Families today are busy. In many homes, the morning rush includes parents and children getting ready to head out the door. Children must assume more responsibility for getting themselves ready. Planning outfits that are ready to go can help the child with special needs.
Match the Colors
Because so many families are made up of two working parents or a single parent who works, it is critical to have early morning routines that make getting ready smoother. In the case of clothes, it is easiest to start the process on the weekend as soon as the laundry is finished.
First, pair up pants and shirt for each day. Include the kids in matching outfits by color. Also explain to match patterns (polka dots and stripes don’t go together) or to have a solid and a pattern (jeans and a patterned shirt). Coloring matching is a skill that is learned at a young age and can be practiced many ways. Matching colors for outfits teaches kids how it applies in real life.
Fold in a Stack for Each Day
As the matches are made and parent-approved, help kids fold each outfit into a stack – one day’s wear. Folding the outfits does not have to be perfect. The child who folds his own outfits is practicing wonderful hand-eye coordination. Even folding laundry builds the hand and arm muscles that will be used in handwriting.
Include Socks and Undies
Be sure to include undies and matching socks in each stack. This not only teaches color matching, but great one-to-one correspondence. Each day/stack needs a pair of socks. Each day/stack needs undies. One-to-one correspondence is an important math skill for young children. It also applies to general counting, money, and calendar skills.
Store the Outfit Stacks
The “stacks” can be lined up on a shelf or in drawers. The idea is to preserve the stacks so that one can be quickly picked during the morning rush for everyone to get ready and get out the door. If space is an issue, consider hanging outfits together on the same hanger with sock and undies tucks into pockets.
Remember to have a laundry basket or hamper available for kids to use for dirty laundry at the end of the day. It will make the next cycle of wash, match, stack go more quickly.
Using outfit stacks is a great way to make the morning rush a little smoother. More than that, kids learn independence and real-life skills.
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