How to Dress a Two Year Old

How to Dress a Two Year Old

In just 7 (potentially not so) Easy Steps

1. Convince two year old to take off her "tomfy (comfy) jammies. She will almost invariably ask to keep them on. I mean who wouldn't want to spend all day in p.j.'s? But often that's just not an option. Usually the promise of a nice big sippy cup of milk, breakfast, and a morning show will convince the toddler to discard the p.j.s and select some clothes for the day.

2. The laying out of the undies. This step has the potential to set back the morning routine by up to ten minutes (especially after wash day). All the "Dora's" and "Tinkerbells" as she calls them are laid out and the inventory begins. "Dora beach, Dancing Dora, etc." Taking inventory will sometime lend itself to a math lesson as she will often count them and talk about how many are left. Go with the learning moment, this step is a hard one to rush so you might as well get some number practice in.

3. The choosing of the outfit. This is where you have to be tricky. There is a delicate line to walk that allows your two year old to feel as if they are choosing the clothes while you still maintain some control to make sure it's somewhat weather appropriate and preferably matching (although days where you really are just staying home, anything goes)

With this two year old, any shirts with food on them are a hit. Throughout the day she will offer different members of the family whatever food (apple, watermelon, cupcake) happens to be on the shirt.

4. Choosing of the pants. She is usually receptive to suggestions about pant choices to match the shirt as long as they are "tomfy" which basically means she will wear leggings, skirts, and stretchy elastic waist pants. Absolutely no jeans are tolerated. Her current position on this negative relationship with denim is, "I wear them when I three."

5. Let toddler dress herself while staying within ear shot. Although independence with this step is insisted on, the "big kid" can be quickly be reduced to tears by a twisted shirt or hard to find arm hole.

5. Tame the crazy morning (or after bath) hair while she happily brushes teeth.

6. Throughout this routine, this cute little guy often needs encouragement and reminders also.

7. Enjoy children in their clean, somewhat put together outfits.

Because it's probably not going to last more then ten minutes.