clothes.....

[andrewsmom]

Hi everyone!
I was wondering if any of you have had this problem with any of your kids. Taking off clothes...........

Andrew has always taken off his shoes/socks at the strangest times, like in the car, while visiting someone else's home, in the store etc. Hey, he just wants to be comfortable....right? I can relate. If I could take off my shoes I probably would too. But now he has started to take off more than just his shoes/socks.

Andrew is now taking off his shirt/pants whenever, wherever he wants with no warning at all. Over the summer, he attended the ESY program and was constantly taking off his shirt. I figured maybe he was hot and didn't like the feel of sweat on him or something. Still didn't think it was that big of a deal.

Well, Andrew now thinks it's ok to take his shirt off in any public place at all. Yup...Walmart, the middle of the mall, Petco etc. It's now escalating to the pants as well. We were in Walmart the other day and I have been giving him some independence and letting him walk holding onto the cart. I was looking at Halloween decorations and when I turned back, his pants were around his ankles and he was working on getting his shirt off too!!! I quickly pulled up his pants and told him he now had to sit in the cart, which did not make him happy. I have even left a full cart at stop&shop and walked out with him and explained that if he didn't know how to behave, we would go home.

Honestly, I have no idea how to stop this behavior. Any ideas? Have any of your kids done this? I'm really looking for any advice at all as I am totally out of ideas at this point.

Ohhhhhhhhhh......the joys of parenthood!

-Trisha

[Radonna]

LOL I've gotten Kaden off the bus twice this year butt naked. At home it's all I can do to keep his clothes on him. We use blanket sleepers turned around backwards. It works like a charm I also found coveralls like mechanics wear that work well too. If he's small enough you can buy onsies and put them under his clothes so that if any clothes come off his underpants or diaper is still covered. I also have buttons on the bottom of Kaden's shirt and I button them to his pants.

[stacyb]

Yea but Riley is just 2.5 right now. Im hoping that changes. He wont even keep a diaper on anymore.

[twosomy21]

ah, the taking off of clothes.....kyle loves to do this ,although not at stores "yet"? and loren, his faithfull fallowerer does this too. during the summer they would take off wet shorts( after swimming) right away and change, did this all day.....drove me crazy(because it was in front of whomever)they stip as soon as they come home from school-but i have been on them for it and its getting better. i also stopped the dressing in layers because the stripping would start

i hope it does not go past the boundaries of our home ,but according to your stories it might. same ol ' advice here: keep reinforcing and good luck

[Chris too]

Trisha,
It sounds like you are doing all the right things. The thing to remember is that kids with Ds generally take longer to learn new things - maybe even longer for things that they don't want to learn
He'll get it as long as you just keep it up. You are doing a great job!

[kellyds]

I'm so glad to read this! I've been keeping Joshua in footed blanket sleepers at home, with a baby's diaper pin run through the zipper so he can't take it off. He absolutely will not keep clothing, shoes, or socks on at home. This is a big issue at night, because he won't sleep beneath a blanket, and our house gets cold (wood heat).

I found some sleepers in patterns that aren't too "bedroomy" (camouflage, solid grey, etc.), and that's what he wears if we aren't going anywhere. He takes his shoes and socks off when we are out, but so far hasn't removed any other clothing except at home. It's just nice to know he isn't the only one. ;D

[PaigesMom]

I have no advice, but wanted to say that, in my case this got better with age.
Kelly - try putting the footed sleepers on backwards...zipping them up the back, cut the tags out of the front. He will never be able to get them off and you won't need to use the diaper pins thru the zippers. I had Paige in blanket sleepers backwards until about age 5.
Debbie

[kellyds]

I'll try it, but how do the feet go in if they're backwards?

[Chris]

I am so happy that Sarah is finally out of that phase! ;D It was a very, very long phase. We would be pushing her in a stroller and finally notice that she had taken her clothes off and flung them where ever. When we were home, we kept her in a blanket sleeper with a diaper pin right under the top of the zipper. In the summer, I would cut off the arms and legs of the blanket sleeper. It did the trick. I think she has been keeping her clothes on for almost a year now. ;D I would be in hog heaven if she would keep those shoes and socks on her feet.

Chris

[twosomy21]

kellyds
the feet go in the same but the legs will turn somewhat and it works, did it with loren for a while. anywho ,me and my daughter are having a good time knowing we are all in the same situations one time or another

[Radonna]

Chris, I bought those five dollar canvas high top shoes for Kaden and he hasn't been able to get them off and Kaden is the ultimate Houdini. I bought every shoe imaginable but something about the high top canvas you can lace them up and double knot them good and they stay on. Kaden went shoeless at school for almost three years before I found something that worked.

I cut just the feet out of the blanket sleepers. you can also buy them with just the elastic bands in the legs. I don't know what I am going to do when Kaden grows out of them!! He's in a five t now.

[PaigesMom]

Kelly - yes on both...when the length got to short, I cut the feet out, and still put them on her backwards. When the legs were longer, I just turned the feet around, they are a little twisted at the ankle, but it works and does not cause a problem walking, etc. There were also times, I cut the elastic in the feet and just turned them around. This lasted awhile with Paige - probably 3 years or so.

[andrewsmom]

Thanks!!! At least I'm not alone on this one....phewwwwww.
I'm also glad to hear this will hopefully get better with age.
CANVAS HIGHTOPS!!!! What an awesome idea! I'm going to try that! Thanks!

-Trisha

[damarasmom]

Hey Trisha!
We don't have this issue YET! Believe it or not, we are trying really hard to teach Damara how to take off her clothes. Total opposite of your issue, how funny. I think if I had to choose though I would probably pick my side. Last thing I need is a naked girl running around in public...Good luck with this phase, and years from now you will tease him about this, like when he's 16 and has a girl over??? TeeHee!

[Tammy]

All three of my kids were/are strippers/nudists...




I thought it was normal




;D




Sorry, no help I know