Promoting Independence

The end of summer is quickly approaching and for many that also means trying to get back into routines as school begins. I always liked summer, simply because it always seemed a little more laid back. And then fall began and suddenly life was hectic. If your house is anything like mine was when my kids were young it was a mad house of trying to make breakfast, pack lunches and backpacks, getting out of the house, and hoping that I actually had on matching shoes. Promoting independence can help decrease some of the craziness of your morning.

Many days I felt like I had already had a full day of work before I even started my workday. Looking back, I would have done things a little differently. Helping the kids get dressed took a big chunk of time every morning. It just seemed easier for me to do it so we could be on our way. Promoting independence with dressing skills is so important for kids’ self-esteem, for being able to function independently at school, and for potty training. And, it goes a long way toward preserving your sanity on a busy school morning too!

Benefits of Promoting Independence with Dressing

In addition to developing a child’s independence, dressing addresses a variety of motor skills. Many portions of dressing require fine motor development. Skills such as finger and hand strength, bilateral coordination, eye hand coordination, and crossing midline are used when dressing. In addition, dressing requires the ability to coordinate movements with appropriate positioning and posturing. Add in the gross motor components of core strength, balance, and overall strength and stability and dressing suddenly seems a little more complicated! There are many activities that can help children develop the skills needed to be able to “do it myself”.

How to Work on Dressing

One favorite fun way to work on dressing skills is the “Get Packin” game. This game allows for imagination and kids love to add to the adventure. The materials are simple as all you need is a suitcase or even a backpack. The fun begins when you tell the kids that they need to pack for vacation. As they pack, kids are working of sorting, planning, and organization skills. Gear the trip for hot or cold weather to work on specific dressing skills. The kids get to pack their bags and off they go on a fun trip. Getting to the destination can add to the creativeness of the game…flying in an airplane, going by train, driving in a car…or what about on horseback! Upon arriving at the destination, it’s time to open that suitcase and start working on those dressing skills!

As with most everything related to parenting, remember patience! Children need the opportunity to work on developing their dressing skills to gain independence. So, as the summer starts to wind down perhaps this is the right time to help your child learn the skills so they can proudly state, “l can do it myself!”