Changing Takes Time

Changing clothes is a huge time thief for Mom (and me). She can no longer do this for herself.

I always ask if she wants to change her top or bottom garments first.  She always picks one, then immediately starts with the opposite.  Okay.  I can learn to work with that. 

Choosing the right sequence is really hard for her.  For example, she will put her pajama bottoms on OVER her pants and shoes.  Of course, it doesn't work very well.  So, nowadays, I have to step into the confusion and sort it out.  She cannot understand that if I ask her to first remove her shoes, I really mean it.  Instead, she will begin rearranging the clean things laid out on the bed.  She enjoys arranging things; she does not enjoy changing clothes.

So, I have to repeat "Take off your shoes, please."  Her hearing seems very selective.   I used to ask a dozen times.  Now, three times is my limit (and tomorrow it may drop to just one) before I take her by the hand, make her sit down, and remove the shoes myself.

Sometimes, she goes directly to taking off her pants, then struggles when they get snagged on the shoes.  Then, getting the shoes and her narrow-bottomed pants unscrambled takes a quite a few minutes and some colorful language on my part, particularly when I get kicked in the face as they finally separate.

At any time during this entire process, she will return to her arranging activities, forgetting all about the real goal.

Getting her out of street clothes and into her pajamas takes at least half an hour.  Sometimes much longer.  The same for pajamas into street clothes.   Add a bath and count on three hours of struggle.  When she has an "accident" we get to do it all over again.  Sometimes, 4 or 5 times a day.

Time flies when it is standing still.