How to keep shoes on

I have daycare kids that seem to be perpetually tossing things when we are outside - mitts, shoes, hats.
It can be frustrating because we often have to backtrack to find things or stop to put stuff back on because it's too cold to go without it.

has anyone out there found the magic solution on how to nip this behaviour in the bud once and for all? I have tried talking, explaining, putting the items back on however many times it took, timeouts, trying to make them feel cold, etc. I am at my wits' end and the weather is getting colder so I don't want anyone getting frozen.

:blink: help

I remember last year one of my young ones would take her toque off all the time. Every time we went outside, just before opening the door, I'd remind them all that we would have to come in if anyone took their stuff off. There were days we would be out less than 30 mins but I followed through on my "threat" every time. One day, no word of a lie, I had just opened the gate to the backyard when she took it off.....as frustrated as I was, we marched back in with her bawling!! I don't remember having to do this for too long so it must have worked fairly quickly!

I can see how that would work but I would feel bad punishing the other 4 kids who are excited to be out.:unsure: Not to mention...that the ones who strip are the ones who usually would rather be inside.
The kids in my group who are "outdoor-lovers" tend to stay dressed and the ones who are my fair-weathered kids only like being out when it's +20C or better are the ones who tend to fuss about their boots, hats, mitts and want to act like they are in a nudist colony.

Put their mitts on. Then over top put a pair of thick men's wool socks on all the way up to their arm pits. They shouldn't be able to get the mitts off and it should then slow them down to get other items off as they don't have fingers and thumbs free.

After doing this awhile they should get out of the habit of removing items. Then try them without the big socks and warn them they will go right back on if they remove an item.

Maybe rather than play, they walk. Not need destination. Pretty hard to take off shoes when moving forward. As far as gloves go, thread on string through coat. Can use safety pin to fasten. If they take off, their hand get cold. That on them but string stop getting lost. And hat - request had that tie under chin from parent. And tie it on. Maybe after while of walking instead just playing, it break habit of undress.

Yes, it did suck for the others but kinda made it work faster because than they would express their disappointment to the child and would encourage her to keep her stuff on the next time....I could sometimes hear them say "quick put your toque back on before 5LM sees!" And if she listened to them, I'd just pretend I didn't see/hear this interaction and they'd get to stay outside lol. She likes to be outside but hates hats....we had the same issue this summer!! (Would hear the others telling her to put it back on too!)

Also like the others, I have an order of way clothes need to be put on....pants tucked into socks, ski pants over the boots (including the inner elastic layer), neck warmer inside the jacket, mitts than jacket and toque last. Some toques get put on first than neck warmer over top as it kinda keeps them on better.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 5 Little Monkeys

She likes to be outside but hates hats....we had the same issue this summer!! (Would hear the others telling her to put it back on too!)

---

I have had this issue too, so we just started wearing our hats inside too. I do it earlier in the morning, before we go out and get all wet/dirty, and make a game out of it. It's like "dress up" and because I am usually strict about wearing outside clothes in the house, they think it's fun to break the rules. I have also found that this kind of activity helps with the "self-help" skills, for playtime rather than in a hurry, when we're all getting dressed to go out.

As far as keeping the clothes on, I think the best lesson is the logical consequence, being cold/uncomfortable. It takes some kids longer to learn this lesson than others, unfortunately. We've had snow the last couple of days and several times, the toddler kept pulling his mitts off. But I won't put them back on him until he is uncomfortable and cranky because his fingers are cold. Hopefully he'll learn while it's only -1 and not be doing it when it's -20.