9 Tips for Sensory Sensitivity- The Clothing Edition

Does this sound familiar?

Your kid is getting dressed in the morning but basically refusing to wear anything. Complaints about tags on the back of the shirt, the seams of the socks don’t lineup, the collar of the shirt is too tight, the texture of the clothing is too scratchy, the sleeves are too long, The sleeves are too short, the pants are too tight.

The list goes on and on. It takes hours to get dressed. Laying on the ground, avoiding, running away. Hiding. By the time everyone is dressed, everyone is running late and everyone is stressed! Now it’s time to have a great day at camp kids! When you have a Sensory Sensor kid, mornings can be a bear!

Here are a few tips to make getting ready in the mornings a little easier for you and your Sensory Sensor.

1. Each morning wake your kiddo up by providing a little deep pressure to their arms and legs. This means gentle squeezes or “hand hugs” to their arms and legs. Start at the shoulder and work down to the hands. Ask permission first and then go slowly.
2. Rub your kiddos arms with a SOFT face cloth every day a few times a day. Better yet, let them do it! When your kiddo is able to manage their own sensory issues, everything is a lot easier.
3. You can make accommodations for your kiddo by purchasing clothing that are tag-less and seamless. Here’s a few link to a few great online stores that sell tag-less, seem-less clothing. PRIMARY, LANDS END, PACT, LUCKY AND ME.
4. You can also iron on your own labels. Try OLIVER labels.
5. Turn the shirt around and wear it backwards; this moves the label to a different part of the body; which may be more tolerable.
6. HANES, GILDEN and KIRKLAND also sell shirts without tags. Many kids enjoy designing their own shirts!
7. TARGET sells clothing WITHOUT LABELS and ADAPTIVE clothing. Both are amazing!
8. Help your child pick out their own clothing before they go to bed each night. This gives them a little autonomy and you will start to get a feel of the clothing they are generally picking.
9. Wearing jeans or rough clothing is not probably going to work. However, sometimes lycra clothing can be helpful. If your kiddo is super sensitive sometimes, putting a pair of lycra bike shorts under their regular shorts can help the sensitivities.

There is no one prescription for every kid! If you own a Sensory Sensor and need help coming up with ideas on how to help accommodate their needs or help to remediate their sensory issues reach out! I’m a pediatric occupational therapist who helps families throughout the South Bay Area.