“Teach me to do it myself!”

Putting on their own coat independently is one way your young child can feel competent, and a child who feels capable without needing to rely on Mom and Dad for everything is a child who is developing self-confidence.

We use a technique called the tags to Toes in our classrooms and we wanted to share it with you as the weather turns chillier.

1. Ask the child to lay their coat down flat on the floor. (The inside of the jacket should face up).
2. Ask the child to put their toes by the tag…
3. Then crouch down and push their hands in the sleeves.
4. The child stands up fully, lifting both arms simultaneously up. They use momentum to lift and flip the coat over their head.
Video below showing how.

 

“Any child who is self-sufficient, who can ties his shoes, dress or undress himself, reflects in his joy and sense of achievement the image of human dignity which is derived from a sense of independence.”

Maria Montessori