I Let My Toddler Dress Themselves, Here’s Why You Should Too

Some days, I question if unicorns are real and whether they’re throwing up on my daughter. Between the stripes, polka dots, glitter, and contrasting colors, it’s a rational thought. She may or may not be hiding a magical creature in her closet, but either way, she comes out dressed in clothes. Now, I said clothes. I didn’t say matching clothes. Nope. Most days, they don’t match. Here’s the thing: I don’t care. Actually, that’s a lie. I do care, but I don’t say anything. Weird, right?

Kids’ clothes are so cute

Some parents love dressing their children, and I don’t blame them. There’s something unfairly adorable about children’s clothes that suck us into handing over all of our money. But, for me, I let my toddler dress herself. Sometimes, that means I get comments in the grocery store of, “Wow, someone dressed herself today, didn’t she?” And instead of an awkward smile and laugh, I pat my child and say proudly, “Yes, she did!”

In psychology, autonomy is a big part of the Self Determination Theory, which basically talks about a person’s psychological needs internally and externally. I won’t bore you with all the technical details. The gist of it is: Everyone needs autonomy.