Helpful tips for teaching your children to dress themselves

A key stage in a child’s development is his or her ability to dress himself or herself. A child learning to dress himself or herself not only helps parents by saving them time and allowing them to do other chores, but, more importantly, it benefits a child in a number of ways. For example, by fastening buttons and zips, the child improves his or her fine motor skills. Furthermore, his or her cognitive skills are developed by building the child’s. At Vagaluz, we would like to provide you with a guide to help you teach your child to dress himself or herself.

Buy loose-fitting clothes when children begin to dress themselves

• Buy clothes that are a bit bigger than the child's normal size. It is difficult for adults to put on clothes that are a bit tight, so it would be unfair to expect children to do so. For girls, consider buying loose fitting dresses like this lovely dog print one by Kid’s chocolate.

• Especially at first, try to buy skirts, trousers and shorts with elasticated waists, such as this skirt by Nanos. The elastic waist is easier for a child to pull up and is comfortable.

• Practise makes perfect: let children practise dressing a soft toy or doll before they try to dress themselves.

Use tricks to help children get dressed on their own

• Finding some tricks to help children learn to dress themselves can be really fun and useful. For example, one great trick for teaching your child to put on coats, jumpers or jackets is to place the item on the floor face up. The hood or neck should be closest to the child’s body. Get the child to kneel down on the floor and put his or her arms through the sleeves, and then ask the child to stand up and lift his or her arms up towards the ceiling. The coat or jumper will then flip over the child’s head. 

If you are in need of a jacket or coat for your child, Vagaluz has a range of stylish ones. Why not practise with one similar to this navy jacket by Ralph Lauren?

Encourage your children to dress themselves by letting them choose their own clothes

Allowing your child to pick out his or her own clothes will make getting dressed more fun and will increase your child’s confidence. In order to save time, you may need to manage this process by laying out two different outfits for the child to choose from.

• Children often like to wear bright colours. For a girl, why not consider something like this pretty pink and blue trim dress from Alhuka?

For boys, this vibrant red jumper with white stripes and bermuda shorts, both by Foque, are sure to appeal.

• It is vital to praise and encourage your child for even the smallest of accomplishments. This will help keep alive the child’s interest in dressing himself or herself and will also improve his or her confidence and self-esteem.

Finally, be patient, it may take some children longer than others to dress on their own, but remember that, even if it takes a while, your child will eventually learn to dress by himself or herself.