child is familiar with getting dressed, suggest that getting dressed in the dark can be a game and set a timer to see how quickly they are able to dress themselves. Compare to setting a timer when clothes are within sight and see how they are able to get dressed quicker when viewing the clothes. Share how observing and having a plan can be efficient ways to tackle tasks.
Materials
- child's closet for outfits they are able to wear
Motor Skills
Social Skills
Problem Solving Skills