Getting dressed should take about five minutes (maybe six if there are buttons to be buttoned or laces to be tied). But anyone with a toddler will tell you that five minutes is wishful dressing. Five minutes in no way factors in the time taken to wage a mini war over an old ratty tutu, a gauche Frozen T-shirt and size-too-big sandals. (Because, please, why would they want to wear this perfectly practical outfit you laid out last night?) 

Jessica Grose has a three-year-old daughter (and, we can only assume, some impressive negotiation skills honed over many high-stakes clothing stand-offs), and she wanted to know – why is getting children dressed such a nightmare, and when will the nightmare end? (Spoiler alert: It never ends.) But her research did teach her a bit more about the mindset of her tiny opponent.

We suggest reading Jess’s story HERE. Then we strongly suggest COFFEE.