Putting on a coat is tricky for even a preschooler to do by him/herself. But this technique makes it a cinch!
It’s been a while since I’ve included a self-help/adaptive activity in our thematic units, so I thought our snow unit would offer the perfect opportunity to share with you something my mom taught Big Brother…
Can’t see the video? Go here.
I’m so glad she showed us this…I would have never figured this out on my own. :)
Proceed with caution on this post…or else the 9-1-1 dispatchers might have it out for me with all the little ones accidentally dialing 9-1-1! Before your child learns to dial 9-1-1, he/she needs to know what constitutes an emergency. Obviously, an emergency in the eyes of a 3-year old might look vastly different than what an adult constitutes as an emergency (losing your Skittles is NOT an emergency, thank you very much).
Talk with your child about what an emergency might look like…a fire inside the house, a person who looks hurt and isn’t responding when you try to talk to them, etc. Then tell them that if something like that should EVER happen (and ONLY when something like this happens), they have a very, very important job. They need to go get the phone and dial 9-1-1.
I have created this printable of a phone for you to practice with first. If your child does not already recognize the numbers “9″ and “1″, point them out on the paper telephone. If your phone requires you to press “talk” or “on” make sure you include that step as well.
Next, disable the connection on your phone and allow him/her to practice on the actual telephone. Pretend like your the 9-1-1 dispatcher and ask the sort of questions you might hear, “What’s your emergency?”. Have fun with it, but at the same time convey the importance that it is NOT A GAME. This would also be a great time for your child to start learning your address and phone number.
Have you taught your child how to dial 9-1-1? If so, at what age?
When a child learns how to put on his/her own shoes…it is like a small weight has been lifted. It’s one thing you can remove from your “to do” list prior to leaving the house. It is wonderful!
Here are just a few ways we encouraged Big Brother to put his own shoes on:
What strategies have you used to teach your child to put his/her shoes on?
Getting a toddler/preschooler dressed is normally less about the skill involved (although that certainly takes a lot of practice),and more about the battle of the wills…or at least this is the case in our house.
Last summer, Big Brother (2 1/2 at the time) decided he wanted to start choosing his own clothes. I resisted at first, intent on having him dressed in the cute outfits we bought him. And then I decided one morning the battle wasn’t worth it. Why in the world does it matter if he wears mismatched clothes while we’re at home or even out to run a few errands???
Letting Big Brother choose his clothes on the days that it really doesn’t matter has made a huge difference in our mornings. Monday through Friday Big Brother basically gets to choose what he wants to wear (until school starts, that is). On Sundays, we choose. If he starts to throw a fit about it on Saturdays or Sundays, we calmly remind him that he has had lots of “turns” choosing his clothes and now it is Mommy and Daddy’s turn. This reasoning typically sits well with him.
In addition to limiting battles, letting your child choose his/her own clothing lets them gain a bit of independence. Handing over a little bit of “control” in this instance will help when the bigger issues crop up and is worthy of a waged battle (safety and respect issues, for instance).
As for the “how” to teach your child to dress themselves, this simply takes lots and lots of practice (just like teaching your child to use a spoon). Be patient…it will happen! Start with shorts (especially those with an elastic waist band), as they seem to be the easiest to put on if you show your child how to put leg in each “hole”, stand up, and pull the shorts to his/her waste. Big Brother just recently is able to put on his own shirt. It’s backwards 75% of the time…but who cares, right?
What tips or tricks do you have for teaching your child to dress him/herself?
Somehow during the blog transfer, this post was deleted. So I thought I would post it again since it was one of my first posts! It made me kinda sad watching it…Little Brother was so tiny!
The best time to start introducing these signs is when your baby starts eating solid foods (around 6 months). Just model it for a while (while saying the word aloud) and eventually you can hold your child’s hand and show him how to make the signs. It will most likely take several months for your baby to sign on his own and it normally occurs a little before his first birthday (or perhaps sooner–depending on how consistent you have been). Again, keep in mind that every baby is different!
