There is a lot to be said for teaching your child to dress themselves. This is an excellent way to teach them independence and give them a huge boost of self esteem. Once they can do these things they’ll be so encouraged that they’ll want to do it all the time.
Buy a child wardrobe
To teach them effectively you’re going to need to enable them to do it themselves and this includes getting the right furniture. You may not think it’s very important, but as soon as they can go to their wardrobe or drawers and get their own clothes out, you’ll soon find that they’ll want to do it all the time; and this is the ultimate inspiration.
You’re going to need to buy a child wardrobe that they can use effectively. These aren’t normal size wardrobes. If you get normal wardrobes they won’t be able to reach the rails. It doesn’t matter at first if they can’t quite reach the rail in their child wardrobe because you can buy them a little step, but the important thing is that they can get their own clothes.
Let them get it wrong
Your child needs to be able to get it wrong. They are not likely to come to you with all the buttons done up correctly, and they may have even forgotten their underwear, but no-one ever learns by getting it right in the beginning; they must learn from their mistakes. The important thing to remember is to show them how they can improve, but make sure you’re supportive of their efforts and give them plenty of praise and encouragement.
Be supportive
If your child has taken the time to go to their kids wardrobe and choose something to wear, and successfully put it on, make sure you tell them what a good job they’ve done. It will not help if you tell them that their clothes don’t match or don’t fit them properly; you have to grasp onto the positives of the situation. The mere fact that they’ve been to their wardrobe and picked out something to wear is progress!