Promoting Independent Dressing to a Baby: Pull T-shirt Off the Head

Mama is now repeating the body parts song over and over to Alula - before the bath, during the diaper change, even while prepping Lulu to sleep. She loves it when I sing while demonstrating the body parts being mentioned. Sometimes I demonstrate it on me, and sometimes I touch Lulu's body while I sing. Sometimes I touch while tickling her a bit. She would giggle or laugh.

Besides singing, another thing that Alula loves is playing peek a boo. She's never tired of it. Therefore Mama modifies the peek-a-boo game all the time and incorporates it into our daily activities, like peek-a-boo with a towel after a bath, peek-a-boo with prayer cloth after prayer, peek a boo with a blanket before sleep, and so on.

This morning Mama was surprised, as Alula could touch her head and raise her hand intentionally whenever I ask her to do so. Wow, she can understand in only two days of learning through the song. Knowing the fact that Alula is now recognized the command on touching the head and raise the hands, Mama is so excited to have another trial: introducing Alula to pull her T-shirt off the head.

This afternoon Alula was in a good mood. She had a good nap and had enough lunch. I want to take her for an afternoon bath. I want to show her that she can help me to pull her dress off her head. First, I put her in a sitting position. Then I rolled up her T-shirt. Her T-shirt was half covering her head and eyes. So she can't see me. Then I play peek a boo!

"Peek a boo!", I pull off her T-shirt. Lulu giggles. I put the T-shirt on her again and did a peek a boo again. She screams excitedly. For the third time, I didn't pull it off. I waited for a while. It looks like that Lulu is waiting impatiently while trying to reach out her T-shirt. Until.... Boooo! She succeeds to pull it off by herself! Nice try, Lulu! We can keep on practicing.