Do you have a child who won’t get dressed in the morning? Who won’t wear a particular type of clothing? Or a child who will only wear the same pair of pants every day? This can be frustrating for parents, especially when you have a closet full of clothes they could wear.
When my daughter was little she would only wear clothes that had pockets. This included dresses, skirts, and sweaters. This was tough to find and frustrating as she was had boxes full of non-pocketed hand me downs.
Why does this happen? Why are kids so ‘picky’?
There can be a variety of reasons why this happens. A simple answer is that they are very sensitive to textures or temperatures. We all have certain textures that we like the feeling of more than others. I love my sweatshirts that are soft on the inside. My son loves sports shirts that are quick dry. The feeling we get from these clothes is calming to us.
What happens for some is that the feeling of the clothing can feel like sandpaper against the skin. It would be awful to walk around and feel like we were rubbing sand on our legs. When a child finds a type of material that gives them comfort, it is okay to stick with that material. As we grow our skin sensitivities will change. A child will get used to new feeling and be able to try new textures.
Is it wrong to wear the same pants every day? No, but get 2-3 pairs of those same pants. And that’s okay. If a child likes to wear their pajamas, look at the material of the pajamas and find clothes that match that material.
Also be aware of the temperature of the clothing. Sometimes a child is nice and warm in their pajamas and to get out of them into cold clothing can be too hard of a transition when you just wake up. If putting your child’s clean clothes on before they go to bed makes it easier in the morning, than make that your routine. If they like warm clothes, put them in the bed for a few minutes in the morning to make them warmer. There is no wrong answer, you need to just figure out what is right for your child.
Why else might your child not get dressed? Another reason a child is for a sense of control. If you give a child options, it allows them to have choice and give them that sense of control. Just ensure that they are appropriate choices. For example in the middle of winter, offer two different types of pants and allow your child to choose from those. Don’t just ask them to just get dressed, as too much choice can also be overwhelming? I have one child who will wear shorts even on the coldest days. Our compromise is that he can wear shorts under his pants.
Want to discuss why your child won’t get dressed? Want to learn specific ideas and strategies for your child? Check book a free 10 minute consultation to find out a therapist can help you. Check out www.enablingadaptations.com
