Our daughter Z learned how to put on jackets and sweatshirts "all by herself" at about 18 months. At that age, it's pretty much out of the question for a toddler to get their arms in the sleeves of a coat while maneuvering it behind their back. Even at almost three years old, the traditional method of putting on a jacket is still beyond Z's capabilities. So how is it that she has been putting on her own overlayers with minimal parental assistance for the last year and a half? With a trick that should have earned its anonymous inventor a Nobel Prize for Kidventions: The Jacket Flip.
At first, you'll be orienting the jacket for your child, and will have to reinforce the importance of this so that (a) they'll be patient enough to let you perform the setup and (b) they will pay attention to where they need to put their arms. After a while, though, they will orient the jacket themselves - or, cuter still, will flip the jacket on its "back" and then walk around it until the hood or neck is facing them.
Try it with your toddler today. Better yet, show them this video - for toddlers, watching another child who has mastered a kinesthetic task is the most direct route to learning.
2 comments:
My daughter learned this at preschool. It makes getting ready to leave the house much easier!
We taught my kids to do this with the following chant: "Tag at your toes, flip it up over your nose!" Worked like a charm and convinced them that it was fun!
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