4yr old daughter and getting dressed

Question

I've been having problems with my 4yr old and her getting dressed... she never wants to wear what I guided her towards she throws a fit when I try to suggest anything else to wear. She often picks inapropriate stuff... we have extreme weather in the winter it can be -40 and in the summer +35 were starting to get to the point were it is warming up and she always wants to wear jeans. i don't want to fight with her every morning but she's going to end up with heat stroke if she dosn't pick more appropriate stuff... She says the clothes bother her... she'll often pull at the neck of a top... What can I do??

This discussion is related to 4-Year Old with Clothing Issues.

softclothing · Answer

Hopefully I can help--I am a special education teacher and started a clothing company for kids with sensory clothing issues. we just started--and so far the feedback has been great from parents and kids. Also, we have resources on our blog and social network to help find therapeutic methods to help with sensory sensitivity. You are definitely not alone--I hear from hundreds of parents weekly.

tryingmomof2 · Answer

Come on now, who wouldn't complain about tight shoes and pants.  Tags! Honestly!

jdtm · Answer

One other possibility - I wonder if your daughter is sensitive to some of her clothing - example - seams in socks or pants, tags on the back of shirts, scratchy materials, tight shoes or pants or necks on tops, etc.  This "sensitivity" is very common with young children.   Severe sensitity is called "sensory integration disorder".

Encephalomalcia · Answer

I would remove everything from her drawers that is season inappropriate and pack it away.  Do it when she does not see you.  Then, she can pick out what she want to wear and feel like she's in control.  She will not be able to make a bad seasonal choice, because it will not be there for her to make.  See if that works.  Most likely it is the control that she is seeking and children need to feel like they have control over some things especially clothing with little girls.