Teaching Kids To Dress Themselves

Bottoms

What she can do:
Pull on pants

What she can't do:
Tricky button-and-zipper combos

What to expect:
Open flies; the occasional one-leg-in, one-leg-out tumble

How to help:
Elastic waistbands! Avoid button flies.

Tip: Kids can't balance well enough to put on pants/shorts while standing. (Come to think of it, neither can many adults!) And beds are often too high for them to sit on. So have your child perch on a low step, chair, or stool. For pants, coach him to insert one leg and push through so his foot lands directly on the floor (not on the fabric). Have him pull the material just past his knee and repeat with his second leg, then stand up and pull everything up over his backside.