Can your 2-3yo put on his own socks and shoes?

Adam and Ben just turned 3 on Saturday. They go to preschool three half-days each week. They are in a class with other 2-3 year olds although I think they may be the first to turn three (since all the other three years olds already moved up to the next class on June 1st). They also just got a new lead teacher on June 1st. I believe she moved over from a class with older kids. The assistant teacher remained the same. During the summer, the school sets up sprinklers and water tables outside and lets the kids run around in swim suits. After they come in, the two teachers have to scramble to get everyone changed into dry clothes and put on socks and shoes. I can't imagine doing it with 10-12 kids between them, it's hard enough with just two.

On Friday, the lead teacher pulls me aside when I dropped of the boys to tell me that, "Adam and Ben don't know how to put on their shoes and socks." She then goes on to tell me that she used to be a SAHM like me (she has twins that are probably grown) and she has noticed as a teacher that the kids with working moms tend to do more for themselves because the moms are more likely to make them do these things at an earlier age. She wants me to work with them on getting their socks and shoes on by themselves. She was worried about offending or upsetting me (which I'm not) but I also think that socks and shoes is a tough task for barely three year olds.

I agree that 3-4 is the age that kids should learn how to dress themselves but I know that they cannot do it by themselves right now. Their shoes have velcro but still, they cannot get them on without help. So, can your 2-3 year old dress himself/herself?

 

At that stage No.

One of my girls has been dressing herself putting her shoes on for a few months, but the other really struggles especially with her socks and they're going to be four next week.

I think she's expecting a bit much of them


amanda

and the comments about SAHM vs Working moms would have really irked me too

 

Does getting them on, but on the wrong feet count? I think it's great to make them practice at that age, but my 3yo almost ALWAYS gets them on the wrong feet!

 

Mine can't put their shoes and socks on by themselves but...the can take them off pretty darn fast! :laughing:
I taught preschool for 8+ years and I tend to think that is more of a late 3-4 yr task. Socks are difficult.

If it is a priority for the teachers to be able to make the transition after water time go more smoothly then maybe they could teach them how to put them on? Or they could just allow more time for the transition.

Oh, Crocs (or that type of shoe) are pretty easy to get on and off. Maybe they can just wear those?

Good luck!

-Kimberly

 

My boys couldn't do it by themselves until more like age 5. If the really, absolutely HAD to do it, they probably could have by age 4, but it would have taken a long time.

I'm not a teacher, but I've noticed that girls tend to be able to put on their shoes and socks earlier than boys.

 

Mine didn't get good at it until they went to camp last summer just after they truned 4. Even then, Jon wasn't consistant with socks until 4 1/2.

 

Yeah, mine are total experts at taking them off!! But really, it seems like just-turned-three is really too young to expect them to be able to do the shoes and socks. Socks especially are really hard! My girls can put most of their shoes on by themselves -- the velcro ones, and not always on the right feet -- but they can't even put a dent in the socks.

The comment about it being a WOHM/SAHM difference is really odd. First of all, I think it's just weird to chalk anything up to that, especially when it could potentially make you feel like your choice has put your kids at a disadvantage. Plus, if anything, I'd think children with SAHMs could potentially get more time to practice than children of WOHMs. I know when I am rushing to get out of the house in the morning I tend to just make them let me do all the parts they have trouble with. On the weekends I tend to let them try it themselves a little bit longer since we don't have to be out of the house as early as we do during the work days.

Ellen -- BWAH at your country flag! :laughing:

 

My girls can do shoes but not socks. Their shoes are usually on the right feet. I agree- socks are hard and they are nowhere close to doing those independently.

 

Michael came out today with his shoes and socks on for the first time. Matthew rarely puts on his socks by himself but can usually put on his shoes. I would say that 3 is a good age to start learning but not have it mastered.

 

Sarah's been able to do simple shoes with velcro since 2.5. I also noticed her doing socks some this winter. Timothy can do his flip-flops.

Marissa

 

Thats too young IMO...I think learning left and right and all that should come first...labeling the shoes...but socks are too hard at this age for sure.

There is also NO difference in MO between the kids of working moms learn vs, the sahms....if anything, sahm have a little more time to devote to teaching those things, just as much as working moms make their kids more independent in her opinion....I think all thats hogwash...all good mothers will find time to teach their kids things they need to know, working or not!!

 

Hannah can put on shoes and sandals (with velcro only, no buckles or laces) but she is incredibly independent and demands to do things for herself. Socks are still out of the question.

Ben could care less about putting them on by himself. I am sure I will be doing his shoes for a long, long time!

 

Both of my boys can dress themselves, with the exception of their shirts (they are just starting to do this this week). I do not remember when they started putting on their socks and shoes. One of them started earlier than the other. In fact, the sock draw is under neither his bed, and he will sometimes changes his socks after they are supposed to be sleeping.

 

I posted a similar thread a couple months ago, prompted by a conversation with a special instruction teacher. Since then they both try putting their pants on but can't get them pulled up over their rumps (with diapers). They'll try socks, but they'll often be upside down. And shoes, they can get them on but generaly can't work the closures. So we're making progress, and I figure by 4 they'll have it down.

 

QUOTE(twoin2005 @ Jun 17 2007, 11:47 PM) [snapback]296282[/snapback]
Hannah can put on shoes and sandals (with velcro only, no buckles or laces)


Ellie started putting on her own sandals around 20 months. She gradually worked up to shoes. I would say she put on her own socks around 3. She is extremely independent and has always been a "me do" type of girl.

 

Evan & Jude are 4.5 and have been able to put their own socks on for awhile; sometimes they are inside out/upside down/mismatched but I am not particular. :icon_biggrin:

Other than rain boots and Crocs, they have not been able to get their shoes on my themselves until 2 months ago. Having Converse high tops makes it more difficult for them to loosen up the laces but they finally seemed to have figured it out.

We have not even attempted teaching them to tie shoe laces.

 

Amanda has been putting her own socks and shoes on (when SHE wants to) for quite awhile - maybe about 4-6mos. At first her socks were on backwards and her shoes were on the wrong feet but she usually gets it right now. Casey has been trying to put on her shoes for a few months but is just starting to be able to do it. She's about 50/50 with getting them on the right feet. She can't do socks. She tries but gets frustrated and gives up. BTW, all of their shoes right now are velcro so no buckles or laces.

 

Natalie can put her crocs on and her sneakers (velcro) by herself. However, they are usually on the wrong feet.

Gabe tries, but his feet are pretty big and wide. He has the idea of putting the toes in first, but rarely gets the shoe over his whole foot.

Socks... forget it! They are wizards at getting them off (especially in the car), but I don't see them getting them on anytime soon.

 

Mine still haven't "mastered" shoes and socks. They can do it, but it's a pretty time intensive process, so we do crocs and slip on canvass shoes (a lot of the time with bare feet) to make it fast and easy. Mine really didn't get the socks and shoes thing until recently and they turned 4 in May. If we're in a hurry, I still do it for them. Same with dressing. They can dress themselves, but not quickly.

As far as the comment by your caregiver, I too am offended and I'm a working mom. You were probably irked by the implication that SAHM's are too doting, but I am equally offended by the implication that children of working mothers are left to fend for themselves because we're never there. I hate those kinds of generalizations.

This it the kind of thing a teacher will dwell on because it would make his/her life easier and keep things moving along faster if all the children could be more independent. IMO it is more her issue, than it is yours or your boys'.

 

Gregory turned 3 in December. He is now able to do both shoes and socks. These are the shoes with velcro or snadals though, no shoe tying here. Until about a month ago, he would get the shoes on, but on the wrong feet sometimes.

 

Meghan can do socks and shoes (or sandals), but velcro only. She is very independent and wants to do everything herself. We sometimes have the wrong feet, but she usually fixes it. She also has gotten herself dressed a couple of times, though not consistent. (Although she manages to undress herself on a regular basis ^_^ .)

Nolan has no interest. I put his shoes on, take them off, change his clothes, etc.

I think at just 3, this is the time that they will start to learn it, but by no means should they have mastered it yet.

 

Anthony will be three in Sept. He can put on his socks...but they are not always on straight (heels on top ect). He can put on his sandals and his crocs but not his tennis shoes. But he does not always get them on the right feet.

He can also get dressed...but it's usually on inside out or backwards! LOL!!

I think it's still too early to expect them to do it consistantly right.

 

Alvionna and Caprionna are four now and they can put their shoes and socks on. We do velcro shoes so they do not have to tie them, themselves. Reggie and Rico will be three in October, they can put their shoes and socks on but they do not put them on the right feet. I started letting them put their own clothes on because I'm single and with two sets of twins its very time consuming to get everyone ready.

 

Mine aren't 2 yet but they can put on their socks, shoes, and pants and are making efforts at shirts. They get the pants on backward half the time and sometimes put the shoes on the wrong feet, socks with the heels up, etc. I'm a SAHM also. I don't think that's a factor as much as the child's desire to do things themselves. My boys have shown a strong independent streak from a very early age and they just beam when they learn something new.

 

That was so wrong of her to compare working moms with stay at home moms. our kids are still so young, there's planty of time for them to learn how to put on their shoes and socks. I mean, really! Mine have been doing it since they were about 2, but it's certainly not because they had too. I'm a stay at home mom and I do everything for my two, they'll have to do things for themselves soon enough and they'll have to cope with teachers like her.

i say don't sweat it.

 

Katelyn can put on her shoes.. flip-flops, sandals and tennis shoes. She is very independent and typically even gets them on the right feet. She can do the velcro, but not a buckle or lace.

Blake on the other hand could care less.

Neither can get socks on, although it has been awhile since we have tried as they have been wearing sandals so much lately.

 

Mine could do shoes (no laces) at 3+, tie laces with double knots at 4+, and socks the correct way at 5+. Having socks with the colored bottoms made all the difference in the world. Also, I didn't teach them how to tie laces. Jaydon taught himself, then he taught his brother.

 

Mine can usually get their shoes on now but sometimes they're on the wrong feet and often the straps aren't tight. Socks are a different story. Ainsley can sometimes do it and Sierra almost never can. I did work with them before Dax was born though because I knew it was going to be tough to get out of the house with 3 kids if I didn't get the girls to do a few more things by themselves.

 

Stacy can put her shoes and socks on by herself but James can only do his socks.

 

The girls have been able to dress themselves with socks and shoes for a while now. I can never count on everything being right-side-out and not turned around though. I don't remember really how old the boys were when they started dressing themselves but looking back on it now I think the first boys were quite a bit older. I don't think it has anything to do with being a SAHM versus working mom, although I could probably be persuaded that the first children took longer because I had more time to do it for them and the poor girls have to do everything themselves because there are so many more siblings now.