Let Battle Commence - Getting Your Toddler Dressed

By Author: Ellie Dixon
Total Articles: 21
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Getting your child dressed should be the simplest of tasks, but frequently turns into a battle of wills between you and your child. Even if you want them to don their most-loved sweater, a control-hungry toddler is very likely to shout a definite "No!" if the garment was picked without his or her express approval. This can make getting your child dressed a major challenge for the parents of toddlers. Next time you face this challenge ....

Offer choices. Granting your toddler total control over the contents of his or her closet probably isn't sensible and certainly isn't practical - unless of course you don't mind them to be wearing a bathing suit and flip flops on a freezing winter day, or a tutu and wellies on a trip to the mall. Allowing them even a little control over what they wear though, can avoid major arguments when you're dressing your child. So, offer your toddler a choice between two or three outfits. If she comes up with a weird and wonderful selection of her own suggest a compromise if at all feasible - why not offer to let her wear it under her other clothes? To reduce the likelihood of unsuitable outfits ...
... being chosen when you're dressing your child, then pack out-of-season garments away.

When you go shopping for new clothes, let your child choose the outfits he prefers from some that you've already decided will be OK. This won't give you a cast-iron guarantee that he'll wear them, but it will improve your chances!

Don't offer your toddler too many choices. When you're dressing your child, if you offer her a wardrobe stuffed with choices you're practically writing the script for confrontation. Too many options will overwhelm and frustrate your child - she simply won't be capable of a decision. So keep her choices down to two or three at most.

Praise his choices. Compliment your child and make them feel good when they've chosen a suitable outfit, but try not to criticize him when his outfit is mismatched and, from your point of view, ill-chosen. When dressing your child offer up ideas if he's open to them, "that red checked shirt would go well with those red dungarees, don't you agree?" but don't worry if he doesn't follow your guidance. He has plenty of time to develop good taste and develop his own style.

Finally, when the challenge of dressing your child threatens to get you down, try to keep your sense of humor. You're going to need it. Although once the toddler years are past wardrobe choices should get less stressful, eccentricities are certain to reappear and multiply with a vengeance once the teenage years arrive!