Getting Dressed.

In our house it's a nightmare.

I cannot get C dressed for love nor money. I know why she can't do it, but I simply don't know how to get her to understand that it's necessary.

All last week I bribed her with a cuddly toy of her choice (cuddly toys are her obsession) and, unsurprisingly, as the week progressed she became less and less motivated to get dressed. So that didn't work.

Previously I have tried buying bribes in the form of favourite food (NOT sweeties!!) or the Blessed Littlest Pet Shop or small cuddlies, but these too have lost their appeal. Again, no surprise there.

I have moaned at her, pleaded with her, shouted at her (feel bad about that one), turned it into a game, tried to make it a race (this works at school, but not home!) I've even tried dressing her myself as I would have when she was little, but I just ended up being kicked in the face and showered with abuse and now I'm stuck.

I tried changing her routine so she gets dressed at a different time of the morning, but she just couldn't cope with that at all.

NOTHING is working. I know that it's part PDA, part control/manipulation, part attention seeking and part being a six-year-old but HOW DO I GET HER TO COMPLY?

I'll try anything as the stress every morning is getting us both down and we are invariably late for everywhere, including school!

I will try anything. Including getting her dressed the night before

Bless ya! Sorry but I have no helpful ideas apart from when she is asleep. Does she like dressing up clothes or princess dresses etc?

Not much help I know but it's the best I can do. xx

She'd love one of those cat suits (with tails!) but I KNOW that she'd wear it FOREVER so I don't dare get one of those!

I guess it's the ultimate control thing with her, as she knows we can't got out until she's dressed. Sigh.

Been thinking about this, does she respond to visual cues at all? I used to use a visual timetable for dd dressing, each item of clothing was displayed on symbols placed in order on the wall, once the vest was on she would remove the symbol and put it in her finished box, then continue with the rest of the symbols some chldren respond really well to this. Have to admit tho after a while dd got fed up withthis and went back to refusing so now we either dress her downstairs or she sometimes does it herself (she dresses herself better if shedoes it on the landing for some unknown reason) sorry rambling away not sure whether thats helpfull or not.

I've always shied away from visual cues (being an ostrich and burying my head in the sand I think!) but I said I'd try anything and this could well be it.

Have already started thinking past the time when she will start refusing and have thought about turning it into a treasure hunt! Hide the cue and when she finds it she has to then put on that item of clothing....

It will be time consuming but she loves hunting for clues!

Thanks Misty! Very helpful. Am off to start making some cue cards!