Skills to Practice this Month
- Help your child to select and wear clothing appropriate for indoor climate and outdoor weather conditions.
- In order for your child to be the most comfortable while at school, he needs to dress appropriately. Making their own clothing choices will help children feel proud and foster a sense of independence. Make sure your child can recognize his own possessions: jacket, lunchbox, etc. Help him practice putting on and taking off a coat or jacket and tying his shoes.
Activities
Ask your child to name all the things she can do on her own. Make a list of these things together. Ask your child to name some of the things that she wants to be able to do by herself and how she will learn to do these things.
Praise your child’s independence. When your child dresses herself or puts on her own shoes and socks, praise her efforts. You’ll encourage these behaviors and your child will want to try to do more.
Look at your child's baby book together or photographs of her when she was younger. Talk about how much she has grown and all the things she has learned. Talk about her firsts: first time rolling over, first time sitting up, first steps, etc.
Make a growth chart that records your child's height growth. Use this chart to also record progress she is making and new skills she has learned.
Talk about what the weather is like at different times of the year and the types of clothes people wear during the different seasons. Is it hot in December? It is hot in July? Do we usually wear a coat and gloves in summer? Shorts and sandals in the winter?
Play a getting dressed game with your child. Write different getting dressed scenarios on slips of paper and drop them into a hat. For example, slips could say, "It's hot today and we’re going to play outside this afternoon." Or, "Today it is raining and very cold." Have your child pull out a slip and read it together. Let your child pick out what she would wear for that occasion and talk about whether or not this is an appropriate clothing choice.
Punch 2 rows of 3 or 4 holes in a heavy piece of paper. Provide your child with yarn, ribbon, or shoelaces so that she can practice lacing and tying.
Encourage your child to choose what she plans to wear the following day at night, before going to bed. It may make getting ready in the morning easier.
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