Toddlers and Tutus
Costumes Are Not Just for Halloween
It is the end of October and Halloween is right around the corner! I am sure you have planned out a costume for your little one already or perhaps they are finally at an age where they can tell you what they want to be. (Some of my favorite costumes toddlers have requested include being a tree or a pair of pants!)
Dressing up is a great activity to encourage mental flexibility in children. They dress up and take on the role of that character. Taking on a role is a wonderful way for a young child to think about what another person (or a pair of pants) might do, say, or feel. In that, a child builds the foundation from which empathy will grow.
Dressing up can also encourage self-regulation. When portraying another, you are thinking about all your movements and how the character might move through the world.
I remember my mother saying that my brother, as a young child, would never put on his shoes when she asked. She would ask repeatedly but he would never focus long enough to complete the task. However, if she called on his alter ego- Friend Seagull- he would jump into action! The shoes would be on, and Friend Seagull would fly off to the next task, right on point.
So, create a dress up box for your little one! Use old costumes. Gather accessory items from the thrift store like purses, jewelry or headwear. Keep your eye out at Dollar Tree for items like tutus, butterfly wings, wigs or animal headbands. Stick in old items from home like an old apron, hats, bandanas. Next time you get a bag of “hand-me-downs”, look carefully. Perhaps there are some fun things that are too big, and you wouldn’t normally put on your child, but they would be great for the dress up box!
Make sure the box is down low where your child can access it at any time. You never know when you will have a cow princess or a transforming batman chef appear! Lean into your child’s imagination and accept their new reality. Creating flexible thinking is… a topic for another day!
Food For Thought:
“When you don’t dress like everyone else, you don’t have to think like everyone else.” -Iris Apfel
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