How To Dress a Child For Preschool
Written By: Rebecca
Preschool is an exciting time for parents and young students. As preschool age children are still at the mercy of their parents, despite what they might think, parents must prepare their child each day for the adventures school will offer. Dressing a preschooler can be an adventure unto itself.
Layers: The easiest way to cover your bases with a preschooler is to dress them in layers. Underwear is first, and then pants or a skirt. Be mindful of your child’s skill with zippers and buttons. Many preschoolers are still fine-tuning the use of the potty, so pants that pull up and down without belts or buttons might be best – at least for a while.
Next, pull on a shirt with short sleeves. On top of that throw on a light sweater or long sleeve shirt. The fashion conscious can coordinate the pieces and leave the sweater or shirt attractively unbuttoned or roll the sleeves as they please. Most preschool age children don’t mind as much as their parents do about coordination and outward appearance.
Pull on socks and shoes and grab a sweatshirt – just in case. The first cold front of the year is guaranteed to come through on the day that you decide it will be too warm for your child to need a jacket. Keep a sweatshirt in their backpack or cubby just in case.
The layers on your child will give the teacher options to help keep your child comfortable. As the day warms up or they go outside for recess, the long sleeve shirt or sweater can be removed. As the class comes back to the air conditioning or the child lays down to rest, the warmer shirt may be appreciated. The sweatshirt or light jacket is always there just in case of a freak weather pattern or you forget your child’s heavy jacket.
Plan Ahead: It is important to look and think ahead with preschool age children. Read the notices posted or sent home from your child’s preschool program to make sure he has his swimsuit or towel when needed. You should always have an extra set of clothing in his bag in case of an accident or creative art project. If you have an extra creative child, you might send a couple of shirts each day. Be sure to include a change of socks and underpants. Most bathroom accidents soak socks as well as pants and underwear.
Safety: Your child’s clothing should be as safe as possible. The most important items to consider for safety are shoes. The ideal shoes for preschool should be closed toe and closed heel. A firm rubber sole with support and laces or Velcro straps that stay tied or closed are also essential.
Preschoolers are heavy on jumping, running and skipping. They play outside frequently or have a gym class. Be sure your child is ready for all the activities of the day without worrying about getting rocks or bark in his shoes or if he will slide or trip because of his footwear.
