XP-Can your child dress themself?

WendyK

So I was reviewing the handbook of a preschool that DS may attend. One of the biggies is potty training, ok I get that but here is the kicker, if they have an accident they will not be changed by the staff and must be able to undress and redress themselves. I know it is 3 months before DS starts there but I there is no way he can get dressed without some assistance. It states very clearly that no assistance will be provided and that you (the parent) may be called to come and help. It just sounds extreme to me. What do you guys think?

MrsT1209

That sounds absolutely ridiculous. How old is DS?  DD is 2 1/2 and while she can undress herself just fine or pull her pants up herself after going to the bathroom, she still struggles with things like tights or overalls. I would never expect her to be able to undress and dress without assistance at all, ever.

Is it a preschool where the child is dropped off and parents leave or are you required to remain? 

curlilocks1207

That sounds absurd to me. My 5 year old is just now getting to the point where she can dress herself completely unassisted. And she still occasionally needs help getting her head and arms in the right holes in her shirt or buttoning her pants. And I would be really irritated if I got called away from work to run to her preschool class to help her put her pants on.

madhatter2003

My DD can. Tights are a bit of a struggle, but she can easily get a shirt, pants, socks, and shoes on. The shoes aren't always on the right foot, but she gets them on.

jlw2505

That is crazy.  My DD is 3 1/2, will be 4 in mid June and she can dress herself for the most part but at times, still needs help.  Zippers and snaps and buttons are all things she is just starting to really be able to do.

luvmagoldn

We got this same speech at a preschool we are considering.  Evidently it has to do with their licensure - they cannot change diapers or dirty pants.

They encourage you to send them to school in easy to manage clothes so they can do much of the dressing/undressing themselves.  But they also said they would help when the children needed it.  It's not like the staff can leave them bare assed while they wait for the parents to arrive!

abpdjs

Carson will be 2.5 at the end of the month and no he can't dress himself.  we are working on pulling underwear/pants up and all the way down.  he can take his socks off like a pro though, lol!  and he loves to put his shoes on and off.  but shirts - forget about it.

Pesky

I've heard that it's not until kindgergarten that parents can expect their LOs to dress themselves.  In fact, I think there was a recent article in Parents magazine about that.  I'd slap that down in front of them and say when my child is old enough that the experts think he can dress himself we can talk.

molldoll71

Mine can pull up and down his pants and underwear but only if the pants are elastic waist or if I unbutton and unzip them for him.  But this sounds more like it might be a legal issue.  Before getting upset, I would check with them on their reasoning behind this.  It could just be that they are not licensed to do so unlike a daycare which is.

DallasHorn

Yeah, we get that from DD's preschool, although not as harsh - meaning they don't say we'd have to come help. As a matter of fact, we must include a change of clothes in their backpack.

DD turned 4 last November and while she can do most herself, she still struggles with some things such as jean buttons are hard for her. I would plan to put your kiddo in clothes that are as easy as possible to get on/off (e.g. no one piece tops that button at the crotch), have as little buttons as possible.