How to help kids explore their fashion side.
In Irish fashion news, we are going to show you simple ways to help your children engage fashion. We all know how important fashion is when it comes to expressing ourselves. It is the perfect way of showing off our personality and who we are.
And we also know that parents are their children’s first teacher. They are responsible for reaching their kids good manners and how to be true to themselves. And aside from that, it is also really important that you teach your child about their own unique sense of style.
Now, we understand that not all parents are interested in fashion themselves. But you really do not have to be just so you can teach your kids something about fashion and style.
After all, it is about expressing their style and who they are through their fashion choices. And your kids will do this in a creative and resourceful manner. Also, when you help your kids learn about fashion, you also teach them to be more presentable.
Although it is true that their personality comes first, it doesn’t hurt to teach kids to look after their appearance. And looking good with their style choices will also make them feel good about themselves. If you want to know how to help kids explore their fashion side, keep on reading.
Why Your Child Needs To Know How To Get Dressed?
Learning to get dressed can be a great way of boosting your child’s confidence and give them a sense of achievement. Once your child can dress themselves, it is also one less thing that you have to do for them.
As well as that, getting dressed can be a great way of improving your child’s fine motor skills, gross motor skills and cognitive skills.
How To Get Started With Getting Dressed
Your child will already be aware of their clothes as they often pull off things like socks or hats. And sometimes they try to put them back on again. You can build upon this early awareness by naming the pieces of clothing and the body parts they go on.
As they grow, give your child a limited number of options when getting dressed. And have some clothes on hand that are easy to wear. These can be trousers with an elasticated waistband. Or shirts with large buttons.
Break Down The Steps Of Getting Dressed
A good way to teach your child to dress themselves is breaking down the process into steps. And sometimes it can be easier to work backwards.
So, when putting on trouser, help your child to face them the right way and hold the waistband. Then, as their legs are in the holes, teach them the last step – pulling up their trousers.
When you child can do this themselves, teach them to put their legs in the holes of their trousers. Keep working backwards until your child can do them by themselves.
An advantage to this approach is that the most rewarding part of a task is finishing it. Your child will get this reward sooner as it is the first step. And while it can be tempting to rush in and do the steps yourself, give your child a chance first.
How to Help Your Child Learn How To Get Dressed
If you can be positive when you child gets dressed, they are more likely to cooperate. So, remember that a lot of praise can go a long way.
Set aside a realistic amount of time for them to get ready in the mornings. To avoid getting in a rush, try to get your child to set out their clothes the night before.
If you are in a hurry, let your child do the easy jobs and step in with the harder ones. And practice getting dressed when you are not in a hurry, so your child knows what to do.
Sometimes, having a lot of options can be overwhelming to kids. So, narrow down the options. Have them choose between two shirts or two trousers. older kids might be able to choose their own clothing.
You can set some useful guidelines, like wearing clean underwear every day. Your child might find things easier if they can sit on the floor instead of a chair. And you can label clothes drawers so your child can find things easily.
Take Them Out With You Shopping
We understand that it can be easier for parents to go shopping without bringing their kids along. However, when you do this, you are controlling everything your kids wear.
In doing so, you are robbing them of the option to explore and see clothing pieces that they want to try. Instead of shopping for their clothes on your own, try to take them with you so you can explore what they like together.
And if your child is not keen on busy or loud shops, you can go online. The point is to expose them to different designs, colours, patterns and styles so they have freedom to explore what they like. If they choose something that they like, they are more than likely to wear it.
Give Them Some Guidelines
Part of letting your kids explore is helping them understand what is practical and what is fun. Sometimes, fashion can be both.
As you give your kids the freedom to explore their fashion options, do not forget to set some guidelines about dress codes.
It is important to help them understand that there are some clothes that are appropriate for home and not in school. So, encourage your kids to choose something that expresses their style without undermining dress codes.
Teach Them How To Match And Then Step Back
As your kids now have some sort of understanding of basic guidelines, you can begin to teach them about matching their clothes.
This is where their creativity comes in and where they can begin to have fun. You can start off with some basics when it comes to mixing and matching clothes.
First of all, your jeans will usually match with anything and belong in your wardrobe. If you are wearing a wild pattern on the bottom, you should balance it with a top in a solid colour. And the opposite is true as well. Black and white clothes can easily be matched with other colours. And so can colours that are similar in tone.
Lastly, while these tips can be helpful, it is more important to realise that your kids have the last say. You are only there to guide and encourage them. And not to force them into something they don’t want to wear.
It is true that not many kids will put a lot of thought into what they wear. However, when you teach them early will allow their creative side to come out and encourage them to have fun. So, if your kid wants to deck themselves out in a lot of patterns, sit back and let them navigate their own style.
Support And Engage In Their Interests
One of the most enjoyable parts of being a kid is dressing up in your parent’s clothes. Instead of getting angry and intervening with their dress up games, encourage them to have fun with their own clothes.
And to make it even more fun, you can always join in their games yourself. Go on! Embrace your inner child and let loose.
Let’s say you and your child are out shopping for something new. Some kids like things loud and fast. When it comes to picking out their clothes, why not choose something that reflects this? Dinosaurs, planes or cars, or even super heroes are all good starting points. Listen to your child when they talk about their interests and try to incorporate them into their clothes.
Teach Them How To Be Resourceful
Looking good and embracing your fashionable side does not mean that you have to buy a load of designer gear.
So, one thing to not forget to teach your kids is to have fun with their style choices and be resourceful. It is not the brand or designer that makes the clothes chic.
Instead, it is about how you choose to wear your clothes and how creatively it matches with the rest of your look. If your kids have some worn out denim jeans at home, bring them back to life by turning them into a pair of shorts.
Do they have a favourite jumper that they no longer want to wear? Get creative with some embroidery or patches to transform the garment into something new. Not only is this a good way of getting your kids to be resourceful, it also can be a good way of introducing them to sustainable fashion.
Teach Them That It’s Okay To Have Fun With Clothes
Overall, the best way to get your child to see the fun in fashion is letting them play. Give them the freedom to choose and be exposed to different materials, fabrics, patterns and designs.
Do not be afraid of reminding them of guidelines they can follow as they go about trying out different things. Sit back and watch as your kids show off their unique personalities with their clothing.
How to help kids explore their fashion side. Irish fashion news
