Help teaching 2 yr old how to get dressed for outside

[kitkat]

DCB is 2 yrs, 2 months. He was drop in, but is coming regularly 3 times a week right now. Due to the weather, we dress in hats/mittens, snowpants, jackets, and boots/shoes. Depending on the day and what time he gets dropped off, he has to get dressed for outside 1-4 times a day, not including pick up. I have a dcg who just turned 2 last week who can get EVERYTHING on by herself. Dcb seems completely helpless and clueless. If I ask him to take his shoes off, he will just sit there until I get it started. After that he seems to understand what to do, kind of. I am not expecting him to get himself dressed, but I would really like it if he could at least attempt or even just get his jacket or hat on. Right now he can't do either of those. He half attempted the hat today, but it took me going hand over hand and basically doing it for him because he kept letting go. The daycare flip for the jacket results in limp arms with me doing everything. He also doesn't seem fast enough to flip it over, he does everything extremely slow.

I have never had a kid like this. Again, I'm not expecting him to get himself dressed, I am expecting him to try. Am I expecting too much? Should I try to have him get undressed and then after he gets that work on putting things on? He needs lots of helping getting undressed also. What techniques should I try when helping him put stuff on? When I do any hand over hand he goes limp, and then I feel like I'm squishing his little fingers. How do I help this little guy learn to do some things independently?

[Kabob]

DCB is 2 yrs, 2 months. He was drop in, but is coming regularly 3 times a week right now. Due to the weather, we dress in hats/mittens, snowpants, jackets, and boots/shoes. Depending on the day and what time he gets dropped off, he has to get dressed for outside 1-4 times a day, not including pick up. I have a dcg who just turned 2 last week who can get EVERYTHING on by herself. Dcb seems completely helpless and clueless. If I ask him to take his shoes off, he will just sit there until I get it started. After that he seems to understand what to do, kind of. I am not expecting him to get himself dressed, but I would really like it if he could at least attempt or even just get his jacket or hat on. Right now he can't do either of those. He half attempted the hat today, but it took me going hand over hand and basically doing it for him because he kept letting go. The daycare flip for the jacket results in limp arms with me doing everything. He also doesn't seem fast enough to flip it over, he does everything extremely slow.

I have never had a kid like this. Again, I'm not expecting him to get himself dressed, I am expecting him to try. Am I expecting too much? Should I try to have him get undressed and then after he gets that work on putting things on? He needs lots of helping getting undressed also. What techniques should I try when helping him put stuff on? When I do any hand over hand he goes limp, and then I feel like I'm squishing his little fingers. How do I help this little guy learn to do some things independently?

I've had lots of positive reinforcement work for me. I make it sound like a fun game where everyone puts the same thing on at the same time and I lavish praise on those who try or actually succeed at putting that item on. Maybe pick one item and try to have him work on mastering that first.

It also would help if the parents were involved. My experience is that the more a parent does for their child the less their child wants to work at dressing/undressing themselves. I would just let them know that dcb is working on this skill and you need them to help him learn this skill.

Also, if his communication skills are behind, he might need more help understanding what you are trying to accomplish if he isn't there enough to be familiar with the routine.

[kitkat]

Also, if his communication skills are behind, he might need more help understanding what you are trying to accomplish if he isn't there enough to be familiar with the routine.

I was wondering about his understanding of what I was saying, but I thought maybe I was over analyzing. He gives me the clueless look at other times, so it is something for me to watch.

He did a great job getting his stuff off the last 2 times we were out today (school runs). I was very specific on what he had to do and he seemed to understand. I'm wondering if the routine is finally clicking. He managed to get his hat on, with tons of prompting, so I made a big deal. He looked at me blankly but now dcg yells "Did it!" when she gets her stuff one :: Maybe her enthusiasm will catch on for dcb.

[midaycare]

Repetition will help, and luckily it's just the beginning of the cold weather .

Some are better at this than others. And winter gear is clumsy.

[preschoolteacher]

I have this child. Mine is a bit older.

The one I have will sit silently and wait for me to do it all, with zero attempts to do it alone. In recent weeks, the kid kind of tried to put on coat and snowpants, but didn't show an understanding of how they work (tried to put hands into ends of sleeves, etc.)

What's worked for me was to be super positive when kids do it themselves, doing a "you're a big boy/girl" song and dance and giving high fives when kids are done. Everyone gets excited. Then, I let the child work at it. This only works after we are done playing outside, but all the others peel off their clothes in 2 minutes, and then this kid ends up taking 10-15 minutes to do the same (the majority of the time is spent not doing anything/trying), but it gets done! I help if something is really stuck, but usually the child just isn't attempting anything at all, and then realizes if they want to play they better get going!