Fears - Staten Island,NY

Buy her shirts with wider necks so they go on quickly. I guess that would be mainly v-neck shirts. Pull them on as quickly as you can, and play peek a boo when you take them off, and put them on. I think the dress up clothes that someone else suggested is a good idea too! Also, when you put pull over shirts on her bunch the fabric up around collar as much as you can so that she can see you again instantly. Good luck. I know it can't be easy to find everything with zippers and buttons.

maybe you could give her an extra large shirt maybe from you or dad and show her how big the opening is .Just leave it where she can see it. Have her sister put it on first. You never know it might help.

It is connected to claustrophobia. My granddaughter and I have the same problem. Getting upset with them does not help at all. What I have found to work is to relate to her and go very carefully and slowly with her to get the shirt on over her head. Let her feel she is in control and make sure I praise her before and after the project, and it is a project. Claustrophobia is not a fun thing, I just learned this year how severe it is for me when they tried to put me in a closed mri and i colapsed. I used to pick on people for thier fears, and at 48 years old, I now understand how terribly paralizing it can be. Be patient with the child and work with them through it. I will pray that you can help her conquer this fear now so that it does not get worse. My husband suggested that show her how a turtle pulls their head in and out of their shell with the skin over their neck and make it a turtle game. Never know how these mens ideas might work. T.

A similar situation happened with my son as well. I took the shirt I wanted to put on him showed him how I was stretching the neck a little for an easier slip on and before I put it over his head I stuck my face through and made a funny face and told him I'd be the next thing he saw once the shirt was on. It worked. Hope this helps.

A. B.

I would make getting dressed a game, letting her know that the shirts or clothes wont hurt her, fear is something that they dont understand, so showing her it wont hurt her will help her get through it. There is nothing to fear except fear itself, we fear the unknown.

smae thing happened with my daughter. Stretch out the collars on t-shirts so not too tight and count. Say " on the count of 3 we will put on the shirt and we will only count till 1 and the t-shirt will be on." Don't put on any tight neck t shirts. Or you can not cover her eyes when putting on a shirt.

I know that must be difficult getting back her trust to pull shirts over her head. But what I would do is let her see me pull shirts over my head as well as a little help from her and them commend her with a treat. slowly start introducing it back to her and make a BIG deal about it. also make sure she is not wearing earrings in her ears. i never pull shirts over my girls head with earring in.

hello J.,
i think you might try playing house or have a puppet show but dressing up and adding a shirt to your head pretending its part of the costume. remember when we use to wear shirts around the house pretending we had long hair.making it a game or even watching tv one night wearing a shirt on the head she might think its fun. of course you and your older daughter would do it and let her join in on her time/terms. even get daddy one night watching tv.this might just work.let me know ok.and good luck.FEAR NOT SUPER CRAZY MOM IS HEAR

I would just let her try to put on her shirt herself and see how that goes. other then that i have no idea what to say!

Hi!,

My son is like this sometimes. I stick my face in the hole for a while and make funny faces to make him laugh. That or play peekaboo through the hole. Then, when I'm going to put the shirt on him, I keep my face in the hole until the last second and slip it over his head. Of course, the shirt is held in a way so that it's ready to slip over her head. Also, I find it's better when I let my son sit up. For a while, it would probably be good to only use very loose necked shirts, just to make it as quick as possible.

Just an idea, but most little girls at age 4 love to play dress up. Maybe you could get out her dress up clothes. Her desire to play dress up might out way her fear of putting a shirt over her head.