Mardi gras: how to dress up your baby?
Princess dress, superhero jumpsuit, cowboy pants … adults remember with nostalgia the disguises they wore as children to celebrate Mardi Gras. They often idealize the joy they took in dressing up. I have to say that kids love to don their favorite character’s costume. On the other hand, for toddlers, it is a more complex notion. In order for your baby to agree to be disguised, without complaining, you will need to proceed gently. First of all, avoid masks. Babies sweat underneath and sometimes find it difficult to breathe easily. Result: they can quickly get angry! Before three years, therefore, it is not worth insisting. Do not put on your baby a bulky full-length costume, or smear his face with makeup.. He will not stand this paraphernalia and will want to remove everything in a second. “Bet first on the accessories that they can easily put on and take off as they wish: hats, beanies, sunglasses, socks, gloves, small bags … or clothes that you no longer put on”, advises psychomotor therapist Flavie Augereau in his book “100 daddy-baby awakening activities” (Ed. Nathan). Siyou choose a costume, avoid zippers in the back to make it easier for your child to put on or take off. And above all, be sure to take the right size.
Dressing up, a full-fledged awakening activity
From 2 years old, the child begins to recognize his image in a mirror. It is from this moment that he takes a real pleasure in transforming himself. Do not hesitate to disguise it, step by step, in front of the mirror. In this way, your little one will realize that he remains the same person, even when he changes his appearance. Moreover, if you disguise yourself, do not take your baby by surprise by arriving in transvestite in front of him. Not only will he not understand, but you may also frighten him. By disguising you in front of him, he will know that it is indeed you.
You can also put make-up on your little one. Choose a range of products, adapted to her fragile skin, which can be applied and removed easily. As psychomotor therapist Flavie Augereau explains, by applying make-up to the child or letting him put on make-up, he discovers his body, exercises his manual motor skills, and takes pleasure in creating. Start by making simple designs like geometric shapes. “Draw the child’s attention to the sensation of the brush sliding over the skin,” emphasizes the specialist. Then admire the result, still in the mirror.
The role of disguise in the development of the child In older children, around 3 years old, the disguise allows the child to grow. While his “me” is built, the child in disguise projects himself into a large, magical world, where everything becomes possible. He becomes, in a way, all-powerful. He also learns to “pretend”, thus developing his imagination. Moreover, it is important to let the child choose the costume he wants to wear because the disguise allows him to express his emotions. |