With everyone returning to school we often get asked as a team for advice about dressing/undressing. Here are a few handy hints and tips to help your child become an independent dresser!
General Advice
Getting clothes on the right way round – using a simple running stitch pop a coloured thread at back of the item - or if you are not a sewer put an ‘x’ with permanent marker pen. Then teach your child that it goes at the back and against your skin so no-one can see.
Back chaining –basically you break each task into sections and then you leave the last section for the child to complete. Once they have mastered this you leave the last couple of sections for them to complete. You work backwards until you are just starting the task off and they complete it before finally managing all the steps themselves.
Practice
Where is behind?
You would be surprised just how helpful this notion is! Not only for dressing but also for wiping after going to the toilet.
Play the pegs game - Use washing pegs, ask your little one to close their eyes and clip the clothes pegs all over the body onto their clothes- not forgetting behind. This will not only help with body awareness and dressing but with pincer grip.
Scarves game – tuck chiffon scarves into neck lines, at the back of sleeves, in hoods and into waist bands – don’t forget behind again!
Body parts practice
There are lots of songs that have actions-sing along and reinforce naming those body parts, practice naming all those body parts in front of a mirror – ask where your ears are, eyes, knees etc,
Lining paper person - get your little one to lie down on lining paper and carefully draw around them saying the parts of the body as the pencil/crayon passes by. Then lie on your tummy with your child and chat with them as they fill in all the features and clothes to make a paper person. You can even cut the person out together at the end!
Eyes shut and point- get your little one to shut their eyes. Say a body part and get them to point to it. This is a great way for them to start visualising where parts of their body are.
Simon says – always a fun game for learning the names and actions of parts of your body.
Standing on one leg?
This is a great skill to practice and is really helpful to practice when getting dressed. In fact, why not make this a family game or competition – it is great fun and good practice for everyone of all ages.
Gloves and mittens
‘Fist and Star fish game’ for gloves - encourage your child to make a fist pop the glove on over the fist then ‘pop’ out their fingers to make a starfish, so that you have one in each hole! Practice without a glove a few times first.
‘Thumbs up’ - encourage your child to make a fist, pop the mitten on over the fist then ‘pop’ up their thumb into the hole. Practice a few times without a mitten first.
Coat
The upside-down coat trick (video below)
Play games putting hoops on arms - maybe have a treasure hunt around the house and collect them on your arms whilst you are searching. If you don’t have hoops - you can make some from cardboard boxes. (see picture below)
Fastenings
Starting a zip - start big and get smaller - use the folded paper and box technique (see picture above)
Toggle for zip – by making the zip pull longer and easier to hold (see picture above)
For younger children posting games- start big get smaller- these are a great place to begin
Dressing toys is a great way to start talking about and learning the order and how to dress.
For any adult ‘helping’ use ‘hand over hand’ and sit behind to teach, so that your hands are moving in the same direction as your child.
Make a ‘felt picture’ to help learn to do up and undo buttons (see pictures of car and flowers above).
WE HOPE THAT YOU FIND THESE TIPS HELPFUL!
Compiled by TCT's Specialist Occupational Therapy and Paediatric Physiotherapy teams. For more details about the services they offer, please use the link below.
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