The Joy's of Winter Gear

Here in Canada, we're dead in the middle of winter!

Which for me doesn't necessarily mean gleeful days of playing in the snow!

For me, when winter rolls around I can look forward to the endless bundling up of little people twice a day! The mounds of soggy snow gear, damp mittens and snow laden winter boots.

So how do I cope..

I teach the little's, at a pretty early age, how to get bundled up independently..

Now, this may not seem a necessity for everyone, since it's not so time consuming getting one or two children dressed each time you want to venture outside.

For me though.. having to make sure 9 kids are ready each and every morning (5 of which are under 4!)... It is a necessity... for as many kids who are able... to do it themselves!

But wait! If you happen to have a little 3 year old right now... this is your chance to prep them for winter when they start school in September!

Yes, that's right.. school prep starts right now! The winter addition that is!

So here are a few helpful tips to start your little one on the path of getting all bundled up all by themselves!

1. It's never to early to start! As soon as their little bodies are nimble enough to sit and stand on their own they can start trying. I'm already working with my 22 month old, and she can do her snow pants, boots and hat!

2. The order is very important!

Find a visual diagram that shows each parcel of clothing needed and the order they should be applied.

The most efficient order that items should be applied is:

- Snow Pants

- Boots

- Neck warmer

- Coat

- Hat

- Zipper

- Mitts

Mitts last.. this is the key. Little's won't be able to apply all their layers or even try to zip their zipper if they have puffy pillows on their hands!

3. Have the little's be apart of pulling out and putting away their clothing and layers. Have a hook that is their level to hang their gear up, boot trays that are easy to get to and baskets for mitts and hats. When it comes time to get dressed, have the little's get the items they need, with gentle reminders of what comes next.

4. Use methods to help with the tricky bits. These tasks require a great deal of coordination.

For Snow pants use the Tag Method:

lay the pants down on the ground and have your little sit on the tag on the inside of the apron, then have them slip their legs into each opening and pull on each leg until their feet pop out. Get them to stand and pull the straps over their shoulders.

For Coats, You may have heard of the flip trick but.. even better is the lay-down method:

Lay the coat on the ground outer side to the floor, have your little lay-down with their head in the hood. Then they can slip one arm into each sleeve.

Once they have master that trick, they can use a similar method by placing their hood on their head while standing up and slipping their arms into each sleeve.

For Boots; place the boots side by side in front of the child, allowing the child to hold onto the wall or your knee or shoulder and have them place one foot into each boot.

5. Allow ample time for getting ready. I always plan about 5 mins per kid that needs to be dressed. But for kids new to the idea of dressing themselves you'll need more time. It is important not to be rushed, and you'll need a lot of patience!

6. Practice through play, this is especially helpful with hats and mittens. During winter months we always have a basket or pile of hats and mittens lying around, and it's one of my little's' favorite things to do to put hats and mitts on and take them off.

The more practice the better right? Why not practice when there is no rush to get out the door!

7. Make it fun! Kids are not always willing to get dressed when you want them to.. so make it a game. Have the kids race to see who can get dressed faster. Be silly when your getting dressed yourself and quiz them on what you need to put on next. My favorite and most effective tool is to use sound effects.. I like to use the "boop" (beeping sound) when a hand or foot appears through a sleeve or pant leg, or when a mitten or hat gets put on. This simple sound makes the world of difference... Trust me!

8. Let them try. At the early age of 18 months and up the little's are already very eager to do things on their own. They will usually surprise you with their determination to do things without help. So let them go for it!

9. They still might need help.. and that's OK! They are not going to learn to do this daunting task over night. It will be a process requiring lots of help along the way! Things like doing up zippers and putting mitts on are going to require help for a while. But once they've mastered everything else just think how much easier it will be for you. And how proud they will be of the new skills they've achieved!

And then, when your little starts Kindy... their teachers will Thank You!