A toddler may want to dress independently long before they can manage every fastening or tell the front of a shirt from the back. Give them a useful part of the process rather than choosing between doing everything for them and waiting indefinitely for them to do it alone.
Choose clothing that fits and is reasonably easy to handle. Start with one step, such as pushing an arm through a sleeve, pulling up loose pants with help or bringing socks from a low accessible place. The right step depends on the child's current ability, not a deadline attached to their birthday.
Make the choice real
Offer two suitable outfits or pieces when a choice fits the situation. Both should work for the weather and the day's plans. If a particular item is necessary, do not present wearing it as optional and then withdraw the choice when the child says no.
Give time to respond, and describe what happens next in simple language. You can hold the opening, begin a fastening or show the movement rather than repeating hurry up. When time is limited, explain that you will help with this part and leave another step for the child.
Practice on a quieter occasion as well as during the busiest departure. A few unhurried attempts after a change may be more useful than turning every school-run morning into a lesson. Notice the part the child managed without claiming that tomorrow will therefore be effortless.
Keep only current, suitable clothing in the everyday drawer where possible. A child choosing among outgrown outfits or items reserved for another season faces a decision the adult could simplify beforehand. Store those pieces elsewhere rather than repeatedly rejecting the child's selection.
If frustration rises, reduce the task. Help finish the outfit and return to practice another time. Clothing discomfort, tiredness or a difficult fastening may be part of the problem; refusal does not automatically mean the child is trying to delay you. Participation can grow through small opportunities while the adult remains responsible for getting the child appropriately dressed.