Getting Dressed

You would think getting dressed would be simple. How many issues could possibly arise?

Well...

With Andrew, it's a matter of... well, he's mobile. And there are always other things he wants to do besides getting his diaper changed. So getting him into a new diaper, let alone a new outfit, requires placement, replacement, distraction of several kinds, and finally good timing.

With Nicholas, it's a matter of supervision. Because he is MORE than willing to pick out his own clothing and dress himself. But sometimes he chooses inappropriate clothing, such as long pants when it's 90 degrees, or dress shoes with his gym shorts, or a t-shirt he outgrew two years ago. I might also find his discarded PJ's in the toy bin, or stashed under the bed.

But either of the above is actually fine. Even together, I could get through it with few problems.

And then, there's Nathan.

Nathan will wander into the room to get dressed, and I will find him in there reading a book. He will refuse to get dressed because he is reading a book. I ask him to get undressed. I take the book away. He then tries to get ME to undress him. But I am trying to get him to do these things himself. I tell him he can do it himself. Then I tell him he's right, he CAN'T because he isn't a superhero. Then he says he IS a superhero, and undresses in ten seconds. Then he is naked, and gets distracted, etc. I help him get dressed, but he stands three feet away and I feel as though I'm chasing him around the room. When I finally start helping him, he shouts that he wants to do it himself. He insists on wearing his underwear backwards so he can "see the picture" of batman that is supposed to be on his bum. He can't find the waistband of his shorts. He gets his sleeves tangled up. Overall, it takes five minutes to get the other two dressed, and twenty for Nathan.

I love this boy. But he is a handful.