Domain: NC Foundations for Early Learning: Health and Physical Development (HPD)

Subdomain: Self-Care

Goal: Children develop independence in caring for themselves and their environment.

Skill Progression: Dressing

Age: 30-33 Months

Click here to go to all skills for ages 30-33 Months.

Have a dress-up area with costumes in the child’s size. Include shoes with laces. For example, have a police person’s or fire person’s jacket with tie, matching socks, and shoes.

Suggest dramatic play with a fire person’s or police person’s outfits. First have the child take off her shoes. Then put on a shirt that buttons, socks, and shoes with ties. Give the child a pre-buttoned jacket to unbutton. After playing take off all costumes.

The child undresses independently, including untying laces.

Provide dress-up clothing of both sexes. These give children opportunities to put on all types of clothes and use different fasteners. Children like to play characters from stories, their family, and movies. Children can now take responsibility for dressing themselves. Encourage parents to give freedom of choice. Autonomy should trump “correctness.”