Building self-help skills: dressing/undressing

For young children this skill can often be the most difficult to master.

Dressing and undressing can offer children some challenging moments. You can use these moments to:

• promote cooperation
• encourage decision making
• develop and practise self-help skills.

For instance, when taking off the sock or bootie of a very young infant, you can pull the sock half off and encourage the child to pull it right off. Little coordination is needed when the task is set up like this. Children get a lot of pleasure and satisfaction from helping out. The idea is to simplify the task so the child gets to practise and remember the process. At first it takes longer to work cooperatively together, but when children are encouraged to help dress/undress themselves they become more proficient. They reach the point where they need very little help, except with such things as buttons, zips and laces.

Work through the information below, for ideas on how you can build self-help skills and promote cooperation in the dressing and undressing processes.

Encourage parents to provide clothing that is easy to manage - tracksuit pants, velcro runners etc.

Step in to prevent frustration when children attempt a task that may be too difficult.

Talk with them about what you are doing.

Give lots of positive encouragement for all attempts.

Keep instructions simple, take it one step at a time and provide opportunities to practise.