Measure 45 — SH 2

Personal Care Routines: Dressing

Child refines ability to dress him or herself independently

Young children gradually develop an understanding of the need to dress appropriately and also develop the skills to dress independently. Initially, children passively participate in a dressing routine initiated by their caregivers. With time and as the dressing routine becomes familiar, children begin to assist their caregiver in completing the task. With the development of motor skills, children refine their ability to dress and are able to complete tasks with increasing competence and independence.

Very young infants require that an adult dress them. As they develop, infants begin to participate in the dressing routine by cooperating with the adult who is helping them. This cooperation may be passive. The infant may remain still and allow an adult to dress her, for example. Older infants may actively offer cooperation, such as extending their legs or arms while they are being dressed.

Toddlers are able to assist with dressing. Young toddlers have the motor skills to be able to remove their socks and shoes, and they like to participate actively in dressing, for example putting their arms through shirt sleeves or coat sleeves with adult assistance. Older toddlers are able to remove and put on simple clothing, such as hats. They are also able to unzip clothing and to pull pants with elastic waists up and down, but they need some assistance with unbuttoning their pants or unbuckling belts and straps.

Young preschoolers are able to remove their clothes without assistance. They are able to remove their jacket when they are too hot or remove a shirt when it gets wet. Eventually they will also be able to put on simple clothing, such as a jacket or coat, independently. They are able to unsnap garments and fasten things with Velcro™ straps, but they may need assistance with other fasteners, such as buttons or clasps.

Older preschoolers are able to dress independently for the most part. They can identify the front and back of clothes. They may be able to handle buttons and zippers and may only need an adult’s help with more difficult fasteners, like shoe laces and the clasps on overalls. Experience and greater development of their fine motor skills enable children to dress more independently using a variety of difficult fasteners. Older preschoolers are also able to select clothes that are appropriate for the weather, such as shorts and short-sleeve shirts for a warm day or a coat when it is cold. Autonomy in dressing becomes more refined when children are in kindergarten and the primary grades. Further development of their fine motor skills allows them to work more successfully with difficult fasteners like buckles and clasps.