| Encouraging independence is a crucial part of helping | | | | have more time and are more relaxed. |
| your child develop and grow as an individual. You can | | | | Motoring ahead to independence |
| help your child become more independent and | | | | Once the clothes have been chosen, all the buttons, |
| confident by encouraging them to perform simple | | | | zippers and poppers will have your little one's fine |
| daily tasks by themselves such as helping to lay the | | | | motor skills working overtime. In fact children tend to |
| table at meal times, looking after a family pet or | | | | learn how to get undressed before they learn how |
| getting dressed. Read more about it here. | | | | to get dressed as they can pull their way out of |
| One small step for mankind, one huge leap for | | | | most things, but getting into them in the first place |
| toddlers | | | | takes a lot more practice! These fine motor skills |
| A normal daily task for us such as getting dressed | | | | require small muscle movement and concentration. |
| can represent an exciting challenge for a toddler and | | | | Teaching them involves time and patience so be sure |
| can help nurture important life skills such as making | | | | to leave enough time when encouraging them to get |
| decisions and seeing an action through from beginning | | | | more hands on. |
| to end. Mastering such tasks and developing these | | | | Be aware that your child is likely to experience |
| skills will also provide your child with a huge sense of | | | | frustration, a sense of being overwhelmed and |
| achievement. | | | | possibly failure but approach the task as an |
| As parents and carers we shouldn't overlook or | | | | opportunity to help them work through these |
| underestimate the learning and developmental | | | | complex feelings with encouragement and support. |
| opportunities presented for us to share with our | | | | Your praise is vital. To ease the way as they start to |
| children as we go about our busy daily lives; this way | | | | learn to dress themselves you could also choose |
| we can integrate our hectic schedules with caring for | | | | simple clothes with minimal buttons and fastenings. All |
| and supporting our children in the most effective way | | | | this might mean getting up an extra 5 minutes earlier |
| we can. | | | | but it will be worth it as you help your toddler |
| Decisions, decisions | | | | develop these all important skills, work through these |
| Let's stick with the example of getting dressed. | | | | emotions and are eventually rewarded with their |
| Learning to make decisions is an important stage in | | | | beam of accomplishment when they have finally got |
| any child's development, and helping them to form | | | | completely dressed by themselves. |
| opinions and exercise choice in a safe environment | | | | A sense of identity |
| will stand them in good stead as they progress | | | | Your child's clothing can help foster a sense of |
| through life. So involve them at an early stage in | | | | independence in another important way. What we |
| choosing which clothes they would like to wear. | | | | choose to wear and how we present ourselves to |
| Encourage them to think about their choice and to | | | | others helps both shape and represent our identity. A |
| choose appropriately by asking guiding questions; ' | | | | child who has been encouraged to be free thinking |
| What's the weather like? Do you think it's warm or | | | | from an early age is likely to have a clearer idea of |
| cold outside?' etc. If you have time explore the | | | | self and the clothes they choose to wear can help |
| reasons for their choice, encouraging them to | | | | contribute to this. |
| express their likes and dislikes and taking the | | | | Other learning activities with your children's clothing |
| opportunity to broaden their vocabulary by getting | | | | include encouraging them to help tidy up and put |
| them to describe the clothes ('It feels soft and | | | | away, sorting out the washing into piles of light and |
| comfortable', 'The label's a bit scratchy' etc). Where | | | | dark colours, loading up the washing machine and |
| possible let their choice win - what does it matter if | | | | hanging the washing out to dry. All this demonstrates |
| the trousers they have chosen don't colour | | | | how your child's clothing can have more value than |
| coordinate perfectly with the top? If you're worried | | | | just surface value if you just take a bit of time to |
| about the time involved to achieve all this in your | | | | understand the importance of the role it can play in |
| tight morning schedule then you could always choose | | | | your child's development and have the imagination to |
| clothes together the night before when perhaps you | | | | apply it to your day to day lives. |