As early as 10 months, your child begins to take part in the dressing process. At first, the child lifts an arm or leg to help. Usually, by age 5, a child can dress without help.

It's a positive experience for both of you when your child learns to dress and undress. Some of the benefits are:

• Improving hand and finger movements as your child becomes able to do zippers, buttons, and snaps.
• Increasing muscle strength in the trunk and extremities as your child learns to stay balanced with arms raised overhead.
• Teaching about body parts and concepts such as in, out, over, and under.

Low muscle tone can make moving and playing-and dressing- difficult for your child. The child may seem passive and unmotivated and may feel limp and heavy when held. Don't let your child lie passively while you do all the dressing; it's often easier to do the dressing yourself, but this may make your child even more passive. This can be frustrating, especially as your child gets older. Praise your child's early efforts to help.

Practice and repetition are the keys to learning any new skill. A child with low muscle tone generally requires more time to learn to dress. Allow enough time to make dressing enjoyable for you and your child. Describe in detail each step of the process.

Positions for Dressing

You can dress your child in many different positions. Use the same positions your child uses during play time, such as when the child sits without help on the floor or on a bench.

Infants. Usually, the very young child needs to be completely supported, lying face up or sitting on your lap. Even in these positions, your child should be encouraged to lift an arm or leg for you to place into clothing. As the child gets older, use positions in which the child does not depend on you for balance.

Sitting. Sitting is an excellent position for dressing, since your child can watch what is happening. Sitting helps develop strength and balance in the head and trunk. If your child sits on your lap for dressing, move the child toward your knees as balance improves.

Place your hand on the child's lower back if your child needs more support. This also gives a sense of security. Give less support as the child becomes able to balance without help.

Your child can sit on the floor to dress, but don't let the child sit with legs wide apart and back rounded. For trunk support and to encourage better posture, place your child's back against a wall or other firm support.

Soft surfaces-such as beds and sofas-can make it hard for your child to balance. Avoid them.

The best position for dressing is for your child to sit on a chair or bench, This requires fairly good trunk balance, so the seat should be low enough for the child's feet to rest on the floor. At first, to help the child stay balanced, stand behind the child. Later, you may want to come around to the front.

In the sitting position, your child can lean forward to put an arm into a sleeve or pick up a leg to put it into a pant leg. Your child can also practice standing from a sitting position in order to pull up or take down the pants. To improve balance and coordination, have your child reach forward or the side for clothing.

Steps to Independence

Children usually learn to undress before they learn to dress. When your child is first learning to take off an item of clothing, help by removing most of the item and then let your child complete the action. For example, pull a sock past the heel and let your child slip it off over the toes. Put your hand over the child's hand and help until the child can do it alone. Teach dressing the same way-start the process and then help your child finish it.

Another approach is to have your child begin undressing or dressing and then do the final steps yourself. Have your child put an arm into a shirt sleeve; you finish by pulling the shirt up and over the shoulder. Again, each time you go through the process, have your child do a little more of the work.

Selecting clothes

The style of your child's clothing is important. Loose-fitting clothes are easier to get on and off. Avoid small buttons or zippers in the back. Hook-and-loop closures or large buttons are easier for the child to handle. Zippers will be easier to use if you attach loops to the tabs.

Combined therapy and dressing

Dressing can be a therapeutic activity. You can do many exercises to develop strength, balance, and coordination while you dress your child. Be sure to consult your pediatric therapist if your child has any special needs. Here are some easy ways to combine dressing and therapy.

To challenge sitting balance: While your child is sitting on your knees getting dressed, make small side-to-side movements of your legs or gentle up/down bounding movements.

Improving strength and coordination: instead of pulling an arm or leg through clothing, tap the back of the arm or knee gently. This will encourage your child to actively push through the clothing.

Developing fine motor skills: Have your child help with large buttons or zippers.

To strengthen leg muscles: Going from sitting to standing while putting on pants helps strengthen leg muscles. Another good exercise is to provide slight resistance as your child pushes an arm or leg through a sleeve or pant leg Don't prevent your child's movement; just slow it down so your child works a little harder.

Summary

It's important that your child learn to dress and undress, Make sure you give your child the time, help, and opportunity to practice dressing skills. Dressing is part of being independent, and it helps develop balance, strength, and coordination-all of which are important for many other activities.