When do your little kids start dressing themselves?

[Guest]

DS - 3 - is "capable" of dressing himself. I offer him a chocolate kiss (bad mom!) or to go outside and work in the garage with dad and he's dressed in a matter of minutes. However, now that I know this, I've decided to make it one of his responsibilities and we are just constantly battling it! (And I don't really want to start each morning off with candy - lol!) At 3 - should I just drop it? I like to pick and choose my battles with him, as he's kind of going through the "terrible 3's" and I'm kind of thinking that at this age, to just drop the getting dressed thing and do it for him.

 

Any ideas?

[KatieJ]

Funny story. My 2 sons are 19 months apart. AFter my girls being born 5 years apart and then the gap from girls to boys was 6.5 years..the boys seemed like twins to me! One day I was getting them both dressed and the younger one said, me do it. I looked at his older brother and said, if he can do it, so can you!

[sweetbaby]

I think my sons were 3 or 4 when they completed dressed themselves without my assistance. We may have had a shirt on backwards or mix matched socks but they were dressed.:)

[mommylawyer]

My son started dressing himself a couple of months after he turned 3. He still needs help when he's put something on backwards. My oldest daughter started dressing herself when she was 2 1/2 - but she LOVED clothes.

[gandpsmommy]

Ds 4.5 has been physically capable of dressing himself for awhile, but he often likes for me to help him. I used to wish he would just do it himself all the time, but then I saw how grown up he is becoming in so many ways, and it seems kind of nice to have something to still help him with. Over the summer he started changing his clothes three or four times a day because he would take off his pants inside and then forget where they were when he wanted to go back out and play. So he would get a new pair out of his drawer. Or if he spilled one drop of water on himself at lunch, he would go change his outfit.

 

Dd was definitely dressing herself at age 3. She loved clothes, loved trying on different outfits, loved changing into a new outfit, etc.

[lighthouseacademy]

My barely 2 yr old is mostly capable of dressing herself... but that doesn't mean that I expect it yet. Heck, my 4 1/2 yr old is fully capable of dressing herself, but there are times when she asks for help. Personally, this is not a battle that I choose to engage in. I would dress the child until he decides to do it himself and then I would also give positive accolades for the independent dressing. I would say something like, "Wow, you got dressed all by yourself! You must really be proud of yourself. You are getting so big! I am really excited that you got yourself dressed."

[Guest 4boys]

My kids usually start doing it at around 2 1/2 but that doesn't mean they are doing it correctly. It's more of a skill than a moral issue, so I would say either leave it alone and do it for him or offer him a "goal incentive" (aka the chocolate kiss). On the other hand, if you know he is capable of it but just outright refuses when you ask him to, that becomes a discipline issue. Hope you figure out something that works!

[dragons in the flower bed]

My kids must be on the later edge of the spectrum, because none of them have dressed themselves before age four. I've tried with the youngest to encourage him to do it himself, but he can't. If I leave him completely alone to do it, minutes later I hear muffled screams for help because he's lost inside of his shirt.

[Jennifer in MI]

I wish my dd would let me get her dressed!!! She's 2 1/2 and she is CONSTANTLY changing her clothes. VERY annoying! Maybe it's a blessing that yours isn't!

 

My boys were much later though.

[Tonia]

I'd drop it - it's not something I would do battle over. DD is 4.5 and she still needs help getting shirts on/off (though she CAN do it herself, she'd rather I helped her). I figure she'll have it figured out before she graduates so I'm not too worried about it :D.

[Linda...inOwasso]

4 years

[Mandamom]

My now 12 year old was around 2.5;

 

the 8 year old was 13 months (and would change numerous times per day -- grrrr)

 

the 6 year old was around 4

 

the 2 year old is starting to put his pants on by himself and is working on the rest. He should be doing it before 3 years old.

[Guest]

On the other hand, if you know he is capable of it but just outright refuses when you ask him to, that becomes a discipline issue. Hope you figure out something that works!

 

This is what I am a little bit afraid of. If he wants to get dressed (and he has more times than I can count) he has always done it perfectly - underwear, shorts & shirt!

 

However, I noticed an interesting thing this morning. Once I knew he could do it, I'd be dressing his sister or making breakfast and telling him that he needed to go get dressed. (Or yelling to him in his room to get dressed!) But today, I sat on the floor in his room and handed him his clothes. Even though I felt like I had a million other things I could be doing and he was capable, I think he just wanted me there. We had NO problems this morning - just because I sat there and wasn't in a hurry.

 

I think I was jumping from me dressing him to him being on his own. I think I need to allow for a transition period where he dresses himself, but I'm there to help and encourage him.

 

Anywho~ thanks for all your input. I'm glad that he's not changing 20x a day - I'm afraid I might get that with DD, though..... :lol:

[Jumping In Puddles]

Both of mine started at about 2 1/2 and yes, my dd also changes 20x a day and it makes my dh crazy!

[Nicole M]

 

I think I was jumping from me dressing him to him being on his own. I think I need to allow for a transition period where he dresses himself, but I'm there to help and encourage him.

 

Anywho~ thanks for all your input. I'm glad that he's not changing 20x a day - I'm afraid I might get that with DD, though..... :lol:

 

I think you're on to something here. My kids never liked to be "abandoned", because, what's the fun of being able to do something on your own if The Mamma isn't there to appreciate your skill?

 

And honestly, not only are you lucky that your child isn't changing 20x a day, but that he'll wear clothes at all. I was working myself into a sweat to get my 3yo into his clothes. And then every time I turned around: nude dude!

[Peela]

I think my son was later than normal but I cant remember the specific age. He is 12 now and still likes me to dress him sometimes :) And he won't do up buttons even now- I walk over to him every night and do up the buttons on his PJs which he would otherwise not do himself. Some kids find it harder than others, i think, and I am pretty sure ds did, and does, for that matter.

[swellmomma]

They did so by age 2. I helped where needed, but they were all VERY independant and wanted to do it themselves. My nearly 5 year old, is by far the best dresser as far as far as matching clothes. He still needs a reminder to check the tag (so they end up on the right way) and he needs help about 50% of the time with his buttons, and tieing (he does the first half of tieing and I finish it off). We will see what happens with the baby as she gets bigger, if she is like them or more mellow and wants me to do it for her longer.