Learning to dress is an important life skill, but it takes both practice and time to become independent. Dressing involves many different skills. It needs balance, coordination, hand strength, body awareness and following a sequence of steps. Every child develops these skills at their own pace.

Remember: undressing is usually easier than dressing. It is often best to start there.

Children use many skills when getting dressed, including:

• moving their arms, legs and body in different ways
• understanding where their body is without always looking
• knowing left from right and front from back
• using both hands together
• balancing while sitting or standing

Typical dressing skills

Children generally learn dressing skills in this order:

• taking off hats, socks, shoes and gloves
• taking off an unfastened coat or jumper
• pulling trousers down and up
• putting arms into sleeves and legs into trousers
• putting on socks and shoes
• managing zips
• fastening large buttons
• fastening smaller buttons
• tying shoelaces

Tips to support dressing skills

Make dressing easier

• choose loose-fitting clothes where possible
• practise when there is plenty of time and no rush
• use elasticated waistbands and simple fastenings

Encourage participation

• let your child help with part of the task, even if you complete the majority. You can try backward chaining (see below)
• start with undressing before teaching dressing skills
• give lots of praise for effort and progress

Create a routine

• keep dressing steps in the same order each day
• lay clothes out in the order they will be put on
• give one item of clothing at a time if your child becomes overwhelmed

Use visual support

• use photographs or picture cards showing each step
• encourage your child to check their appearance in a mirror

Practise through play

• play games such as dressing dolls or teddies, dressing-up games or Simon Says to help improve body awareness

Helping with common difficulties

Putting on socks

• sit in a stable position, such as on a chair or against a wall
• start by helping with the difficult parts and letting your child finish the last step
• choose socks with coloured heels and toes if helpful

Shoes on the wrong feet

• put a sticker or coloured dot inside the right shoe and teach your child to put the right shoe on first
• cut a larger sticker in half and place the two halves inside each shoe so the whole sticker is visible when the shoes are placed together

Clothes on back to front

• show your child where the clothing label is
• choose clothes with a picture or logo on the front

Clothes in the wrong order

• lay clothes out in order
• use photographs to show the dressing sequence

Learning fastenings

Buttons

• start with large buttons before moving to smaller ones
• practise on dolls, dressing boards or with clothing placed on a tabletop
• praise effort and allow plenty of time
• consider using Velcro or poppers if buttons are very difficult

Zips

• start with large zips that are easy to hold
• add a ribbon or keyring to the zip pull to make it easier to grasp
• Velcro fastenings can be a good alternative while skills are developing

A helpful strategy: backward chaining

If your child finds dressing difficult, try backward chaining. This means you complete most of the task and your child finishes the final step. Once they can do that confidently, they complete the last two steps, then three, and so on until they can do the whole task themselves. This helps children experience success and builds confidence.

Remember

Keep activities positive, allow plenty of time and celebrate small successes. With support and encouragement, your child's independence will gradually grow.