Every parent has experienced a moment when an exasperated two-three-year-old shouted "me alone!" at a moment when there were only a few minutes left to leave the house. Then the caregiver often decided to let the child dress on his own and thus be late, or to bail him out and end the morning with a grubby brawl. However, it doesn't have to be that way. All you have to do is teach your child to put on his shoes on his own. Check out how to do it!

Independence when getting dressed - why is it important?

Many caregivers of young children crank out the daily dressing of their children because they know they will do it faster and better. This is often dictated by haste, impatience, and adult convenience. However, this is not a good idea.

A child's independence is an extremely important part of the development of his psyche and affects his entire adult life! The sooner a toddler becomes independent of an adult caregiver, the better for his sense of agency, self-confidence, good self-esteem, as well as assertiveness. As a result, he will grow up to be a wise person who will critically assess reality, be aware of his own worth and have the ability to cope even in difficult situations.

Putting on shoes on your own is a small step, but an excellent start to achieving these goals. Importantly, the child's parent will also benefit from this learning. The more independent the toddler, the fewer chores to be done, thus also reducing the time to leave the house, for example.

Learning to put on shoes by yourself - what should it look like?

Wondering how to teach your child to put on shoes? Start by choosing the right shoes. They should have a wide tongue so that the toddler can freely put his foot inside. A good choice will be Velcro models, which are easy to undo. Do not forget to prepare your shoes as well - in order to put them on at the same time as the child. As learning can take up to several tens of minutes, it is worth setting aside enough time in advance.

When everything is ready and the moment of dressing arrives, call the toddler and tell him that from now on he will be putting on his shoes by himself. Such a vision will certainly please him. Next:

• Sit next to him,
• reach for your shoe,
• Show the child how you slide the leg in - do it slowly, step by step,
• Ask your child to do the same with their footwear - when one shoe is on the foot, it's time for the other,
• Demonstrate toddler how to fasten Velcro,
• express your enthusiasm loudly!

At the learning stage, you can give your toddler the right shoes so that he doesn't confuse his feet. Mastering right and left is much more difficult than slipping feet into shoes. At the same time, remember that learning independence can take up to several weeks. Therefore, do not rush your toddler and show patience.

Putting shoes on their own - how to make it easier for the child?

Despite regular exercise, is your child still having trouble putting on his shoes on his own? Perhaps the problem lies in shoes that are too tight. If you want to make it easier for your kid to get dressed, choose shoes from the Tupu Tupu range. They will work perfectly, for example:

• boots - they have a raised heel counter, so the foot is immediately properly stabilized, making it easier to slide the foot inside. Their additional advantage is that the Velcro and tongue can be completely removed, so you don't have to forcefully push the foot in. Then just slide the fastener back into place to move ahead,
• Half shoes - they are lightweight and have no warming, so even toddlers can easily put them on. They also have a wide nose, so the toes do not curl up and can sit freely inside.

Ballerinas and sandals are also good choices. Thanks to the fact that they are fully uncovered, the child does not have difficulty putting the shoes on his feet. However, the problem may arise when the season changes and you will have to start the learning process all over again. If the toddler learns to put on built-in shoes first, you can be sure that he can cope with any other model.

Create the right conditions for your child to be independent, and you'll see him or her move confidently into the world years later! Learning to put on shoes is a great start.