How to Help Children With Clothing Sensitivities Cope With Discomfort
Children often refuse to change clothes: they are very stubborn. However, for some children, clothing sensitivity can be a real problem, ranging from discomfort from rough fabrics, seams and tags to excessive wearing of only one type of clothing a day. These problems may exist along with other sensitivities such as touch, texture and temperature.
“Protected neural pathways lead to the brain and alert you to danger,” explains Lindsay Beal , occupational therapist and co-author of Raising a Sensory Smart Child . “It’s like when you feel a mosquito and quickly try to swat it, hopefully before you get bitten. But the volume [of this signal] is too high for some children, so a nice soft shirt that just barely touches your skin evokes protection and feeling.”
These sensations can be worse in the winter when the skin becomes drier and more sensitive, causing children to feel discomfort and, in some cases, remove their clothes as a result. If your child is experiencing clothing sensitivities, here are a few things you can do to help them cope.
Find out what irritates your child
For people with sensory processing issues, the feel of clothing can be a constant distraction, making it difficult for parents to decide how best to accommodate their child’s sensitivity to clothing.
Try to determine what may be causing your child’s sensitivity. Don’t they like being toweled off after bathing? Do they avoid loose clothing? Beale recommends using this checklist to help you determine what is causing your child’s symptoms.
Change your wardrobe
Clothing sensitivities can be caused by fabrics or accessories, so you may need to find other options. Biel recommends avoiding synthetic fabrics and clothing with lots of scratchy seams, zippers and tags. Encourage your child to wear only natural fabrics other than wool, as this may cause itching.
“Keep only acceptable clothing in your drawers,” says Beale. “If your child likes a certain brand of shirt, buy several.”
Other options include one-piece suits, weighted vests and compression clothing, which help children self-regulate. There are several places online where you can order cute clothes that suit your baby’s needs.
Rinse and moisten
The way you wash your baby’s clothes can also aggravate his sensitivity. Some fabric softeners leave marks on clothes. Avoid detergents with fragrances and dyes, and consider whether the soaps you use may trigger conditions such as eczema. Apply moisturizers to your baby’s skin during the winter, as it can become dry and especially sensitive during the colder months.
“Adding good fatty oils to your meals will help hydrate your skin from the inside out,” adds Biel.
Desensitize your child
When adding new items to your wardrobe, let children touch and hold the clothes before putting them on. This allows them to gradually get used to them.
If your son or daughter gets overstimulated by clothes or other objects, Beale suggests a few activities you can try to help desensitize them:
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Fill a large plastic container with beans and dry, uncooked rice and let your child use it as a sandbox. This may reduce sensation in their legs and arms.
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Most clothing-sensitive children react to extreme pressure. You can make a sandwich with a pillow or pillows in the form of bread and your baby in the form of peanut butter.
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Likewise, you can swaddle your baby in a blanket like a burrito.
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There are also weighted toys and other items that can help calm your baby.
If all else fails, seek professional help.
If your attempts to respond to your child’s clothing sensitivity have failed, it may be time to consult a pediatrician or occupational therapist. They can work with you to understand why your child is sensitive to clothing and work on more serious issues.
Says Beale, “You can’t deal with behavior until you understand what’s driving that behavior.”