Wardrobing for In-House EI

As a follow up for my recent post on pants-less Early Intervention.. I mean the Telehealth to In-Person Transition, I wanted to write a short how-to for choosing your work wardrobe. 

On a long day, I realize there are not only temperature changes outside, but also inside the homes. Some people love heat 😅 and while I do too, some kids will have you running up and down hallways and lifting their too-heavy-for-age-2 bodies above your head several times in a 30 minute period. Let’s not get into jumping, spinning, and stomping like an elephant – it gets to be a bit much. It’s recommended to wear removable layers in the event that the heat (or cold) are a bit beyond your threshold. 

I have kids that grab and hold on tight, which could be because they’re angry or they’re just very excited to see me. Care for wearing long sleeves (can be breathable fabric), buns over ponytails or loose hair, and absolutely NO V necks! I know I mentioned layers but it should really be a consideration to wear an undershirt as a precautionary measure if ever you are sitting on the floor, bending, or lifting up high that the entire family doesn’t necessarily have to enjoy your midriff. Ladies, aways wear a bra, and I don’t have to tell you why. 

Pants, whether shorts (near the knees please) or long pants should pass the buttcrack test. Don’t be that guy. If you live in a warm place, you may be tempted to wear loafers or flip flops/sandals often which is no problem. If you do so, have a handy dandy pocket with extra socks. Don’t ever put it past a family that they may not want you to wear shoes in their house. I know my house is outside shoes free, and because I walk around my house barefoot, I have tried this in other homes and when I tell you I was so regretful sometimes, when I realized the dirt or other particles that cane in contact with my skin!? 

I don’t wear jewelry, but for those of you who do… well, DON’T 🤷🏽‍♀️. There isn’t a single safe piece of jewelry that I can think of that should beyond a reasonable doubt enter the home of a 0-3 year old client. If you must, make sure it passes the poke and pull test (i.e. that it will not scratch, cut, or bind anything on the child’s body if they try to grab you). 

Surprisingly, I find that long nails (for my long tips queens) is not a no-no for EI Therapy. Let’s be real, while the mundane look works for EI kids for a reason, you have a life outside of those homes and nails cannot be repetitively put on or taken off like jewelry can. With care to the kinds of activities you’ll be doing, long nails should generally hold up well during the session and do not typically pose any unnecessary danger to the child (just try not to poke an eye out). A fun positive – long nails make noise on solid surfaces and is a great attention grabber during session time. Use it to your advantage. 

I wish I had advice for glasses, but I don’t ever wear them, except for those silly ones with the big nose and furry eyebrows I use to get some extra eye contact during activities. They always get ripped off, so perhaps if you don’t need the glasses, don’t bother with them just for fashion.

Your mask will be also be ripped off at some unexpected time, without a doubt, if you work with children. Carry more than one, in the event it falls on the floor, gets coughed or sneezed on, or the child runs with it and you can’t catch them, you at least have gave a backup.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk. Have a great day.