Toddlers sensory issues are definitely the list thought about when it comes to motherhood preparations. Who knew that after spending too much time and money buying the best outfits for your child you will later be through a lot of push and pull before getting the child dressed?
For some weird reason children are simply allergic to clothes, one minute you are on a thorough freaking exercise of getting them dressed, and the next minute you turn around and voilà, they are inexplicably undressed. While watching their tiny bum is pretty adorable, it gets a bit worrying if the weather is not in sync or when friends are visiting.
What makes children go au naturel all the time?
Discomfort
What you find so adorable in a dress may not just please your child, the zillion buttons of frilly ruffles on the clothes may be just that, beautiful to look at but not comfortable against the bare skin. So automatically when the child feels irritated he seeks comfort and what better way to do this than take off the clothes. This also happens with wet/soiled diapers, parents tend to leave the diaper on until presumed full something that hardly sits well with your child. Since they lack the verbal skills of expressing how they feel in a soggy diaper, they use the easier understood language of pulling the diaper off and going commando.
Attention
We all love attention and children are no exemption, the moment you plant your concentration on something else, but them the child will do anything to drag you back effortlessly. Do not go agape when your child strips in front of your guests, it’s their little way of seeking your attention. Probably your agape state will be hilarious to them knowing they have your attention to its uttermost percentage. Attention to them is a symbol of love , and victory something that fascinates a child to the core.
Confusion
Toddlers can hardly differentiate right from wrong or know what should and what shouldn’t be done in public. When you see a child strip they are probably in their element of getting comfort, they never know if it’s the right time for it or not. Also, if they are used to walking around naked, they may take it as a hobby and do it anytime they feel the urge to.
New Skills
There is an excitement that comes with learning new skills for many toddlers, the moment they master how to undress it becomes a new thing on their random to-do list. You know the same way you stick to your last acquired skills as you try to perfect it so do they, it’s basically a show off of what they can do.
How to stop your child from going commando all the time
Loving it does not mean it is right, you may be excited at the development milestone the child makes, but weird habits become hobbies if not tamed on time. ‘Teach your child the right ways, and he/she will not part from them’ in sure those are familiar words. Aid the child through understanding the importance or body privacy, in doing so you equally avoid minor injuries around the house like slipping on pee and soiling of the floor or carpet.
Here are tips on how to make your child keep clothes on:
Shop on cute stuff: Consider your child’s flexibility when cloth shopping, like I said children dwell on comfort. The easier it is to run, jump and stoop on the better, make sure it’s a cool, soft, and loose-fitting fabric. Alternatively, buy the tough to remove attire like rompers that will probably stay on until you take it off yourself.
Do cloth switcheroo: When dressing the toddlers consider switching the front button or zip cloths to face the back, this will make the buttons and zip unreachable. For clothes with glitters or any attractive feature that they may want to pull off and play with, turn the cloth inside out before dressing them in it to avoid attraction to the glitters.
Honor the child’s choice: Toddlers crave independence and autonomy, grant them the opportunity by allowing them to choose what to wear. You can provide a variety depending on the occasion or weather and let them pick from that. Having an input on what to wear may excite them enough to keep it on.
Allow a few naked minutes: Allowing the toddlers to go nude for a few minutes every day, maybe before or after bath may help reduce the urge of going commando. Just set adequate minutes, and strictly follow the routine, they will always look forward to this moment without interfering with the rest of the day. While at it, set teachable limits on the basics things they need to know about public and private behaviors.
Slow down on your reaction: Do not laugh, scold or shame the child when he/she strips in public. Grab the toddlers gently, excuse yourself and take him/her inside or to the cloakroom if away from home. Politely request the child to put on the clothes and promise to beat him/her the next time she /he does that again. Warn cautiously without making it a big deal because if you make it a big deal you give them a reason to do it again.
Almost every child has sensory sensitivity to various types of textures with absolutely no diagnosis. Sensory with clothing is specifically related to the sense of touch or tactile system, any child with this sensitivity will always prefer being nude than having clothes on. It can get to a full-blown tantrum just to have clothes off which is more frustrating and exhausting for parents.
Learn to be patient through it, find your way around it without losing your calm; they aren’t being rebellious by refusing to put on clothes. It’s simply their brain work and comfort or could be a deficiency. Just put in more work in ensuring the clothes stay on, before you know it, they would have grown past it.
Are they running around naked in the house? Share so we know ours are normal …