Clothes matter

Don't worry. This isn't a post about the best in children's fashion or a lecture about how to dress your kid more like Suri Cruise. Considering the fact that last week I took my daughter out in pants with fruit snack stains on them (mortified doesn't begin to describe it)- I don't think I'm qualified for that kind of post. Instead this post is about paying attention to clothes as it relates to helping your preemie with their fine/gross motor skills.

1) Shoes - as soon as your preemie starts to work on standing, cruising, etc. they should be in some sort of shoe. Preferably one with a tennis shoe like bottom for the best possible grip. These days you can find shoes with a good sole in almost any style. Socks are far too slippery - imagine trying to learn how to stand or walk on ice. Bare feet are good too because your preemie can use his/her toes to better grip the floor.

2) Pants length - No matter how cute those baby jeans may look on your little one, if they are too long than they will interfere with your preemies movement. I constantly roll up the bottom of my daughter's pants to ensure that she won't trip or slide on the bottom of her pants. Just remember to unroll them when you are going out.

3) Sleeve length - The same rules apply to shirts. If your preemie can't see his/her hands than he/she won't be using them correctly. Make sure your preemie's shirts don't have sleeves that are too long or loose. Also, when working on self feeding or any other messy activity - remember to roll up the sleeves. It will be easier on them and you will feel less stressed about possibly cleaning yet another shirt (and less stress makes for happier mealtimes).