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When Baby won't Wear Clothes
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By: Kirsten Hawkins
A lot of time and energy goes into clothing your baby during the
first year. From the color debate, to the rapid speed at which
most infants outgrow their clothing, new parents have their
plates full with keeping their babies clean, comfortable and
clothed. So what do you do when all of a sudden, the baby
doesn't want to wear any clothes at all? How do you deal with
the exhibitionist stage of your toddler?
At about fourteen months, your baby will most likely want to
romp around in the buff. This is completely normal, and in fact
could help a little bit with potty training. Obviously, however,
it can be a bit troublesome when trying to introduce social
norms, and of course when having company without children over
for coffee or lunch. So how does a new parent deal with a naked
toddler?
The best thing to do is not discourage this behaviour entirely.
Set limits about where and when your toddler can be naked and
enforce them. It is tedious, but repeatedly re-dressing your
toddler may be the best way to get the message across. Keep an
especially close eye on your toddler in public. Not just because
of the obvious, but because you don't want to lose expensive
items like shoes or jackets.
Setting a "naked time" where your child is free to roam around
the house for an hour or so a day is a good way to set limits on
acceptable behavior. Make sure this time is a time when you can
be around to monitor them very closely and make sure that they
don't hurt their more exposed areas. Also, it's probably best if
naked time is a time when your home doesn't see a lot of
traffic. Your toddler may be comfortable with their naked time,
but friends and neighbors may not be.
Use your child's newfound freedom to encourage them to choose
their own clothing. Let your toddler dress him or herself a
couple of times a week as a special treat. Soon they might like
to get dressed as much as they enjoy disrobing. Make getting
dressed fun, and stress the importance of where and when it is
okay to take off your clothes. This way your child begins to
understand the important role that clothing plays in the
day-to-day life of grown ups.
The most important thing to remember is not to let your
discipline about clothing become about your child's body. It is
easy to make your child feel ashamed of their naked body, even
if it is not intended. This kind of discomfort can go a long way
in determining how your child feels about their body in the long
term, right up into adulthood. Making play dates for right
before or after naked time can be a good way to demonstrate for
your child the difference between private time and public time,
and let them begin making their own boundaries in their mind.
This time in their life is a lot about exploration. So even
though you've been there, it's important to let them figure out
some stuff on their own.
About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a baby and parenting expert specializing new
mothers and single parent issues. Visit BabyHelp411 for more information on how to raise healthy, happy children. |
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Note: All prices in US Dollars
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