Loses control over getting dressed :(

[MyBaby'sSmile]

My ds is 3 and he absolutely hates to get dressed I have tried giving him choices, letting him pick, making sure there are no tags, nothing tight etc. and setting up a chart to let him know when we get dressed each day. Nothing works. He despises it. I don't care if he is in underwear or pjs in the house all day, that's fine. But I do not want him out in my yard or elsewhere that way.

He is now in the middle of an extreme tantrum because I told him that it is a rule that we must have clothes on to go outside. I will not open the doors to go out until he gets dressed. He is throwing things, hitting me etc. If I sit with him during a tantrum he is worse.

This is a daily huge battle. I am completely at a loss for anything else to try. I would love any and all suggestions.

TIA

[Pandora114]

Get him dressed in what you want him to wear the night before.

[diane1969]

I went through a brief bout of this awhile ago - my DD went through a naked phase, however luckily it was summer and also at the time i wanted to potty train her, so all i said was 'you can be naked as long as you use the potty' and poof that was it! Done! However, getting her dressed when going out or friends over was difficult.

A few times I would have a competition senario, where her and I would race to see who gets dressed first.

A few times I would pretend I didn't know how to put on my shorts or my shirt and ask her to show me how she does it.

Only a very few times (probably frowned on by some, but hey, in a pinch it worked) I would say we have to wear clothes when we go out or the police will stop us - sorry, i was desperate and it worked (she's now 4 and as far as i know has no ill effects from it!!)

out in the yard, i wouldn't necessarily care -- unless you're on parade with strange neighbors etc, we're lucky, we're all fenced in.

good luck though! it's so fun dealing with all these toddler obsessions and protest isn't it?!

[4evermom]

Originally Posted by Pandora114

Get him dressed in what you want him to wear the night before.

I try to put a clean t-shirt and undies on ds before bed so it's just a matter of getting pants on. Sometimes it helps to not talk about it at all, just talk about something completely different, an anecdote or story or plans for the day, as I manipulate him into his clothes. That way, he doesn't have a chance to decide he doesn't want to get dressed.

[Embee]

In general, I'm pretty relaxed about clothes. I've allowed DS to go to the store in jammies or the t-shirt and shorts he wore to bed the night before... if the items aren't too dirty that is (I am a CLEAN freak). In the yard, he can wear his undies and a t-shirt (he wears boxers so they look like shorts anyway). This is a typical trait of the 3 year old, and "this too shall pass."

If we had a situation where clothes were a must, I'd use a little playful coaxing. I'd invite DS to my room where I had clothes for both of us laid out and then, challenge him to see who could get all of their clothes on first. I would act like a complete dolt, barely able to get my pants on, trying to put my head through the arm hole, etc., etc. DS was nearly able to dress himself at the time, but it was still a challenge. I loved that while we were in this "race" he'd be asking the "competition" for help. He always loved getting dressed this way. We laughed a lot. And he always won.

Anymore, our biggest issue is the major outfits that DS must assemble before we go anywhere, even to bed! Yesterday, he had to be completely decked out like Pippi Longstocking (complete with dress, stockings and braids!) before we went to the bank. Last night, he kept interrupting stories at bedtime to complete his "knight" wear... ever see a kid trying to sleep in armor?

The best,
Em