https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 05 May 2026 00:53:47 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-to-teachencourage-your-toddler-to-dress-themself-or-did-it-happen-at-their-insistence#post-2759150 Mon, 17 Jul 2017 16:25:41 +0000 Mommy Finger 2759150@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS1 is 4.5 and apparently only knows how to dress himself if there's something in it for him. Like, he can't play a game on my phone unless he's dressed. And that's only a weekend thing where really, there's not a huge timeline. It took him 30 minutes to get dressed this morning. A lot of crying. By both of us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-to-teachencourage-your-toddler-to-dress-themself-or-did-it-happen-at-their-insistence#post-2759036 Mon, 17 Jul 2017 13:47:16 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 2759036@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@erinbaderin: hahaha my son is soooo slow too. </p> <p>My son is 3.25 and won't even try to put a shirt or pants on himself. His shoes he will try but good lord he is slow. I'm not pushing it because I don't have 36182 hours a day to watch him dress himself.<br /> Most girls I know seem to be better at this. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-to-teachencourage-your-toddler-to-dress-themself-or-did-it-happen-at-their-insistence#post-2758982 Mon, 17 Jul 2017 13:05:38 +0000 littlejoy 2758982@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At 3, LO could do pants and underwear (almost always backwards), and now that she's 3.5, she can dress herself the right way. I swear it happened overnight. We always gave her the opportunity to try, but she wasn't even interested in taking shirts off (pretty hard for them, I think) until about a month ago. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-to-teachencourage-your-toddler-to-dress-themself-or-did-it-happen-at-their-insistence#post-2758976 Mon, 17 Jul 2017 12:59:12 +0000 sungirl 2758976@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My DS at almost 5 would still prefer me to dress him although he can. Just wanted to throw in there that he wasn't interested in potty training until he felt like it which was around 3.5 so don't worry about that and it definitely went much easier when I let him do it rather than try to push it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-to-teachencourage-your-toddler-to-dress-themself-or-did-it-happen-at-their-insistence#post-2758949 Mon, 17 Jul 2017 12:30:18 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 2758949@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I still have to make my nearly 5yo usually by counting. He never cared to do it himself but he can... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-to-teachencourage-your-toddler-to-dress-themself-or-did-it-happen-at-their-insistence#post-2758830 Mon, 17 Jul 2017 09:53:56 +0000 snowjewelz 2758830@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD is 2.5 and she started insisting probably a few months ago? I think they've been working on it at school. I've had to help her less and less since then, it's great! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-to-teachencourage-your-toddler-to-dress-themself-or-did-it-happen-at-their-insistence#post-2758565 Sat, 15 Jul 2017 01:48:20 +0000 lamariniere 2758565@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: lol, this is the same for my 6yo. He has been dressing himself more or less since...4? But to speed things up, I will still help and he loves when I lay out his clothes for him. On the other hand, my DD has been getting dressed by herself since just after 2. She could put on tights by herself by 2.5. She's 3.5 now and often wakes up before everyone else and will get fully dressed, picking everything by herself! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-to-teachencourage-your-toddler-to-dress-themself-or-did-it-happen-at-their-insistence#post-2758550 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 21:31:59 +0000 Peasinapod 2758550@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My daughter will be 3 at the end of September and has just started showing an interest in doing it herself. Luckily I'm home on maternity leave so I have time to encourage it. I think she was the first to suggest she do something herself but now that I know she has interest / ability I do encourage her to try. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-to-teachencourage-your-toddler-to-dress-themself-or-did-it-happen-at-their-insistence#post-2758534 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 20:08:56 +0000 mrs.kiwi 2758534@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think my 3yo would have let me do it for him forever.. he's lazy about that stuff haha.</p> <p>We encouraged him to. If he's in a particularly bad mood he really has trouble dressing himself/putting on shoes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-to-teachencourage-your-toddler-to-dress-themself-or-did-it-happen-at-their-insistence#post-2758494 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 16:31:34 +0000 Eko 2758494@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 2 yo let's me dress him, but he does prefer to do it himself. He struggles with the shirt, but does shorts, socks, and shoes </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-to-teachencourage-your-toddler-to-dress-themself-or-did-it-happen-at-their-insistence#post-2758485 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 15:48:12 +0000 gilmoregirl 2758485@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@erinbaderin: lolololololol. My 3 year old thinks it's the funniest thing ever when both his legs end up in the same leg of his shorts so he'll put them in like that repeatedly while laughing hysterically. Meanwhile we were supposed to be somewhere an hour ago. </p> <p>To answer the original question though, it's a little of both. He goes through phases of wanting to do it himself so I try to let him practice but he'll also go through phases of totally refusing and I'm not going to fight it now. He can do shoes, pants and undies pretty well and take off shirts. He needs help putting on shirts and socks usually. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-to-teachencourage-your-toddler-to-dress-themself-or-did-it-happen-at-their-insistence#post-2758436 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 14:03:42 +0000 wrkbrk 2758436@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@erinbaderin: LOL laughed out loud at this! So so so true. Toddlers. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-to-teachencourage-your-toddler-to-dress-themself-or-did-it-happen-at-their-insistence#post-2758428 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 13:45:22 +0000 MrsLonghorn 2758428@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think it is worth the battle. DS is almost three and likes to dress/undress himself, but also asks for help on some things (especially shirts). IMO, the goal is help the acquire the skill, not to make the use it every day. So if he learns how, even if he doesn't like to do it, I consider that a win (ie: he would be able to do it at school if needed). But still, at this age, I really don't think it is worth fighting if he isn't interested. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-to-teachencourage-your-toddler-to-dress-themself-or-did-it-happen-at-their-insistence#post-2758425 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 13:35:12 +0000 katsupgirl 2758425@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@erinbaderin: I literally laughed out loud at the end. </p> <p>My DD is 4.5 and has never really been interested in dressing herself. In the summer I encourage her to do it just so I know she's capable but I prefer dressing her in the morning if we have to be somewhere. It's faster and not as frustrating. I will also encourage her to dress herself for bed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-to-teachencourage-your-toddler-to-dress-themself-or-did-it-happen-at-their-insistence#post-2758412 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 13:03:34 +0000 PawPrints 2758412@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sort of neither. I just started to offer, like "here are your pants, do you want to put them on?" and she started doing it herself. If he isn't interested, then yeah I would say just keep dressing him, he'll take over eventually. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-to-teachencourage-your-toddler-to-dress-themself-or-did-it-happen-at-their-insistence#post-2758409 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 13:01:37 +0000 JLC53 2758409@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>dreading the day my son wants to dress himself... I imagine it would be torturous slow... We are on a timeline in the morning. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-to-teachencourage-your-toddler-to-dress-themself-or-did-it-happen-at-their-insistence#post-2758406 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 12:55:17 +0000 looch 2758406@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ha, my son is 6 and he'd totally let me dress him. He's independent in certain things, but in others, he likes to be babied.</p> <p>My son had a tough time with getting his shirts on over his head and would often get tangled, so rather than deal with those meltdowns, I helped him longer than I probably should have. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-to-teachencourage-your-toddler-to-dress-themself-or-did-it-happen-at-their-insistence#post-2758402 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 12:47:59 +0000 Dahlia 2758402@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 2 year old insists on doing everything herself, whether I like it or not. She can get her shorts and socks/shoes on herself, but the shirt usually ends up just around her neck or one arm. We didn't encourage her, she just wanted to. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-to-teachencourage-your-toddler-to-dress-themself-or-did-it-happen-at-their-insistence#post-2758400 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 12:46:19 +0000 ShootingStar 2758400@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH mostly gets DS ready in the morning and he really encouraged independence. He never really went through the "I'll do it myself" stage. We had to kind of push him along. </p> <p>When I was getting him ready it was more like @erinbaderin: where I just wanted to do it myself so it would be quick. But now at 3.5 he can dress himself and it's pretty nice. I can pull out clothes for him and tell him to get dressed and he does. I don't need to hover or make sure it happens the right way. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-to-teachencourage-your-toddler-to-dress-themself-or-did-it-happen-at-their-insistence#post-2758398 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 12:40:31 +0000 erinbaderin 2758398@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>B is 3.5 and while he /can/ do most of it himself, whether or not he does is about 50/50, and the ability (especially with his shirt) is pretty recent. We would just ask him if he wanted to do it every so often. Honestly, I'm kind of dreading when he starts to want to do it himself all the time because he's sooooo sloooooowwwww and I much prefer to just do it myself and do it quickly than wait for him to put one leg into his shorts, think about it, put the other leg in, whoops they're on backwards, pull them back down, do a funny dance, the sun goes supernova and all life on the planet is destroyed, put on a single sock. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-to-teachencourage-your-toddler-to-dress-themself-or-did-it-happen-at-their-insistence#post-2758375 Fri, 14 Jul 2017 11:45:39 +0000 SweetiePie 2758375@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My almost 3yo still doesn't really dress himself at all. He can put on his crocs and take off any shoes and socks. But I've asked him to try putting on his pants/shorts and shirt himself and he just doesn't want to.<br /> Is it something I have to encourage or do I just wait for him to get to the whole "I'll do it myself" stage (which he's at for other things, just not this). </p> <p>Not concerned about development or anything. Just curious because it would be hella nice for him to do it.<br /> He's also refusing to potty train except maybe a couple pees a week. So maybe he's just stubborn (and I don't push it because I don't care that much and my Ped DID say to wait till he wants to do it, which happens around 3). </p>