Child Development of Self-Care Skills
By Jessica Holyoke, OTR-L
By Jessica Holyoke, OTR-L
Activities of daily living (ADLs)
are a necessary part of our day and include various tasks such as getting
dressed, bathing, brushing our teeth or hair, and feeding ourselves. Most of us place very little thought or
effort when carrying out these tasks, but how did we learn to perform
them? Throughout the first year of our
life, we will begin to develop the skills necessary to take care of
ourselves. It is important that children
have many opportunities to practice these skills. This blog will look at the typical
development of these self-care skills and give examples of how to encourage
your child’s development.
Dressing
A 1 year old child has already begun to explore
how to take off clothes by removing their socks and raising their arms to help
get a shirt off. Between 1 and 2 years old, your child will
continue this exploration and learn to take off his or her shoes and socks. They will also begin to help put their arms
through holes and hold out their legs for pants. Between the ages of 2 and 3 years, a child can remove simple clothing on their
own. They are learning to put on front
closing tops (jackets, button-up shirts) and to unzip and unbutton large
buttons. By 4 years old, a child can dress and undress themselves with
assistance for fasteners and ties. By 5 or 6 years old, a child is nearly
independent with dressing skills needing help only with difficult fasteners
such as belts and selecting appropriate clothing to match the weather.
Bathing & Grooming
A 1 year old
child is starting to become aware of cleaning themselves. They can wipe their face with a napkin or
towel (not completely). They can grasp
tools such as a toothbrush or spoon, and mimic movements that will develop into
controlled use. Between 1 and 2 years, a child begins to enjoy
bathing and takes an interest in helping. By 3
years, they are actively participating in washing and helping with brushing
teeth. At 3 or 4 years, a child can wash themselves with supervision and some
help with hair. A 5 to 6 years child should be able to complete bathing and grooming
tasks on their own with occasional reminders to do a thorough job.
Toileting
When to potty
train can often be confusing for parents.
Typically, the first indication that a child is ready to start potty
training is their ability to indicate when they are wet or soiled, which
typically occurs by age 2. The next step is their ability to indicate
needing to go to the bathroom. A 3 year old child should be using the
bathroom with daytime control, still needing help for wiping and managing
clothing. By 4 years old, a child develops nighttime control and needs less help
with wiping and managing fasteners on clothing.
At 5 or 6 years, a child is
independent with toileting tasks.
Feeding
Around 6 months, a child develops the upper
body and hand strength to hold their own bottle. By 7-8
months, they can grasp small pieces of cereal or baby cookies and bring it
to their mouth. They may start using a spoon for feeding by about 12 months. Between 1-2
years, a child is using a spoon (with spilling) and can hold and drink from
a Sippy Cup. Between 2 and 5 years, a child develops the
ability to use a spoon and fork, and can drink from a cup with no lid (with
some spilling).
The most important thing to
remember about any skill development in childhood is that is takes time and
lots of practice. Spend time on these
skills, especially in the evenings and weekends when there is a bit more time
to spare. Give as little help as
possible. As the child gets older, allow
them to work through problems and give more verbal feedback than hands on help.
Children learn through play so turn it
into a game. You can play dress-up or
dress a stuffed animal for dressing skills, play peek-a-boo games where the
child pulls a napkin or washcloth off their face or head for grooming skills, and
use spoons and other utensils while playing in pudding or applesauce for
feeding and utensil use. Give your child
as many opportunities as possible to practice their skills, let them make
mistakes, and have fun learning new skills.
It is important to remember that
these skills develop at a different pace for each child and the ages presented
are considered average. If your child
develops these skills slightly faster or slower, there is no need for alarm. If there is a significant delay in the
development of these skills, your child may benefit from an occupational
therapy evaluation. Please feel free to
leave your comments in the section below if you have specific questions
regarding your child.
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