Dressing themselves?

[Artechim]

My DD1 has just turned 3 and is showing absolutely no interest in dressing herself. She can take off her pants. That is it. She won't attempt her tops, won't try to put anything on. She seems so big to be such a baby!
Toilet training is not even on the cards, she has no interest at all. Won't even tell me if she has a dirty nappy.

I have just realised my 13 month old DD2 is ahead of her - she will point at her bum and say 'poo' if she needs a nappy changed, helps take her clothes off and tries to put on her pants by herself. DS was toilet trained and dressing himself (except socks) by 2.5.

It seems like I am still going to be dressing her when she is 7!

So what age did your kids start dressing themselves?

[MummyNaomi]

DS is 3.5 and mostly dresses himself. Needs a bit of help getting tshirts over the head but puts socks, jocks, pants on easily. From memory he really only became interested this year after he toilet trained. So I guess started around 2yrs 8months

He can undress in a heartbeat cos he loves to be naked!!!!

Can you make a bit of a game out if it? Does she choose her own clothes?

[feeb]

DS1 needed a push to start dressing himself around 3 even now at 4 he often gets lazy and says he cant get something off etc. He also needed a lot of encouragment to TT at 3 years 7 months, before that had tryed not interested lots of accidents if we tryed (only tryed a few days here and there) day i said enough was enough he was fine and in the first 3 weeks had 2 accidents only for wee, had poo accidnets for 10 days until i finally conned him to sit on loo long enought to poo (songs, book, ipad in loo lol) then no issues. On his 4th bday he decided no nappy to bed and has only had 3 accidents since then and were all 2 montsh after he started night training.

DS2 has been putting on tops and pants since 2 and since 2 and 1/2 socks and shoes as well! He says he has pooed etc and will sit on potty and loo but not interested yet in TT.

[~clover~]

DS is 4.5. He's starting to dress himself, but still gets confused. DD3 gives it a go. Amusing what she comes up with though

DS only just started wiping his own bum after I chucked a hissy fit at him. I tried & tried before that, but nothing worked. Even bribery. I threw a tanty He does it now! He's getting there. He's a neat freak, so prefers me to dress him so its done right

Both of them can undress. DD3 is Houdini. No matter what she's wearing she can get it off if she wants too.

[fionas]

DD1 is 5 and although physically she can do it, she gets distracted, bored or says she wants help. Drives me batty.

DD2 is 2 and can put a pull-up nappy on plus pants, can't do tops yet. Can put socks and shoes on and goes and gets her older sister's shoes and socks for her

[Now we're 3]

DS is pretty much toilet trained. Will have the odd accidents as "it was tooooo hard Mummy as I was busy!" but no where near being able to come out of nappies at night!

Loves getting naked so taking clothes off and leaving them randomly throughout the house is a regular occurance. Has has been putting his undies and shorts/pants on for a few months now but some of that will have been driven by day care where it was really encouraged. Puts them on back to front most of the time which I think he must do delibertly as I don't reckon he could randomly get it wrong that many times! Tops are a bit more difficult as he doesn't always manage to get it over his head but will definitely give it a go. I allow him to do it himself at weekend regardless of how long it takes but normally have to intervene on the days I go to work as just takes too long.

[turtleschell]

My DD is nearly 3, she was completely TT at 25 months, but she seriously cannot dress herself. She can sometimes gets pants and undies on, but obviously puts them on backwards half the time. She can do shoes, but definitely not socks. And if she tries to do shirts, she gets so mad coz she just can't and it frustrates her. I don't really know how to teach her!

[trishalishous]

my 2.5yo tries, but still needs help, and alternates between 'no IM doing it mummy' and having to be bribed to put clothes on at all

[sangie]

Would she do it if you made into a game? Maybe something like 'lets race to put our socks on'? Or have a race with DS?

DS can dress himself but usually takes AGES! So on weekdays when we have to be out early I generally help him. Or else he could literally take an hour to get dressed lol! Part of it is that he's easily distracted so will put on one sock and then go play for a while with the truck he found under his bed and then come back to the other sock later. Drives me nuts! But after his nightly bath and on weekends he generally dresses himself. He has trouble with buttons still and sometimes puts on tops back to front but mostly he is pretty good.

We have been lucky with TTing. He has been trained for almost a year now and night trained overnight for 6 months (he only has the odd accident overnight now). Is there something she will really respond to which might help to get the process started. Sticker chart? Getting to choose her own undies?

Good luck!

[Ginger]

J does not dress himself, i still do it. he shows absolutely no signs whatsoever of ever TTing....

[Artechim]

G, I am totally going to be in the same position 6 months from now.

Sangie, the only reason she takes off her pants is because she thinks she is racing. She will pull her socks off if I make a funny voice and tell her not too...

Thanks for the replies. Looks like there are lots of kids around that are later to start. Very frustrating, especially after having a kid that wanted to do everything for himself from the start. Tonight her bum is burnt red with blisters because she didn't tell me she needed her nappy changed

[Miss.B]

My DS is 2.5 years now, and can only put his shoes on, and take his top off. I probably do far too much for him. No interest in TT whatsoever. In fact, when I ask him if he's done poos (and I know he has) he always says NO. We get the red bum occasionally but mainly from cc.