The daily morning routine is stressful enough — you don’t have time to get into a whole “thing” with your child about their outfit for the day. If your toddler or preschooler is a bit picky about clothes, there are strategies to make it smoother. From setting up choices the night before to embracing their budding sense of style, these tips can save you precious time and energy.
With a little preparation and the right approach, you can turn the daily dressing routine into a smoother, tantrum-free experience. Try these tips to end clothing battles with your toddler, and get them dressed swiftly and with minimal drama.
Give you child the illusion of choice.
Whenever possible, let your child choose what they want to wear — with a few basic parameters, such as “pyjamas are for sleeping” and “costumes are for Halloween.” If problems arise, set out two suitable options and have them pick one.
Provide advance notice for what they need to wear.
If you know a certain clothing item will be required for an upcoming gathering or formal event, it’s a good idea to lay the groundwork. This proactive approach takes away the element of surprise and the ensuing immediate push-back. A few days before, hang the clothing item in plain sight and make positive comments about how nice it will be when they wear it.
Explain the reasoning.
Maybe you’re having a visit with someone who gave your child an outfit as a gift and you want to show that it’s appreciated. Unfortunately, toddlers are unlikely to understand this unwritten social contract. Do the best sales job you can and explain how happy it will make the visitor. If things get desperate, have them put it on for 10 seconds so you can take a picture to be shared later.
Match up outfits with the older sibling.
Did you always promise yourself you’d never dress your kids in identical outfits? If you have a child who is stubborn about clothes and is also a younger sibling, you might be missing out on a golden opportunity for clothing-related cooperation. Often the younger child looks up to the older one and will happily copy whatever he or she is doing (or wearing).
Personalize their clothing with labels for a sense of ownership.
Make the process of getting dressed a little more fun by adding your child’s name to their belongings. A clothing stamp on their t-shirt, a cute name label in their jacket, and helpful left-and-right labels in their shoes can give them a greater sense of ownership.
Capitalize on their current favorite thing.
Your child’s interest in a piece of clothing will increase exponentially if it carries the image of a beloved cartoon character, superhero, musical artist, sports team or athlete. To cut down on the expense of buying popular merchandise, check thrift stores or online classifieds to find something your child will instantly love.
Play the age card will help end clothing battles with your toddler
Kids have trouble arguing with age-related parameters – that’s why saying “you’re three, so you have to eat three more bites” works so well at the dinner table. When my younger son was four, he refused to wear hooded sweatshirts. I relented for the short term, but talked regularly about how when he was five, he would start wearing hoodies, because that’s what five-year-olds do. He had no answer for that infallible line of logic.
Work with your child.
You know your child best, including their individual quirks. Continuing with the hooded sweatshirt example, I later realized that my son was opposed to them because pulling them over his head inevitably dislodged his glasses, which he found very upsetting. I got him a full-zip hoodie and he was much more receptive to wearing it.
On a particularly hectic morning, you may decide not to engage in a clothing battle. As long as the outfit is safe, appropriate, and suitable to the weather, does it matter that the colors don’t match? You don’t need to be the fashion police — you’re simply trying to keep the peace. If you can get everyone dressed and out the door on time, you’ve won!
Having winter and outdoor clothing battles? Check out this post with tips to end clothing battles with your toddler, for all that tricky outerwear!
